This is episode 1,682.

Welcome to the Daily Meditation Podcast.

I'm Mary Meckley and here you are getting ready to do one of the best things you could possibly do for yourself

as you get ready to meditate. In today's episode you are going to celebrate all you have explored this week as you began a fresh start as you began a new year and we have explored six different ways you can become a better person as you begin a brand new year. You've explored how to focus on a virtue rather than simply focusing on a goal or a resolution, resolution, you are aiming for a deeper joy within you want to

rather than a fleeting temporary happiness

that goals bring to us, such as maybe you want to improve your health or maybe you want to achieve some success at what you do for a living or to improve a relationship.

These are important goals and resolutions, but the deep inner joy comes from within you. And it's already there. It's more having you reveal those qualities that are your true inner nature.

So when you focus on a virtue, you improve your character. If you focus on being kinder or being more patient or being more trust or being more trustworthy. These are qualities that not only benefit you, but they help to improve the world around you.

They make life a better place for those who you share your life with.

So you are doing important work this week.

And in the final episode, it's time to celebrate. And as you celebrate,

reflect on the week, what worked well for you as you focused on a virtue and what was more

challenging or difficult and as you bring this reflection into your meditation, you will notice that you become more aware of influences in your life that either bring you upward towards your aspirations or bring you downward, more towards your ego, the more you can release tendencies towards your ego, the happier you will be in your life.

Your ego needs constant attention.

It needs to be fed constantly so you're often distracted and pulled away from your true inner nature which is peace and kindness and all the virtues you're focusing on.

So in today's meditation as you settle yourself down and begin to relax your mind and

your body you may be doing your regular daily routine and activities as you listen to this and that is fine. If you are settled

down getting ready to meditate that is fantastic because it's this consistency which actually creates new neural pathways in your brain that help you respond to stress in a much better way to where you begin to see results in your life. You feel happier.

You sleep better, you feel more at peace, you don't stress as much or become as

distracted because you're not so focused on what's happening around you that can be

agitating your ego. You're more focused inward on your virtues that you share with others living more inwardly, staying close to your values is is one of the best ways to gain any virtue you're seeking.

So settle yourself down and get ready to meditate

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