Inspiration and Motivations
2018- My Year of Successful Living
Each year dawns with new hope to make plans for living differently in the “New Year”. We make resolutions that we want to fulfill and have them come true. Some of us put them on paper and others carry them around in their heads, thinking that we will be able to remember exactly what they are. Unfortunately, we forget that our minds are filled with everyday living and challenges to keep up with. When 2017 came to an end, the issues we faced did not end. We still have schedules to keep, kids/pets to care for and bosses still needing work done on deadlines.
We really think the year’s resolutions will work. But, if they haven’t been utilized in past years, this does not make you a failure. Perhaps, it is time to change our approach to the New Year and start a very workable way of making our dreams come true for the New Year.
How do you currently define success in your life? It’s different for each person. We look at life through different lenses and we value things based on what our current lifestyle, our families, our jobs; many different facets. Most of us have fallen in the habit of reacting to life situations. We are constantly “putting out the daily fires” in our lives. We run late, we forget an important date, we grab fast food when our intention was to eat clean, and on and on. We are tired of letting life pull us along. We want to take charge of our lives once again.
One way we can guide ourselves towards success in to live with INTENTION. Expand our awareness of ourselves and the world around us. If we could live our dream lives, what would they look like? One way to discover this is to jot down what success and your dream life would look like. It is a way of connecting with ourselves and living in the moment.
When we learn to reconnect with ourselves, we are living with intention. There are several ways to achieve this. Try waking up a few minutes earlier than usual. Lying quietly, start with a few deep breaths and some thoughts that are positive and affirming to you. Surround yourself with these affirmations before you start your day. Once you become accustomed to these habits that you are forming, you can use the same deep breaths and positive images throughout the day to “live in the moment”.
Another great way to fulfill your dreams is to use visualization. The way this is done is to see yourself already living the successful life that you want. Once you have done this, create some mantra’s to support your new life choice. Some examples of these would be ” I am in my new studio and creating beautiful artwork” or “today I love my new office that my promotion provided”. Whatever your dream, those mantra’s support the successful person you have chosen to be.
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A fun way to support visualization is to have a Vision Board, a collage of dreams laid out on a poster board. If you have a vision of a new home, collect pictures of how you want your new home to look. Paste them to the vision board and once again, a few positive mantra’s can be used each time you look or think of the board. This works if you believe!
Meditation is also a way to live intentionally. Some people find it difficult to sit still long enough to meditate but meditation can help you find focus and live in the moment. If you think you are too stressed or anxious to meditate, focus on nature around you. The swaying of a tree, and opening rosebud, a blue sky or raindrops. Look around you, what do you see? Everywhere you look, nature is teaching us about balance and intention. It will help keep you from the pull of busy-ness again.
The art of living with intention includes looking at the use of your energy. We are only given so much each day and we need to get rid of energy zapping ways that do not enrich our lives. If we want to stay focused in ourselves, what can you do differently? Many times we have people in our lives that tend to bring us down, are negative and draining. We need to surround ourselves with uplifting people, people who are attempting to live better lives. We need to think of ourselves and our well being and get the negative people out of our lives. I know this is not easy to do but you deserve to be happy and focused. Do not feel guilty about taking care of yourself!
Listen to your inner voice! This mechanism that we are blessed to have, works in your best interest. If you have ignored it in the past, now is the time to tune in again. It supports you in the moment and it won’t misguide you.
Do you have a good support system? This is a critical part of living your most successful life. This system believes in you, listens, is caring, tells you when a change might be needed and they do it in a loving way. These team members are the family or friends that have your best interest at heart. They appreciate you with warts and all and want only the best for you.
In living with intention, we face our fears. We all have them. Fear of failure, success, fear of not being enough (i.e. skinny, smart, educated) and fear of being laughed at. Most human being face these kinds of fears at one time or the other. When you recognize that these are normal, they leave you and you can once again focus on the present.
Do not compare yourself to anyone! You are special and unique as you are and the only comparison that works in a positive way is to compare your new self to your old one. See the growth you’ve made in your own life. Comparison to others is an exhausting exercise in futility. As Buddha once said, ” Comparison is the Thief of Joy”.
Kindness is a practice of people who live intentionally. A smile, a helping hand, a non-judgmental thought or act towards another human being can go a long way in healing our fragmented world. It starts with each of us making a difference.
Progression in to healing ourselves and the world around us always start with self-examination which we have looked at in creating our year of living successfully in 2018. We all have greatness within. It’s ours to discover.
Remember this quote by an unknown author:
“Don’t wish for things to be easier – wish to be better.
Don’t wish for fewer problems – wish yourself to have more skills.
Don’t wish for less challenges – wish for more wisdom.”
By Pamela R. Catron-Clarke, LMSW
We are here to help you succeed in life. At Gateway 2 Counseling we provide affordable help wherever, whenever, you need us. Please, enter our gates to a brighter tomorrow. Just one click away: www.gateway2counseling.com
Find your voice again. Phone Counseling can help.