The Principles of Reiki

Just for today, I will not worry.

Just for today, I will not anger.

Just for today, I will earn my living honestly.

Just for today, I will show gratitude.

Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing.

The principles of Reiki are simple. The idea of following these five principles "just for today" also help us to live in the moment and not feel overwhelmed with the enormity of what the coming days have in store for us. Let's look at each principle on it's own.

Just for today, I will not worry. Worry manifests itself deeply into our being, yet it is such a counterproductive way to spend your time. Often times the fear of something imagined is far greater than what comes to fruition. Give yourself permission to not allow worry into your heart - just for today!

Just for today, I will not anger. Anger is often called a secondary emotion because we tend to rely on anger to cover up other vulnerable feelings. When my son played minor hockey, the parents were asked to conform to a 24-hour rule. What this meant is that if a parent had a disagreement with a coach's decision, they were to wait 24 hours before approaching the coach. This period of time allowed the parent to process the primary emotion that was driving the anger. By not falling to anger, just for today, I can always step back and recognize and assess what pushed me in that direction.

Just for today, I will earn my living honestly. My dad instilled a work ethic in me that remains unwavering. I remember working with him on a construction job. It was the end of the week on a beautiful summer day and our task was to clean the mud and dirt from the street. We were sweeping and washing the road and my dad paused to remind me that I should take pride in every job I do, no matter the task. That day he said, "If your job is to sweep the streets, just make sure you are the best street sweeper you can be. To this day, I take on every job with the same vigor, hoping to be my very best at whatever I am doing. And promising to do it just for today helps me get through some of the tougher jobs I've done.

Just for today, I will show gratitude. The universal law of attraction suggests that thinking positive thoughts helps to manifest positive outcomes. Similarly, negative attracts negative. Sometimes we fall into a rut where we have a number of things that don't work out the way we had hoped they would. That way of thinking can be a slippery slope until it feels like everything around us is doomed. Stopping to actively give gratitude can help break the cycle of negativity. Giving gratitude reminds of all the good things that are happening to us and for us. And just like that we can be back on track with positive thoughts attracting positive energy - even if it's just for today!

Just for today, I will be kind to every living thing. Recently I've noticed a meme going around social media feeds with a message that goes like this, "You never know what someone is going through. Be kind. Always." During these unpredictable times of a worldwide pandemic, it's easier than ever to imagine that people are going through some type of hardship. Kindness costs nothing. It can be as simple as a smile to a stranger or a phone call to a loved you haven't seen for a while. I'm the type of person who will rescue a bug in my home to release it outdoors. I have been stung a few times by an uncooperative wasp, but I continue to save the insects in my home. I beleive You may never know the difference you make in another being's life with your small act of kindness, but to that being it may make all the difference in the world!