A morning with coffee, silence, and conscious thoughts. Here I share how I practice choosing thoughts and self-love, and how an astrology-based planning calendar for the coming year can become a gentle compass.
Choose thoughts and self-love – my morning routine
Thank you for letting me wake up to the first day of the rest of my life. My coffee cup stands beside me, half filled with strong coffee and topped with creamy foam. Therefore, the start of the day feels extra warm.
The house is quiet, giving me space to be alone with my thoughts. Even though less helpful thoughts sometimes appear, I quickly return to the kind ones. So every morning becomes a chance to choose thoughts and self-love again.
“Thoughts are just thoughts and have nothing to do with reality. They are formed in me, by me, and do not have to be true just because I think them.”
How do you handle wandering thoughts? Did you know you can also choose thoughts that nurture rather than harm you?
Choosing thoughts and self-love – supported by research
Research clearly shows that we can influence our thoughts and well-being:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches that many feelings come from automatic, often negative thoughts. By identifying, questioning, and restructuring them, we can feel better.
The method of cognitive restructuring therefore helps us replace harmful thoughts with ones that are truer and more supportive.
Mindfulness shows that we can observe thoughts without getting caught in them, which allows us to regain calm.
These books can further guide you when you want to choose thoughts and self-love:
The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
Wherever You Go, There You Are – Jon Kabat-Zinn
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself – Dr. Joe Dispenza
The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem – Nathaniel Branden
Planning calendar – future support for choosing thoughts
In yesterday’s post I wrote about the astrology-based planning calendar designed for next year. If you buy it through this link and use the discount code Astrocalendar30, you’ll receive 30 % off.
It’s not an affiliate link, just a link of goodwill. I haven’t started working with the calendar yet, but I believe it will gradually help me schedule pauses and choose thoughts and self-love more consciously.
First day of the rest of my life – gratitude and a gift to share
Self-love is not only gentle words. It is also actions: acknowledging needs, setting boundaries, and choosing thoughts that truly nourish.
Whenever I notice a self-critical thought, I pause and ask, “What would I say to a friend in the same situation?” Therefore, I give that answer to myself.
The planning calendar can in addition serve as a daily reminder to choose thoughts and self-love.
A day of rest and self-care
Yesterday there was no refreshing lake swim for me. My neck ached and brought a headache that was hard to bear. So I spent the day in bed.
Fortunately, we have adjustable beds and a projector in the bedroom. While awake, I watched movies: The Godfather, a film about a boarding school, a medieval story with Richard Gere, and one about a brain surgeon. I may not have seen every film to the end—I kept falling asleep—but this became my way of caring for myself.
Later our stay-at-home son went out to buy Thai food for us. The little one spent the day with a friend and came home happy and tired. My husband left early for Gothenburg to photograph horses at the Åby race track and returned late, eager to edit his pictures.
Finally, I realized that even though I’d been unwell, it had still been the best day of my life. Why? Because I chose it to be. I allowed myself to rest, took my medicine, enjoyed good films, and gave my body the care it needed.
AHA – Between the Lines
Reading my own words, I see how the choice of thoughts and self-love shapes the entire story. From the aroma of morning coffee to the quiet of a sick day, I choose again and again a path that gives strength. This isn’t escape—it’s the courage to invest my energy where life grows.
Reflection
Taking responsibility for my thoughts is taking responsibility for my life. Even when my body says stop, the day can still be the best—simply because I choose it.
Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow waits farther ahead. But right now—this is where life happens. – Carina Ikonen Nilsson
Morning reflection on how words can transform an entire day. Here I share gratitude, new possibilities, and an unexpected gift: 30 % off an astrological planning calendar.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Just today is the best day of my life. Let the words linger—how do they feel? Please share your thoughts in a comment.
Almost every day begins like this for me—with gratitude for having received yet another morning. Not everyone is given the gift of waking up. I also treasure the quiet hours in front of my screen when words slowly settle into place. That is why every morning feels like a true new beginning.
The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Words That Make a Difference
I used to say this sentence often to the young people I worked with. At first, they didn’t quite grasp its meaning or see how powerful it was. But after a while they would come back and say:
“Carina, you know what—today is the first day of the rest of our lives.”
Such words grow stronger in the present. They help us pause, take responsibility for the day, and create many “best days” in life.
An Email That Turned into a Gift
Yesterday I received an email from a writer I have followed for a long time. She writes for Amilia, has published several books, and sends inspiring weekly letters about the movements of the planets.
I wanted to give something back for all the texts I’ve enjoyed. So I wrote her an email explaining that I blog in Swedish and, for some months now, also in English—reaching readers around the world. I offered to include a link to her Astrological Planning Calendar 2026as a thank-you.
Her reply was warm and generous. She gave me both a link and a personal discount code to share with you.
Use Astrocalendar30 to get 30 % off when you order through the link I provide.
This collaboration brings me no payment. It is simply my gratitude flowing forward—and a way for you to start planning your year with the guidance of the stars.
About the Author of the Calendar
Fact Box Name: Helena Biehl Profession: Astrologer and author, active on Amilia and beyond. Known for: Inspiring weekly letters about planetary movements, widely read in Sweden and internationally. Latest work:Astrological Planning Calendar 2026, now also available in English.
The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Gratitude and Astrology
My Next Step
I haven’t started filling in the calendar yet, but I look forward to writing down key dates and planetary movements. For me, it will be another way to live each day as the first day of the rest of my life.
A Question for You
How do these words feel to you? Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Share your reflections in a comment—I read every one.
AHA – Reflection
When I write about the first day of the rest of my life, I hear my own voice reminding me: now is what truly counts. I cannot change yesterday, and tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. Just today I can choose how to live—again and again. That is my AHA moment: every morning is a new starting point, no matter how simple it seems.
Between the Lines – My Voice
What shines through here is gratitude and a desire to give forward. I begin the day with words that open the heart, and when the chance came to share a gift with you, it felt natural. It says something about me: I feel most alive when my own little “thank you” can become a bridge to others.
Yesterday has already settled into history, tomorrow waits further ahead. But right now—this is where life happens. – Carina Ikonen Nilsson
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