In reiki, there are five principles that us as practitioners live our lives by and they all start with “just for today.” This is because deciding to abide by a set of morals for an infinite period of time can be overwhelming. The words “just for today…” are used so that we know all to concern ourselves with is the present moment. There is no need to stress about tomorrow or beat ourselves up for yesterday. All we can control is right now. I have applied these three little words to scenarios and emotions outside of reiki. Knowing that however I may feel, it is “just for today” has helped me find strength to work through difficult situations as well as increase my gratitude for the positive ones. These principles have helped me to embrace mindfulness and further incorporate it into my life.
With emotions, there is no permanence. As much as we desire to be happy all of the time, it is just as unrealistic as being sad all of the time. We change so much every day that, it is impossible to encompass one permanent mindset. Understanding this philosophy is particularly comforting to me while working through life lessons. Knowing that “just for today, I am stressed out, sad, angry, disappointed, etc” and that whatever I am going through will end is comforting and helps me to stay true to the principles of reiki.
On the other hand, taking the understanding that no emotion is permanent helps me to feel more gratitude for the people and situations that bring me joy. Learning to enjoy the moment and appreciate the good times makes these positive emotions more valuable. I’ve learned to take a step back and count my blessings knowing that this moment and these feelings will not last forever and that I should cherish them while they’re happening.
Living life “just for today…” is much less stressful than trying to be accountable for all of time. It helps to know that if a falter it is ok because all I am responsible for is today. I can take the new understanding from the now and apply it to tomorrow where I get to try anew. With reiki, if we weren’t able to practice all five principles in the day, we know that we tried our best and will have another chance tomorrow. Personal bests change all of the time and it is important to honor your abilities and feelings every day.
Xoxo,
Devin