Do you live your life at 100% or do you live it at 40%?
I was asked this question yesterday and it stuck with me, just lingering deep in my chest.
It made me think about my last couple of weeks which have been fairly challenging for me from a personal and professional perspective. I find that sometimes I am faced with these sorts of circumstances just so I can test how strong I really am.
Over the last few years of my meditation and mindfulness practice, I learned a few very important things, one of them is the fact that everything happens for a reason. When I finally acknowledged that what I was going through was indeed a challenge and I was in need of realignment with my personal power, I quickly realised that this too was a lesson. The first thing that I said to myself was 'Universe has got you, it always does, trust it and let it lead the way.' I remembered that no matter what I do, I cannot control any of the external events, no matter what I do, I cannot control someone else's actions, I can, however, control my reaction to everything that is going on around me. The key is to catch yourself as soon as you realise you're thinking a negative thought about whatever it is that is going on, acknowledge it and appreciate the lesson instead.
I often find that we are scared to acknowledge that sometimes we feel helpless, it happens to all of us and it is important that we realise that it is ok to surrender. We forget that we're not only human beings but we are being human too.
Do I live at 100%?
No, I don't, I do however put my everything to get as close to it as I can. I work for my goals every day, I see my friends and family as much as I possibly can, every opportunity I get to travel, I do it, I explore and see everyday as a unique opportunity to grow and learn.
I believe that there are things that we can do to get closer to the 100% mark. There are risks which we can afford to take, things we can allow ourselves to do. I have written few tips below on how to add some extra % to your daily life, I guarantee that you will feel happier, lighter and more aligned with your true self if you follow them!
1. If it feels wrong, don't do it. Just do what you want to do.
It's that simple. We all find ourselves in situations that don't feel right at all and we feel like doing something else can be much more productive. If it's doesn't feel right, don't do it. My friend and I went to a one day course together last week, we paid for it in advance but neither of us really felt like we should go. We did anyway. I was happy that I went as it turned out to give me a great opportunity to network however halfway through my friend said 'I really am not feeling it, not sure what to do'. Without much thought, I said 'Time is your most precious commodity, that's the one thing you will never be able to get back, so leave, go and do something that will give you more enjoyment.' It is that simple.
2. Whoever you want to be tomorrow, be today.
If you want to be a certain way at some point in your life, why wait? Why not do it now? It's the same with the tasks we tend to plan if there are things you want to do tomorrow but can do today, why wait? Just do it and have more time tomorrow. Be the person that you want to be right now, we have no obligation to be the same person we were 15 minutes ago, we live and we learn.
3. Don't be a people pleaser.
Be yourself and don't try so hard to please others, it's ok to say no. Do the things you want to do and do not think that you will lose these people and if you do, they were not supposed to be there in the first place. Serve yourself first and you will see that everything else will align perfectly well with you. A true friend will understand that you're guarding yourself and you will be there when they need you the most.
4. Trust your instincts!
Do you know that feeling in your stomach that clearly says "Don't do it! Don't do it!", "Leave it!". I bet that 9 out of 10 times it was right but you were either pressured or didn't want to look bad so you did it and then it sucked. Learn to listen to your gut, your intuition does not lie.
5. Avoid self-defeating talk and be kind to yourself.
That's the one thing that I practice daily, no matter what I will not say a bad word about myself to anyone, not even myself. If I catch myself thinking about it, I flip to the opposite! My bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and my desk at work all have little post-it notes that point to how awesome I am so I can be reminded of it daily. You should try it! Contrary to what a lot of people think, self-love does not mean being vain, it means being kind to yourself which results in you being kind to others. "As you think, so shall you be" so chose your words wisely and learn to avoid self-defeating talk, it can turn into a habit and you will continue attracting this sort of energy to yourself.
6. Let go of the past.
That's that one thing that you can truly do nothing about. No matter what it is that happened in the past, the only thing we can do about it is learning from it and move on. As Buddha said, "Every morning we are born again, what we do today is what matters most."
7. Stay away from negative people.
You don't need that around you. We become who we spend time with so ensure that the people you surround yourself with are full of light, wisdom, passion, and love. These people should make you feel good about yourself but also keep you grounded.
8. Practice mindfulness.
Look around you, notice the trees, the birds, feel that gentle breeze on your cheeks. Feel how your clothes feel against your body, breathe in, hold it for few seconds and breathe out, feel how good it is to breathe.
9. Have gratitude.
I bet if I asked you to point a few people who have less than you, you would be able to point them out very quickly. Be grateful for what you have and count your blessings. We tend to focus on the things we don't have most of the time, but look around you and see how abundant your life already is. There are many people in this world who would do anything to be in your situation.
10. Always be yourself.
This does not require much explanation :)
To wrap it all up I wanted to share with you one of my favourite quotes by Mark Twain:
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. "
Feel free to share this post with friends and family!
With good vibes and gratitude,
Mags x
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