I laughed when I read it! Because that was exactly what I was experiencing.
The situation hadn’t changed. The challenges were still there. But I was able to notice tiny sparks of joy alongside it.
On another day, I chose:
Trust.
I had two client sessions scheduled, and I was aware of a bit of tension in the background. I
wasn’t sure whether the mobile internet connection would hold, or whether I would be able to focus fully in an unfamiliar room.
Instead of fretting ahead of time, I chose this word to support me. And guess what… everything flowed. The connection held. I felt fully present with my clients.
Later that day, I noticed something I had completely overlooked before.
In the hallway where I was staying, there was a blackboard with a verse written on
it — all about trusting.
I had walked past it before, and not really seen it until that day.
It made me wonder how often something supportive is already there… and we only notice it when we are ready for, or look out for it.
Another word I chose was:
Kindness.
My mom had a painful procedure booked that day, and we were both expecting it to be as painful as in the
past.
Yet - the whole experience unfolded so differently.
The new carer who was with us was gentle and supportive. She taught my mom to place her hand on her heart and say ”I am brave, I am strong. I am going to be okay.” The procedure itself happened without pain (What?! Every other one was so painful!). Even the receptionist felt warm and welcoming.
It felt like kindness was woven through the entire day. It came to
us!
And then there was a day when I chose:
Lightness.
By that point, things had felt quite heavy for a while.
Holding that word in my awareness brought a sense of space, even if only in small moments.
That very day, though, something difficult happened. My mom’s favourite carer unexpectedly resigned.
Ooph, that was hard. My heart dropped into my stomach
when I heard the news. Nothing about it felt light! I almost laughed (and not with glee!) when I thought about my word.
On reflection, choosing my word didn’t change what happened. But it did influence how I was able to be with it. There was a tiny bit more room to breathe inside the heaviness.
Did my Word make everything easy?
Hell, no. Looking back, this practice didn’t remove
any challenges on the visit. But it gave me something solid to return to, over and over.
A simple word, like a quiet anchor. A gentle reminder that I didn’t have to carry everything in the same way as before.
And most often, I didn’t have to go searching for the quality, or 'make it happen'. It would appear all by itself, in small, unexpected and surprisingly lovely ways.
Could this
practice support you?
If you’re walking through something that feels difficult or uncertain right now, you might like to try it.
Below, some ideas you could try to make a start.
Reflection and Pondering
- What feels most present in your life right now?
- If today had a “tone” or “flavour,” what would it be?
- What might support you
in meeting this day more gently?
- Have you ever tried to “think positively” when life felt hard?
- What felt supportive… and what didn’t?
Journaling Prompts
- If today had one word to support me, it would be… because…
- What would it look like to support myself — without needing life to change first?
Mini EFT Tapping
Rounds
A simple few minutes of tapping can be so supportive, too.
Side of the Hand: “Even though today feels a bit full/uncertain, I’m open to meeting it gently.”
Then tap through the body points with phrases like:
- “This moment”
- “All that I’m carrying”
- "It's a lot - too much for me"
- "All the uncertainty"
- "I wish there was more certainty and
ease"
- “Allowing a little more ease (or the word you chose)”
- “Letting today meet me too”
- "Allowing more (ease/your word)
And if things aren’t going as well as you’d hoped, try this round:
Side of the Hand: “Even though things aren’t going how I hoped, I’m open to finding a different way to be with this.”
Tap through the points with phrases like these - make it your own,
with your truth:
- “This disappointment (name your own emotion)”
- “This heaviness”
- “I wish things were different”
- "This is not going according to my plans"
- "It's not turning out well"
- “Maybe I can soften, just a little”
- "Maybe there's a different way to be with it"
Honestly, you don’t have to do any of it perfectly. I recommend an attitude of experimentation and
curiosity.
See if you can let a simple word accompany you…
I’d love to hear what you noticed. Please let me know if you have questions, or tried it.