“The mind is like water. When it’s turbulent, it’s difficult to see. When it’s calm, everything becomes clear.“
Prasad Mahes
TLDR; Good morning and welcome to your 2-minute dose of happiness. Today we speak to the value of consistently working on your own awareness and the commitments necessary to succeed.
Mindfulness: Be aware of the flow of life, go with it. Present: Stop worrying about tomorrow, step into the time that matters most, the present. Self-Awareness: When’s the last time you did something for the first time?
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“Have you noticed how sometimes it seems like everything falls into place and deciding something seems easier because everything is aligned?”
How many times have you struggled with difficult decisions that you felt would make or break you?
How many times have you obsessed or tried to “fix” something that just wasn’t working?
On the flip side,
How has it felt when you started a new relationship, personal or professional, where things just felt right? Where doing the next right thing was easy? Where you didn’t feel stifled to be yourself?
“Going with the flow means that you know it is ok to let go of things that do not serve you. That might be a relationship, a goal, or an idea.”
Ending a relationship intentionally is not a failure. Being aware enough to know how you feel about the engagement and consciously deciding to take action is the highest and best use of life. “Stress is the opposite of happiness.”
Keeping negativity in your life because you are scared or afraid is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome in your pursuit of happiness and well being.
I spent many years as an entrepreneur trying not to ever lose a client. Losing a client struck fear in many ways – How was I going to make payroll? Will another client ever hire me? Am I even qualified to do this job? Why does everyone in the world have an easier time than I do?
When I relaxed and opened my mind to the possibility that I was taking on the wrong types of clients or that the clients I had were on different trajectories than I was, life got better. Life got easier.
I started selling in my wheelhouse. I started attracting the types of clients that I could serve.
“Nothing is completely wrong; even a broken clock is right twice a day.” Paulo Coelho
“Life knows what it’s doing irrespective of whether we try to force or control it.”
I have always been concerned about my health, specifically my weight. I have lost large amounts of weight several times in my life. Ultimately, putting it back on and more in the process.
I felt defeated. I felt ashamed. I felt hopeless.
The reality of my situation was that I was looking for an easier softer way out. I spent hours watching videos online and reading articles from “experts”.
I watched people accomplish amazing things with their lives and their bodies and I jumped on every bandwagon.
“The good news is: there is nothing to figure out because there will always be something to fill its place and you may chase your tail trying to control reality.”
When I finally surrendered to the reality of my life and accepted that each fad was exactly that, I began losing weight. I started following a food plan and the world seemed to align.
I stopped worrying about tomorrow. I stopped fighting life.
What is in your life that you are fighting?
What reality are you denying?
What are you trying to (unsuccessfully) control?
“Either way the choice is yours, so choose consciously and wisely.”
As I’ve written in recent articles, I’ve been seeking out a new experience each week and I’ve been using a guided journal. These new experiences help get me outside of my comfort zone and help make me aware of I think, act, and feel in new situations.
Six easy ways to become more self-aware.
1. Seek out new experiences.
2. Ask people for feedback about yourself.
3. Identify what triggers your negative emotions.
4. Question your opinions and beliefs.
5. Get clear on your core values
6. Write in a journal.
This week I tried lobster tail for the first time… I know, you’re thinking, “for the first time?” Truth be told, I was a very picky eater growing up. Even while visiting Maine I declined the opportunity. Consistently seeking out new experiences, big or small, is something I’ve come to enjoy and it might just be because of what I’m learning about myself. The same can be said about my recent journaling. If you haven’t started with any of these six, these two are an easy way to start.
How many of these have you practice, or are you practicing?
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Revised)
The time-honored national bestseller, updated with a new afterword, celebrating 10 years of influencing the way we live. When Wherever You Go, There You Are was first published in 1994, no one could have predicted that the book would launch itself onto bestseller lists nationwide and sell over 750,000 copies to date. Ten years later, the book continues to change lives. In honor of the book’s 10th anniversary, Hyperion is proud to be releasing the book with a new afterword by the author, and to share this wonderful book with an even larger audience.
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