Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to share a mindfulness micro-practice called the pivot towards purpose. So just to begin with, I invite you to ponder how your own values come to life each day. Perhaps you value compassion and so that means that you always make a point to check in on your friends when they're having a hard time. Maybe authenticity is important to you.

So you express that in the way you choose to be vulnerable about your struggles. Maybe your values come to life in the grocery store when you choose to take your own bags because you value sustainability and conservation. But there may be other times in life where we become a little out of touch with our values. We all do this from time to time. Maybe we're rushing, maybe we're stressed, maybe we're feeling challenged or triggered.

And in some of those moments, we might feel tempted to react instead of respond. We might feel tempted to lash out or choose convenience or short term pleasure over doing what feels truly right for us deep in our heart. We all have moments like that, right? So the pivot towards purpose is this invitation to remember and reconnect with our own values and our principles in the little moments of decisions throughout the day, and in the moments when we tend to get a little off center. So there's two questions we can ask ourselves to help us connect with our values and pivot towards purpose in the moment. And they are: What really matters to me most in this moment? and Who do I want to be in this moment? So let's say you find yourself in a situation where someone says something insensitive or rude and you feel this urge to lash out.

In that moment, you can ask yourself these questions. What is it that really matters most to me in this moment? Who do I want to be in this moment? And you might realize after asking that question, that what you most deeply care about is being kind and understanding. So then you pivot towards that purpose. And instead of speaking harsh words, you choose to reply in a clear, compassionate, and open-hearted way. Or another example, that maybe you realize you feel a bit disconnected from your partner.

They've been busy all week and you notice you're getting really angry and resentful because they haven't been spending time with you. But then you ask yourself these questions and after checking in, you realize that what you really want is some fun, some play, some connection with your partner. So you pivot towards that purpose and take action guided by your values. So maybe you decide to set up a, a special surprise date and, you know, have some fun and play with your partner and let them know how much you care. So my invitation is this.

Whatever's happening for you today, see if you can keep remembering to pivot towards purpose, keep asking yourself these questions. Do it as many times as you can, so that this micro-practice becomes like a second nature, like a habit. No matter how others act, what stresses, challenges or triggers may arise, see if you can continue connecting what's, with what really matters deep in your heart and let that guide your decisions, actions, and words as best you can. So thank you for your practice and your presence here with us in this community. And inviting you now to settle in for today's meditation.