10 Daily Tools to Survive and Thrive
Creators! Welcome back to our series on self-care.
The first three daily tools in Part 1 are about starting your day strong — with a sense of happiness, positivity and accomplishment:
Smile
Make Your Bed
Listen to Affirmations
Our next three tools are about writing and (don’t panic!) spirituality.
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron changed my life — jump-starting my healthy sense of spirituality. The book refers to how “God” plays an invaluable role in my creativity. But, the word/name/label of “God” can be polarizing. Cameron talks about not letting preconceived notions or semantics block my creative destiny. “God” can be used as short-hand for “Goddess, Mind, Universe, Nature, Source, or Higher Power”. The point isn’t what I name it, it’s that I USE it. Once I learned that, I incorporated daily prayer in order to connect with my “Higher Power”.
Which brings us to tool #4:
4) Pray
Just like “God”, the word “Pray” can bring up all types of feels. But for me these terms have nothing to do with religion, joining a church, donating to a collection basket, or a bearded white man. They’re my spiritual connection to unlocking my creative destiny.
Here’s what my daily prayer looks like:
I start with The Serenity Prayer:
Higher Power, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.
(for me, these are the three most profound and important sentences ever written or spoken)
Then express thankfulness:
Thank you for being a beautiful law of nature.
Meaning: The Law of Nature, the Universe. Another way I explain this: there is inarguably something at play that is more powerful than us. If I try to stop the sun from rising and setting, if I go into the ocean and try to stop the waves, I’ll lose every time. The Law of Nature is undefeated.
Thank you for channeling your love through Maggie.
Meaning: My cat Maggie — a relationship of unconditional love. She’s been a catalyst for me growing into a better, more patient, more understanding, more compassionate person. She won’t be here forever, but that patience, understanding and compassion will be.
Thank you Robin and Kobe for watching over me.
Meaning: Robin Williams and Kobe Bryant. Two of my inspirations, two masters of their craft, two flawed men. But I ask them to help me stay away from the things it was difficult for them to stay away from. Robin instills warmth, joy and a sense of play. While Kobe instills discipline, focus and work ethic.
This piece from Wanderlust can give you some more insights and strategies for jump-starting your prayer practice.
5) Gratitude Lists
I heard of this daily tool when I was at one of my lowest points — no job, no money, no debt-relief, no self-esteem, no self-confidence, no sense of purpose. If this was my life, what could I possibly have to be grateful for?!
Even though my life was a mess, expressing gratitude was crucial in manifesting MORE.
Oprah praises of the gratitude list for a reason — it works! The more you focus on what you already have, the more you realize just HOW MUCH you have. Ever experience writer’s block? A lack of passion? Self-doubt around your creative pursuits? I started avoiding these things when I leaned into a mental state of abundance, and gratitude is the surest path to remembering just how abundant my life is.
Here’s my gratitude list for today:
My trusting/trustworthy partner
My loving aunt
My cat (she’s all over my IG: @GetMeJasonKyle)
Food in my fridge
Good health, with the ability to walk and talk on my own
Having a job and earning a steady paycheck
The experience of having lived in/traveled to 50+ countries
EVEN STEVENS on Disney+ (don’t judge - that show is HILARIOUS)
Dunkin’ coffee
YOU (and you reading this blog post)
Feel free to get as specific and granular as you’d like with what you’re grateful for. Point 5 in this article offers a bunch of great topics to think about.
6) Journaling
Here’s what used to come to mind when I heard the word “journaling”:
Lame
Unnecessary
Waste of time
What’s that, like, a diary? Gross! (and then continue my day steeped in my toxic masculinity)
After lots of tears in a counseling session, my therapist urged me to write down my thoughts and feelings. I was desperate, so why not try it. (without telling anyone. Because - gross!)
After day 1 of writing “this is stupid, I don’t know why I’m doing this."
After day 4 of writing “this is so dumb, I’m pissed about this”
After day 7 of writing “I hate this, I have nothing to say”...
I started to realize, “hm. Maybe I DO have something to say”. And I started writing about WHY I thought this was stupid, WHY I felt angry about it, WHY I felt like I hated this, WHY I don’t have an awesome purple diary for my journaling.
The key to this was not judging myself or my writing. This wasn’t a creative project. This wasn’t getting published. I started to look at it as an invaluable tool to HELP ME with my creative projects. I withheld from going back and re-writing what I wrote the previous days. Because it wasn’t about perfecting or revising what I was writing, it was about getting what I was thinking and feeling in the moment out of my head and onto the page.
David Sedaris — who’s journaled every day since 1977, which molded his breakout hit “Santaland Diaries” — agrees, that you don’t need to go back and read your previous day’s journaling. Just bring your thoughts, feelings and ideas to the surface, which will build your skills as a writer.
Journaling also rewards a ton of health benefits. I journal every day for at least 10 minutes, starting with my gratitude list. I let my mind go and just put pen to paper. Plus, writing the old school way gives my eyes a much needed break from the computer screen.
I love you all. And want you to follow your creative passions and help other Creators do the same.
Now that’s something to pray and be grateful for.
-Jason Kyle
Keep an eye out for the third and final part of this series where I’ll round out my 10 Daily Tools for Self-Care for Creators.
For some extra self-care, listen to and repeat these positive affirmations for Creators.