Maria Shriver made an appearance on Oprah earlier this month, and she talked about the pledges she has made to herself on her journey of self-rediscovery. The pledges are incredibly inspiring. I've pasted hers below, and took a stab at writing some for myself. I would encourage you to do the same! And of course, add them to the comments if you feel comfortable - I love hearing what other people come up with.
Maria Shriver's Pledges:
- I pledge to “show up” in my life as myself, not as an imitation of anyone else.
- I pledge to avoid using the word “just” to describe myself. For example, I won’t say, “I’m just a mother,” “I’m just a student” or “I’m just an ordinary person."
- I pledge to give myself ten minutes of silence and stillness every day to get in touch with my heart and hear my own voice.
- I pledge to use my voice to connect my dreams to my actions.
- I pledge to use my voice to empower myself and others.
- I pledge to serve my community at least once a year in a way that will benefit other people.
- I pledge to ask myself, “Who am I? What do I believe in? What am I grateful for? What do I want my life to stand for?”
- I pledge to sit down and write my own mission statement.
- I pledge to live my own legacy.
- And I pledge to pass it on.
My Pledges:
- I pledge to give myself credit for how far I've come and permission to continue learning and growing from my experiences AND my mistakes.
- I pledge to honor my friends and family. To be patient, compassionate and non-judgmental.
- I pledge to find and appreciate the joy in life. The small things. The outdoors. The fleeting moments.
- I pledge to love myself more every day.
- I pledge to put myself first and make my own happiness and vitality a top priority.
- I pledge to give back to others - to make an impact on people's lives.
- I pledge to live by example. To live with integrity so that my thoughts, speech and action are aligned with my true self.
- I pledge to express myself fully by doing what I love.
- I pledge to serve my community at least three times a year.
- I pledge to acknowledge that pain and discomfort are necessary for growth and new experiences.
- I pledge to see the beauty in all things and all people.
And from one of my closest friends (who inspired this post):
- I pledge that I am not my past, nor my future, but my present - make the most of it
- I pledge to slow down and be present
- I pledge to love and care for myself as much as I love and care for those I hold most dear
- I pledge to demonstrate interconnectivity with the universe by caring for, in my own special way, my fellow beings
- I pledge to never stop learning, growing and challenging myself - especially when things are comfortable
- I pledge to find joy in the everyday
- I pledge to forgive and let go...
- I pledge to never stop having fun!
- I pledge to never stop believing in hope, goodness and fairy tales
- I pledge to always be passionate and to strive for wisdom