“Your Daily Dose” is a quick two minute read packed with bite-sized wisdom from all the great teachers. But you could also choose to turn it into something more… a powerful daily practice for personal growth. Give it a try!
A message from today’s meditation:
Don’t run, stay.
Don’t turn away, BE here.
Our need to run is an old inner message that’s trying to find safety. But it’s going to run forever until the wiser part of you makes the firm decision that, “we will run no more”.
“You can’t do anything as long as you are afraid of what might happen. Fear clouds opportunities, erases possibilities, and limits the ability to move beyond the place in which the mind is stuck. No matter how difficult we think the problem is, we must muster up the courage to face it.” – Iyanla Vanzant
“Breathing deeply and releasing fear will help you get to where you want to be.” – Iyanla Vanzant
“What keeps us from achieving our heart’s desires is not anything outside of us, it’s the conflict inside.” – Iyanla Vanzant
“No storm can last forever. It will never rain 365 days consecutively. Keep in mind that trouble comes to pass, not to stay. Don’t worry! No storm, not even the one in your life, can last forever.” – Iyanla Vanzant
Our innate tendency to want to escape from discomfort or pain can lead us on a never-ending chase for some external refuge, that just never really provides the safety that we thought it promised. True peace and fulfillment can only be found by confronting whatever we’re dealing with and embracing our authentic selves in the process.
It’s not the storm around you that is holding you back, it’s what’s happening inside of you during the storm that is your prison.
In today’s meditation you’ll find that there’s a mountain in you which is equally able to sit through sunshine, and rain, and even storm. What is happening outside of you, doesn’t have to change what is happening within you.
Some affirmations of the immovable presence of your soul:
- “I am strong, I am resilient, I am capable.”
- “I am the mountain. No storm can shake my foundation.”
- “As I exhale, I release fear. As I inhale, I choose courage.”
- “I will not run, I will stay. I will not turn away, I will be here.”
- “My breath is my anchor. I find peace in this present moment.”
It’s important to remember that storms, both external and internal, are temporary. Just as the rain eventually stops, so too will the challenges we face. The key is to weather the storm with resilience and grace. By staying present, cultivating inner peace, and addressing our internal conflicts, we can emerge stronger and more empowered.
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: I am the mountain.
Today’s LIVE meditation
https://youtu.be/-tULj9dsgk4 2025
https://youtu.be/HLHPhGluGQI 2024
https://youtu.be/yTj5v7udfTA 2023
https://youtu.be/TjxG1j_bSMc 2022
Practice the “Daily Dose”
Let’s put it into practice! Choose what works for you – daily, once a week or whenever inspiration strikes. Putting pen to paper wires the neural pathways that will create your new habits.
1 – Affirmation
Write down your favourite affirmation on a sticky note and place it somewhere that you’ll be able to see it the whole day.
- “I am strong, I am resilient, I am capable.”
- “I am the mountain. No storm can shake my foundation.”
- “As I exhale, I release fear. As I inhale, I choose courage.”
- “I will not run, I will stay. I will not turn away, I will be here.”
- “My breath is my anchor. I find peace in this present moment.”
2 – A moment of reflection
Use today’s question as a journal prompt. If you don’t have the time to sit down and write, just take a moment to reflect on your response.
The Internal Prison: The article states, “It’s not the storm around you that is holding you back, it’s what’s happening inside of you during the storm that is your prison.” Describe a current “storm” (a challenging relationship, financial issue, or personal struggle) in your life. What specific internal conflict (e.g., self-judgment, perfectionism, belief that you’re not worthy) arises in response to this storm, and how is that internal reaction (more than the external situation itself) creating your feeling of being held back?
3 – Quotes to share
Send a quote to someone who needs it, or share them all on social media to spread the good vibes!
4 – Q&A for deeper learning
Read through the questions and answers and write down at least one “aha moment” that clicked for you.
Q1: What does it mean to “be the mountain” in practical terms?
Being the mountain means cultivating an inner stability that doesn’t waver based on external circumstances. Practically, this involves developing mindfulness practices, learning to observe your emotions without being controlled by them, and maintaining your core values and sense of self regardless of what’s happening around you. It’s about becoming the witness to life’s storms rather than being swept away by them.
Q2: How can I tell the difference between healthy self-protection and harmful avoidance?
Healthy self-protection involves making conscious choices to remove yourself from genuinely harmful situations while still addressing underlying issues. Harmful avoidance is running from discomfort, difficult emotions, or growth opportunities simply because they feel challenging. Ask yourself: “Am I avoiding this because it’s truly dangerous, or because it’s uncomfortable?” True self-protection doesn’t avoid personal growth – it creates safe conditions for growth to happen.
Q3: What if I’ve been running for so long that I don’t know how to stay present with difficult emotions?
It’s true that some people never build the “muscle” to stay present. They keep running their whole lives, from one distraction, one escape, one temporary refuge to the next, and never find the safety they were chasing. But that isn’t the only path, and it isn’t a verdict on you. Staying present is a strength, and like any muscle it grows with use, so you can start small: one breath longer than usual, one uncomfortable feeling met for a moment before you reach for an escape. Having run for years doesn’t mean you must keep running. You are standing in front of that choice right now, and only you can make it. So ask yourself honestly: do you really want to run forever? If the answer is no, you’ve already begun. The wiser part of you has decided, and every moment you stay builds on that decision. If the feelings are overwhelming, a therapist or counselor can support you as you build this strength at a pace that feels safe.
Q4: How do I know if a storm in my life is truly temporary or if I need to make significant changes?
It helps to separate the storm inside you from the circumstances around you. Emotions are weather: they rise, peak, and pass, and no feeling, however heavy, stays the same forever. If you stay present and breathe through it, the emotional storm will change shape. But sometimes we find ourselves in life circumstances that won’t change until we take action to change them, such as a job that drains us, a relationship that harms us, or a pattern we keep repeating. Waiting for those storms to pass can become another form of running. A useful test is to notice what happens once the emotion settles. If you feel steadier and the situation itself is no longer the problem, the storm was likely temporary. If you’ve found calm and the same difficulty keeps returning, the circumstances are asking something of you. This is why the mountain comes first. When you’re grounded in your own stability first, you can see clearly which storms to sit through and which to act on, and you can make that choice from courage rather than fear.
Q5: What’s the difference between staying present and being passive or resigned?
Staying present is an active, conscious choice that involves full engagement with your current reality. It’s about being aware, responsive, and grounded. Passivity or resignation, on the other hand, involves giving up your power and agency. When you stay present, you’re not accepting defeat – you’re positioning yourself to respond wisely rather than react impulsively. True presence actually increases your power to create positive change.
Q6: How can I apply these principles when dealing with anxiety or panic attacks?
During anxiety or panic, your nervous system is in “flight” mode, making it feel impossible to stay present. Start by focusing on your breath and grounding techniques – feel your feet on the floor, name five things you can see, or feel the softness that comes to your body with every exhale. Remember that anxiety is a storm that will pass. Practice these techniques regularly when you’re calm so they’re available when you need them. Professional support can be invaluable for developing these skills safely.
Q7: What if staying present means facing trauma or deeply painful experiences?
The title of this article, “Don’t run, stay,” says exactly that: being present may mean coming face to face with painful experiences. Iyanla Vanzant stresses this too when she says, “You can’t do anything as long as you are afraid of what might happen… no matter how difficult we think the problem is, we must muster up the courage to face it.” The pain we run from never disappears. It waits, and it often shapes our choices from the shadows until we are ready to turn toward it. But courage does not mean forcing yourself to relive everything at once, and it does not mean facing it alone. Meeting deep pain takes the same inner steadiness as the mountain in the meditation, and that steadiness is built gradually, with the right support. A trauma-informed therapist or counselor can help you approach what hurts at a pace your nervous system can handle, so that you are present with it rather than overwhelmed by it. You can also begin with small anchors, such as your breath, your feet on the ground, or a trusted person beside you, and move toward the pain in small, safe steps. Turning toward your pain is not weakness. It is often the first real step toward the peace you have been chasing.