This is the 100th post and I want it to be s.t. that can be useful. The most significant thing I can express to anyone who might even be thinking about asking is to build on what works for you.
I had the good fortune to sit in the audience in Houston Texas, in 1987 or so, among about 1000 others and listen to Og Mandino tell his story. I went because his Greatest Salesman in the World book was an inspiration to me; a book that brought tears of sympathetic joy to my eyes when I read it but then I am such a sentimental schmuck that some would say that’s easy.
To the best of my knowledge Og Mandino and I had only one thing in common, we were both members of the human race; we could have been sympathetic beings, we could both have been searching for permanence, we could have been a lot of things but the only fact is that we were both human beings. He died in 1996.
Several years ago, and I think it must have been at least ten; I revisited his book and saw the wisdom of it. A series of statements, self-talk, reminders, desired attributes, things for which to strive, or whatever you would call them repeated daily until they are as much a part of you as the "Our Father” or other prayers we learned and never forgot. After listing his, I reformatted them to more be more suitable to my needs, listed about 10 of them, and decided to commit them to memory.
That began what I now call my dailies. There are thirty-seven of them, all committed to memory and recited aloud every day of my life. When the occasion is such that I can’t say them aloud, I find ways to get them said internally so as not to miss a day. They remind me of the thought processes and behaviors that are part of my daily activities, attitudes, expressions, interactions with others, aspirations, dreams, and desired states.
They derived from a simple list and are said in a certain order because some grew out of another but expressed a nuance that was missing. I suppose I could list them all for you, that could be viewed as vain but let’s go beyond vain and try to see the wisdom of what is being said here.
Religions use this method to reinforce beliefs; RC priests read, at least they used to, from a breviary every day, a book of prayers that keeps them in mind of what they are about and the Islamists likewise pray five times a day to keep reminded of their faith. If it’s good enough for the two biggest religions in the world, it’s good enough for me.
The list from Mandino is short, a book would not have supported many more, but our lives and aspirations go beyond the basics that he put forth. In my heart of hearts I believe he was showing us the way, giving us a starting point, letting us decide for ourselves what is important enough in our lives to distill into a daily statement of desire. So I will share mine with you and hope that they too will inspire you to put together your own list of “Dailies” that will keep you on courses relative to behavior, sentiments, moods, and desired results.
The typical daily is a two part statement: the assertion and the result. The assertion is typically an action, thought, or mood and the result is the state of being that is engendered by the assertion. Exceptions prove the rule, so yes there are a few that don’t fit this pattern but the result is the same. In listing them I have put them in groups that are somehow related but haven’t made the analysis of that relationship.
So here they are:
Greeting this day with love in my heart, I am nicer
Forming good habits and becoming their slave, I am involved
Setting goals, I am proud
Working on Aim, I am productive
Imagining this day as I wish it to unfold, I exercise imagination
Enjoying the moment, I pay attention to what I am doing now
Doing it now, I am determined
Using my time wisely, I am aware
Staying on task, I am disciplined
Doing it now, I am determined
Recognizing distractions, I am cognizant
Avoiding mistakes, I am alert
Making mistakes, I recover
Asking others to do with me, I associate
Forgiving and forgetting, I relate more easily
Maintaining a favorable opinion, I remain enthused and constructive
Unaware of the other's situation, I remain neutral in my opinions
Internalizing the human relations principles, I am more likable
Utilizing my assets, personal and physical, I can get what I want
To get what I want, I ask
Proud of my accomplishments and aware of my capabilities, I am confident
Pleased with the way I am wending, I am happier
Initiating and participating in conversation, I am worthy
Confronting others appropriately, I am strong
Expressing my feelings forthrightly, I am assertive
Controlling myself during conversation, I achieve my purpose
Understanding fatigue to be the father of much negativity, I am rested
Aware that emotional response is irrational, I am more objective
Comparing myself, I see that I am energetically doing the best I can under the circumstances
Aware of my power on stage and platform, I dream extravagantly, audition routinely, learn my lines completely, rehearse rigorously, and perform spontaneously
In a conspicuous or competitive situation, I keep my mind on my objective and stay aware of my surroundings
When competing, I do it win
Oblivious to my image, I have more fun
Laughing at the world, I am fearless—the world is my playground
Getting out more, I make myself available
Persisting until I succeed, I persevere stubbornly
Being the womb of essence, I am humble
Making the difference with a kind word, a good question, a helping hand, goals according to dream, plans and strategies to meet the goals, every move made intentionally, I deliver.
Now make your own.
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