Breathe. Yup, just take a minute and breathe. I tell myself that at least a dozen times a day. I've found that it's so important to nurture our state of being, just as frequently and as carefully as we do our bodies. If our state of being is off, it shows up in our bodies, it shows in the texture of our hair and shows clearly on our skin, it shows everywhere. So take care if it. Our state of being encompasses everything; our whole selves. There has to be a comfortable balance in the state of being, and that balance is different for everyone. But one thing that is consistent for everyone, without that balance, our days do not run smoothly, we are agitated and stressed, and we are not experiencing our best selves and we are definitely not presenting our best selves. I don't know about you, but it's taken me years to finally learn how to nurture my state of being. Here are a few things that I've learned along the way, that have worked for me:
- Don't sweat the small stuff. I know, we hear it all the time, but it's so true. Sometimes we have to step back and look at our situation as a whole, from a distance. In the grand scheme of things does it really deserve the energy we are giving it? Often than not the answer will be "No". So don't waste your time on it in such an energy-sucking way. Let it go. Only give it the attention that it deserves. Take it out of the dramatic and put it into perspective. It's hard to do because in the moment things often seem bigger than they are, but breathe, step back and put it where it belongs.
- When things seem not-so-great, imagine a great time and realize that "this too shall pass". Life is so unpredictable. We never know what is around that corner. But the unpredictability of life is also one of the best things of life. Unpredictability means that things are changing. So if your situation is less than perfect now, rest assured that it will change, because you really don't know what's around that corner.
- Make what's around the corner great! I am absolutely convinced that most people have no comprehension as to the amount of control that they actually have over their own lives. I say, go get what you want. Make what you dream happen. I always say, "If you don't do it, you won't do it." Just do it! Start small if you want, tread slowly, be cautious, but start. Don't have regrets that you didn't take more control, make more things happen. Starting something is like rolling a snowball down a hill. A first it's hard to get started, but once it gets going down the hill, the momentum takes it and it just gets bigger and bigger!
- Smile a lot! I know, sometimes you just don't feel like it. But do it anyway. Fake it for awhile. And watch for it, because something really interesting happens when you fake it, all of the sudden you find that you are not faking it at all. Suddenly the world smiles back at you, and all of those good feelings actually cause changes in our state of being. When we smile or laugh, it affects every single cell in our bodies. It's healing, it's uplifting. It energizes and it causes physical changes to occur. Our body gets used to the "high" of being happy and it craves it. Soon you will find that feeling good will be easy.
- But don't get me wrong, we can't feel good and happy all the time. Don't worry if you are not, I don't know anyone who is happy 24/7. We may be happy with our overall lives, but insanely happy all the time, I don't think so. I think insane happiness, the kind that makes you uncontrollably beam, comes around every now and then, then it goes away until the next time it comes around. When you are lucky enough to experience it, grab it! Milk it for all its worth. Enjoy it thoroughly while it lasts, enjoy it until the next time it comes.
- And please, please, please don't be one of those people who are constantly searching. Searching for what? Don't waste your time looking for something that may not even be there. Enjoy what IS here. Some people are in a constant state of searching, but they never find what they are looking for. Some look for the meaning of life, others for their purpose. Don't look for answers all the time. Many of these answers you will never find only to look back and realize that you've wasted time searching. And does the meaning of life or your purpose really matter anyhow? It doesn't change anything. You will still do what you do. Just do it in a meaningful way.
- My last and favorite is to be kind. So simple and really very easy, be kind. Don’t judge the next guy, you don’t know what he’s been through or what he’s going through now. Be patient with people. Try to understand them. And talk to them. Trust me, you can get something valuable from everyone. People are genuinely kind. All they ask is that you be kind back, so please do it. Let the car cut in in front of you, really, it doesn’t matter. Thank someone when they open a door for you, but go the extra step and let them know you really mean it by adding “you’re so nice to do that”. Make people feel appreciated and valuable. That’s all we all want. We just want to know we matter. So, that’s it. Actually there’s more but I’ll end here. I’d love to hear the wonderful things you’ve learned along the way!
