Let me preface this by saying I am well aware that “prayer” is a loaded word/concept. I’m not trying to convert you to any religion, though if you’ve ever read any of my stuff before that should already be painfully clear. I don’t subscribe to any churches/organized religions, though I also don’t judge anyone who does. I simply have found that I have more spiritual success (if there is such a thing) when I’m working on and refining my own connection and understanding to religion/spirituality.
For me, my religion (if that’s even the right word for it) is about connection and balance. What am I connecting to? Myself, for one. I’m also connecting to the world around me, and the space between things. I am connecting inward and outward to the truth. Whether or not God is an appropriate word or description for this remains to be seen, however I think I’ve been pretty clear in the past about my distain for the idea of God as something separate and outside of us. In short, I don’t think God is a dude on a cloud watching us poop and judging our actions.
NOW, with all of that said, I think that prayer is a pretty powerful tool for connecting to whatever it is we are trying to connect to. Furthermore, I think prayer is a good tool for finding balance. Maybe “finding” is the wrong word, our natural state is balance, it’s more of a “returning to” rather than a “finding”.
Anyway… just as I propose we all balance our thinking with non-thinking, our speaking with listening, our doing with non-doing…I think it’s valuable to balance our meditation with prayer. In true meditation, we do nothing, we listen. In prayer, we speak, we act.
Today, I’m going to offer a prayer I use often. It’s a simple prayer. It doesn’t so much matter to what/who the prayer is directed, it helps me connect, it helps me find balance. If the word prayer is too loaded for you to get by, try affirmation, or if that’s too hippie just think of it as some words you’re saying or some shit (I know, my words are like poetry). I invite you to say read these words every morning, before you start your day. Try it for a week, then adapt/change anything that feels like it needs adapting/changing for your life. See how a simple, consistent prayer practice can help you connect, or find balance. Here goes, my morning prayer:
Thankful for a new opportunity to enjoy life.
May my day unfold with ease.
May good things come my way.
May I remember to appreciate people, places, moments and things.
May I see the extraordinary in the ordinary.
May I see the good in the bad.
May I be good to myself.
May I be good to others.
May I remember that we are all brothers and sisters.
May I end this day feeling complete.
May I remember that at all times, all things are possible.