many of you have been telling me that you're struggling with a feeling of emptiness right now especially during the holidays one person described it as a mix of sadness and you know what's the point and I know that feeling all too well maybe you're feeling depressed or lost or as if things have gotten so bad out there that there just isn't any good left in the world but there is good it's all around us even in the darkest moments and I'll show you a 10-minute guided relaxation exercise that will allow you to connect to that
Spirit of good and instantly change how you see the world I have a special assignment for all of you who might be feeling empty at the moment maybe you're feeling depressed or hopeless or a little bit lost or like things have gotten so bad that there just isn't any good in the world anymore and this is one of my special guided relaxation videos you don't need to even watch it you can just close your eyes and listen to it if you want as I take you on a tour of experiences you've had in the past
not all the trauma and the bad stuff you can put that outside the door for now what I'm inviting you to focus on as you listen is the good in the world and there is so much good and when we give it our attention it has a way of seeping into us and resetting some of the areas where we're sad and stuck and locked down and having trouble seeing any good at all so this is an assignment I'm going to give you and I'm going to take you on a memory tour of just a few
of the experiences you've had and the people you've had the Good Fortune to encounter who brought some good into your world so what I invite you to do is as you keep listening is to get into a comfy chair or a sofa and settle in just very very comfortable and if you like you can close your eyes if you're driving obviously don't close your eyes but you can go through the guided relaxation exercise even while you're walking or driving or doing work with your hands um it's not going to be that deep of a traveling
away you're going to be thinking of things so when you're comfortable here's your assignment I'm going to be listing a series of positive experiences that you might have had and I'll be inviting you to dwell on those for a little bit and I'll go slowly so you have time to think and if I mention an experience you haven't had yet that's okay just stay with the exercise I'll tell you what to do if that's the case and if you want to stop at any time that's fine too so once you're in a safe spot just
close your eyes or not and just feel your trusty body in a state of rest maybe you have a few aches and pains or something you don't like about your body but just for this moment give your body some appreciation for all it does for you it allows you to live and breathe and be alive and if you're lucky it gives you hands to gesture and touch to comfort people or pets kitties and doggies who you love and your body allows you to express yourself with with your voice and your facial expressions and your speech
and if you have vision and hearing and taste and smell not everybody has them but whatever you have you have the extraordinary power to sense your environment and this is no small thing your body is good and it was made so that you could live and learn and bring good into the world so just give some love and appreciation for a moment to your magnificent living body what a miracle it is you may have criticisms of it and things that you wish would change about it but set those aside and just feel what an instrument
of good that you've been given in the form of your body now I invite you to notice the space where you're sitting to listen to my voice are you in a room in your home are you in an office a bench outside somewhere maybe you're in a place that's not your home but you're staying there or in a car and I want you to just give some appreciation for the place where you are now you're not out in the cold you're not out in the heat I trust you get to rest your feet and your
back and just take a rest and maybe it's a bit noisy or maybe it's quiet if you're in a building or a structure or on a bench or in a car just bring your attention to the fact that there were actual people who built that structure maybe it was a long time ago the people who built what's around you they each had a story they had their struggles and sources of happiness and this was the work they did so even if it was a long time ago let's think about those people the builders with tools
who spent their days long days making this space where you're sitting now and they might have even wondered to themselves I wonder who will end up living here and you haven't met those Builders but you're now in the same space where they spent their days working and maybe they had hard days maybe they had good days maybe they were worried about things they probably had lunch a time or two in there in the same room where you're sitting so you might just think about them with appreciation and connection that their work allows you now to
sit in safety and comfort they brought some good into the world all right now I invite you to begin thinking about some of the other people you've encountered in your life I know some people hurt you and that's part of your story and maybe it's still hard for you but for the next several minutes I'm going to lead you in calling to mind some of the dear people who brought good into your life and yes sometimes it's the same people who also did some harm but all the same let's visit the good that's come your
way think of someone who once comforted you when you were sick or grieving or injured can you think of that person were the little things they did the attention they gave you the touch the reassurance did it help you go from a state of fear or pain to a cozy feeling of ease did it help you know that you were safe to go to sleep and to heal inside remember what a good feeling that was that person brought good into the world so just take a moment to appreciate them for that now think of a
person who introduced you to a work of art like a book or a painting or a song that resonated for you in the most beautiful way and opened up your imagination you hadn't known about that wonderful work before but someone who loved it and felt enthusiastic shared it with you they brought something good to you and into the World by doing that so just in your mind just take a moment and give thanks to the person who did that for you right now think of someone who praised you for your natural ability and something maybe
when you were a kid someone noticed that you were a fast runner or a responsible helper around the house or that you were kind to the pets maybe the praise you received was later for a job well done or a brave action you took or for a thoughtful gift you gave and the person who praised you helped you see what was good about you and that was their way to bring more good into the world there there is good in the world but some people have a way of bringing more so think of someone who
got you out of danger at some point if you're listening I know you didn't always feel safe but was there someone who stepped in at some time and pulled you out of Danger's way they stood up for you against someone who was going to hurt you maybe or they taught you how to protect yourself to fight or they pulled you back from a choice you made or were about to make to go down some destructive path that person brought some good into the world so just take a moment to acknowledge a time or two when
this happened for your benefit all right next I'd like you to think of someone who taught you a skill that helped you earn money being able to earn money is such a gift right was it someone who taught you to use a computer or drive a car uh did they help you be a good writer or a good Builder or to be good at cleaning to be a great leader to be good at caring for other people maybe to do something clinical for others to do research to cook to be of service to others whatever
has allowed you to earn money and eat and keep a roof over your head give thanks for a moment to the person who taught you how to do that you weren't born knowing that they taught you and they brought good into the world in this way okay now think of someone who modeled for you how to be a good and moral person now none of us are born with that knowledge but we learn it from the people around us even if some of the people around us were doing bad things there were other people in
our midst neighbors teachers friends even characters on TV shows were modeling for us how to navigate in the world and how to act with honor and courage and kindness can you think of someone who modeled that for you in a way that impacted who you became let's give them a moment of your silent appreciation for bringing good into the world has there been someone who helped you get organized when life was overwhelming maybe they gave you a place to stay or helped you with housework or helped you clean out a garage that you couldn't even
walk in because you had gotten so burdened with everything going on in your life so let's take a moment to honor those people with your appreciation silently they brought good into the world all right is there someone who defended you when you were unfairly accused of something that's a terrible feeling and it means the world when someone stands up for you so if that's happened for you hold them in your heart too and is there a person or a group of people who introduced you to all the good things in nature did they make you
a nature lover did they teach you about animals and trees and water hold these people in your heart they're very special thank them for bringing good into the world was there someone who showed you how to stop drinking or using drugs right when you couldn't do that yourself give great thanks to them maybe they did it for someone you love helped them get clean and sober and that in turn affected your life we're all grateful for that was there someone who fed you something delicious who made a holiday feel special that is bringing good in
the world take a moment to appreciate that person is there someone who helped you work out your problems with another person a spouse a parent a child when we support other people in having closer relationships and more har Harmony this is a big way to bring good into the world is there someone who invited you over when you felt alone and gave you a place at their table they brought good into the world let's thank them was there someone who gave you a kind word when you felt ashamed and made you feel reassured that you
were going to be okay and be able to turn this around they brought good into the world is there someone who encouraged you and helped you see that your life is important and has purpose I want you to give special appreciation to them for bringing good into the world and if you haven't yet met the person who does any of these things for you maybe for some of them I'll tell you what you can do instead of thanking someone who hasn't done that for you yet is you can be the person who gives that to
someone else because that's the great secret that when it's done for us it brings good into the world but whether it's ever been done for us we can do it for others and bring good into the world and that good just bounces right back at us as you think of all these good people it's almost as if there's been a council of angels who've been with you all along the people who showed up when you desperately needed help and you thought you had no one but also when you didn't think you need help and they
were there for you anyway so here's what I invite you to do just let it in let it in that even though your life has had its hard times there have been good times and especially great kindness has done for your benefit by good people who whether they knew it or not were bringing good into the world and because they did this good and because it lifted you up each time it happened I encourage you now to take your place among them to be one of the people who brings good into the world and as
you heal from all the difficulties and stresses of your past you'll have more and more space in your heart and in your life to be aware of the good that's needed in this world and to let it come through you [Music] [Music]
