Does this serve you?
Does this serve you? Or, does this harm you?
If it harms you, let it go.
It may sound simple enough. But, what exactly does it mean? How do we put it into practice? The following are some strategies you can implement to help you practice more of what serves you, and less of what doesn't.
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Practice Presence
Be here now. Let go of the past and the future.
If you are lost in your thoughts and worries then you will miss what is right in front of you. You will miss the decision points of now.
Practice accepting the past by practicing forgiveness of both yourself and others. Accept that you have no power over the past.
Stop attaching to expectations and outcomes. Focus on intent. Everything is always changing. Things may not turn out to be exactly the way we expect. We may not even want the things we think we want or how we want them. Remember, the perspective of being outside of something is different than when we are actually experiencing it.
Don't get me wrong. It's great to have dreams, goals, and aspirations. It's great to be forward thinking. Just don't be so focused on the future that you miss the here and now.
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
Recognize your choices
You may have a lot more choice in your life than you realize. You have a choice in how you view things. You have a choice in how you react. You have a choice in how you feel about things. Everything involves a choice.
Remember, whenever you choose to do one thing you choose not to do another. Weigh what you are doing against some alternatives. Could you be making a better choice for yourself?
Improve your relationship with yourself
You have a responsibility to yourself to treat yourself with kindness, compassion, respect, and love. Remember, you more than anyone deserve your own love.
What is your inner dialogue like? How do you speak to yourself? How are you treating yourself? Are you making time for yourself? Are you engaging in self-care?
What can you do to practice improving the relationship with yourself?
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Remove your distractions
Is your life full of stuff? Do you spend a large amount of your time and energy managing the "things" in your life? Is this something that you want to continue doing?
Consider if you really need all those things. Consider how much time and energy you could save by simplifying your life. Having more time and energy will give you more flexibility and choice.
The same goes for people. Who are you surrounding yourself with? Are they a supportive presence in your life? Remove toxic people from your life. Distance yourself from negativity.
Ask yourself, how many times are you dividing your time and energy for the people in your life? Remember, a friend to many is a friend to none. There is a difference between being friendly and being friends. You do not have to try to be friends with everyone. In fact, that's not even possible! Be friendly instead. Be selective in who you consider your friend. Make sure that in any relationship that you carry that you are both adding value to each other's lives.
Manage your time
How are you spending your time? Are you spending a lot of time on activities that do not enrich you in some way? Some examples are: Constantly checking social media, watching a lot of TV, frequent shopping, and gossiping. How can you reclaim some of your time by making different choices?
Instead of spending time on unproductive and unfulfilling activities, make more time for the things you are passionate about. Make more time for the people and things you love. How are you "spending" your time? How are you "cashing" it in?
Again, remember, every time you to choose one thing you are choosing not to do another.
Learn
Your body needs exercise but so does your mind. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself and learn something new. Do it even if it is outside of your comfort zone.
Read a book, travel, speak to someone new, try something new. Expand on your knowledge and experience. Try and learn something new every day. It is particularly important to spend time practicing and learning in your areas of interest. Develop what you love by investing yourself into it. You never know, you might be able to turn what you love into what you do for a living!
Remember, there are no failures, there is only learning. Focus on growth and learning rather than punishing yourself.
Image by Jess Foami from Pixabay
Manage your stress
Take time for self-care. Take time for you. Take time to cultivate your inner peace. Find and do activities that bring you peace. Remove yourself from difficult situations. At the very least, allow yourself some reprieve.
It's OK to take a break. It's OK to give yourself some time. It's OK to not have a solution to every problem. It's OK to say "No".
Practice loving yourself more.
Practice taking more loving actions towards yourself.
Remember, we can't always control the circumstances in our lives, but we can control how we react to them. How we care for ourselves has a huge influence on our ability to make effective decisions.
Building a life around what serves you will enrich your experience of life. It will add depth and meaning to your life. You will have a greater sense of satisfaction if you exercise more choice in your life. Learn to recognize the choices in your life. Learn to make better choices for yourself.
Remember, everything takes practice. So keep practicing daily.
Seize the moment!
What are some strategies that you can recommend to add more of what serves you to your life?
Akiroq Brost