Ann

Make yourself a promise
by Ralph Marston

What promise can you make to yourself today? What promise can you make to yourself, and keep?

You have made, and will continue to make, all sorts of commitments to others. If those commitments are to have any value, you must also be committed to yourself.

It’s not the least bit selfish to be committed to yourself. Because being your absolute best, is what enables you to be of service to others.

Right now, you know of many ways in which you can strengthen and improve your value to yourself, and your value to life. Pick one of those ways, right now, and make a promise to yourself to follow through.

No matter how far you’ve already come, there is always some new and fulfilling ground to cover. Choose a fresh, challenging path, and commit to making your way along it.

Make yourself a promise. And give to all of life your own unique gift of achievement.

© 2010 Ralph S. Marston, Jr.
From The Daily Motivator

Ann

This reading reminded me that most things on my "To Do" list of errands or favours....are things I commit to doing for other people. Some, like my husband, do things for me in return, perhaps I do our taxes and he washes and gasses up the car, it's a fair exchange.

But I rarely make a "to do" list of things to do for me, I make promises for others but rarely myself.

Why not? I'm not sure, old habits maybe from my more codependent days?

I will start today and promise myself to think about this, and tomorrow and each day after, I will make one promise to myself that will make my day a better day for having done it.

One promise a day to myself, not much in the grand scheme of things but huge in my recovery.

Join me? Make yourself a promise each day and then keep it?

Hugs

PhoenixJ

As every day (now) I promise to remain sober and try to be a little bit more of a good/better person than I was yesterday.

Ann

Today I promise myself to stay balanced and to be mindful of finding the joy of spring that is slowly peeking through here.

PhoenixJ

NOT to get sucked into catastrophic- 'what if, if only' thinking.

Ilovemysonjj

Look to my heart and my relationship with God. Miracles happen all around us! I promise to remember I cannot force the path or the way.
Letting go is freedom!

Ann

Today I promise myself some quiet time this afternoon, for reading a good book I just received, and to relax from the busy-ness of the week.

And I promise myself to stay in the day, no past regrets for me today and no wondering what the future may hold. One day to appreciate each moment and to find the joy, there's always joy somewhere if I just take the time to notice.

PhoenixJ

Like Ann said

Anaya

I promise myself I will continue to set boundaries and continue to be aware of the need for balance in my life.

Ann

I didn't start out for this to be an ongoing thread but I love that we are making the promises here and I plan to continue until somebody throws me out.

We had a busy medical morning in the city so I am now jammied up and have my book ready and will now take some "me" time to read and relax...just like I promised myself.

PhoenixJ

Ann

Today I promise myself that I will go with the flow and just see where the day leads me, beginning with a drive in the country in search of an osprey nest near here, where there are eggs and maybe babies by now.

I will stay in the moment and like a sponge I will soak in the loveliness of nature and spring.

PhoenixJ

Tomorrow- despite it being nearly 100F, I will do healthy shopping and cook up a week's worth of meals.

Start on my next arty thing- which defines my stage of recovery in this difficult journey.

Make sure I keep up with the mindful med'n when I feel overwhelmed or anxious re- being alone for the first time in my life.

KeepinItReal

I will walk today. I love walking and I am worth taking time out of my day for my health and for me.

Ann

PJ, expressing yourself through art is a wonderful outlet. Good for you.

KeepingItReal, I love to walk, anywhere but especially in nature. It's calms my soul. Hope your walk is wonderful and healing.

I didn't find my osprey on my drive but I did see a flock of swans that had stopped to rest in a field with some geese and ducks who were also resting on their way. It was a lovely sight to see, and I also made a note of the migration path, to come back to again another day...I promise.

Ann

Today I promise myself to take time to write, something I began doing then stopped a while back. I will find something I feel passionately about and then start writing and see where it leads. There is a place near my town that was once a prisoner of war camp for Nazi officers in WW2 (yes, they camped them in Canada too), and later became a boys reform school that sadly, became part of the dark stories of abuse in the 1950's and 60' and now the site sits in ruins, a haunting reminder of days gone by. I think I`d like to investigate and write about that.

I promise myself that today I will begin this project.

PhoenixJ

Did my shopping, cooked 14 meals. Did mindful stuff, just as well as ex e-m me, nothing bad- but a trigger. Did arty stuff- my avatar.

Tomorrow
(Sunday here 2127)

Payment on THAT ambulance bill, savings and arty shopping. Just cheap as chips stuff. Counselling, a meeting,. make a GP apt and Ann, had my coffee and will start some serious writing. A short story. 500 words.

Ann

Today I promise myself that I will find joy in mundane Monday errands...car in for maintenance, grocery shopping, bill paying...somewhere in there is a strangely wrapped gift or blessing and I will find it and be grateful.

Ilovemysonjj

Today I promise to smile and greet others with peace and joy!

Ann

I wish you lived near me, we could smile at each other and walk in nature.

My strangely wrapped gift indeed did come. My water pump in the car needs replacing. The gift in all this is that it is covered under warranty and won't cost me anything.

The warranty is almost expired...so that really is a gift that it happened now and not 6 months from now.

There is always a gift in there somewhere.