Wouldn’t it be great life came with a lesson plan, or the perfect recipe right from the start? Here are some delicious nuggets that you can use to create a healthy and happy life. Bon Appetite!
1. Trust yourself. Yes, you, trust You. Not even Dr. Oz, Oprah and all the other gazillions of “leading” experts out there hold a candle to your own innate sense of what is good and right for you. We are all individual snowflakes, wired in our own amazing ways. What is right for one may not be right for another. You really do know what is best for you. Practice trusting your intuition. Learn to trust your gut, your instincts, your innate feelings, and your knowings about things. And then, go with it!
2. Think for yourself. Thinking for yourself is perhaps the twin sister of trusting yourself. Take notice. Have you unconsciously adopted thoughts that are not your own, from your immediate environment, society, or the media? Open your mind, stretch your imagination and think your own thoughts. Independent thinkers change the world. Be a world changer!
3. Become a master of appreciation. Start with the obvious. Appreciate your loved ones, your pets, your children. Appreciate modern conveniences, water, the amazingness of your iphone. Appreciate the little things. The way the falling leaves cover the streets, an unexpected smile aimed your way, the light streaming into your window, the way the grasses blow in the wind. The more you appreciate, the easier it becomes. And you know you will have reached mastery when you can appreciate flaws, failures, and even your fears.
4. Embrace exactly where you are! And then, keep your eye on where you are going. Let’s honor ourselves in all of our human-ness – mistakes, fears, failures, and messiness—all of it. It is OK to be human. Even in all of its hardship, heartache and pain. And then, let us keep an eye, our focus, on where we want to be. As we focus on where we want to be, one step at a time, we will get there.
5. Know that anything is possible. Yes, anything! Endless possibilities exist in our human experience here. If you can imagine it, it can happen. When you open yourself to believe in possibilities, the Universe conspires in amazing ways to bring you your deepest desires.
6. Realize that happiness comes from within. Know that your happiness is in your hands. While it may appear that there are definitive and tangible causes for our happiness or unhappiness, happiness is, in fact, a matter of perspective. Don’t depend on others for your happiness—lift the burden from them and from you. Empower yourself, and be the wild creator of your own true happiness!
7. Know that it’s not personal. We can never really know anyone else’s story—why they are saying, doing, or being whatever it is. And, therefore, we do not need to take anything that anyone does or says personally. Because it is really about them, not about us. Practice empathy; have the courage to move on; and don’t waste your precious time getting stuck in anger.
8. Know that sometimes getting lost will help you find yourself. Even in our darkest moments, we can find hope. Sometimes it takes the darkest hour, to propel us forward again. Maybe it is the push we need to change something. Maybe it is an opportunity to begin again–to rise like the phoenix from the ashes.
9. Be still…and breathe yourself into the present moment. – Take time out of the busy-ness of your mind and breathe. Practice staying focused on the present moment, whether you are sitting and watching a bird, or just noticing your thoughts float by. You might be surprised at the time gained, by taking the time to slow down.
10. Feel your feelings, then let them go. Honor all of your feelings—the good the bad and the ugly. Allow your mind and body to process this very real and authentic part of who you are in all moments. Then, when you have fully processed your feelings, lovingly let them go. As you keep tabs on your feelings so that you may continually feel them, process them and clear them, you are practicing healthy habits for living in the present moment.
11. Embrace your inner mystic. There is more to life than meets the eye! Are you willing to let in the unbelievable and unexplainable into your skeptic’s mind? Explore who you are, and invite your inner mystic to introduce herself/himself to you. When you do, you will experience miracles and move easily through the outer push-pull of the world, by way of your own fluid, inner rhythm.
Take all ingredients and add together in your own colorful cauldron! Add or lessen each ingredient to your own personal taste and flavor. Add a healthy pinch of Love, Patience, and Acceptance. Enjoy!!!
Donna Parker says:
Thank you Bev
Armand says:
This is right on – thank you!