Ways To Simply
The Stress In Your Life |
The quality of life and good health are gaining
increasing importance as the new millennium approaches. Here
are some ideas to simply your life reducing the stress loads
placed upon you so you can begin to enjoy life and good health.
Tell the whole truth all the time
Most of us don’t realize how much energy we waste by not
being completely truthful. We withhold information from those
around us under the guise of protecting our idea of privacy,
but did you ever stop to notice how stressful it is, trying
to keep secrets? We spend a ridiculous amount of time living
up to someone else’s idea of how we should he and that
is living a lie. How much time, money and energy have you wasted
by not being your authentic self, by living simply to please
others? We also lie to ourselves. Any time you are unwilling
to face the complete truth about yourself by making excuses
are being afraid to see the real you, any time you retreat from
reality by using food, alcohol, drugs, over-work over-spending,
or too much TV to distract yourself - those are the times when
you are lying to you by being afraid to see yourself, without
criticism or self-judgment, as you really are. Until you can
make truth telling and integrity your #1 priority, you will
continue to over corn plicate your life and you will continue
to waste precious energy.
Get rid of the junk!
What are you holding onto in your life? We all have junk in
our closets, our attics, our desk drawers, our basements - and
our souls. The junk we have in our physical environment is a
direct reflection of how we see ourselves. Creating order in
your physical environment by clearing away the old, discarded
broken or useless items is a spiritual metaphor for what can
happen when you also clear away the old, discarded, broken or
useless thoughts and beliefs that are keeping you from achieving
what you were put on this earth to achieve. Nature abhors a
vacuum, and when you clear away the old, you make room for new
and better things to come into your life. Start by cleaning
the clutter in your home, your office "our car. and as
you do, spend some time reflecting on what emotional or mental
clutter you need to discard as well.
Give up your attachment to your "Stuff"
Keeping up with the Jones’ is a very tiring business.
One way to simplify you, life is to look around for ways you
can actually scale BACK your lifestyle. For many, the idea of
scaling back is nothing short of terrifying. "What do you
mean, I thought I was supposed to he achieving, getting more,
doing more? All my possessions are PROOF of what I’ve
achieved". In order to consider scaling back in order to
simply your life, you must first come to believe that you are
much more than your possessions. You are more than your big
house. You are more than that sports car. You are more than
that diamond tennis bracelet, high-tech media center, and vacations
to lush resorts. You are simply, more. When we stop identifying
who we are with what we have, then the idea of scaling back
is no longer frightening. Who says you have to keep up with
anyone anyway? Your life is not a contest; it’s a gift.
There is nothing "wrong" with material possessions
or with living in a state of financial abundance and prosperity.
But if you find you are identifying who you are with your "stuff",
then it’s time to consider releasing both the "stuff"
and your attachment to it, so you can get in touch with the
real you!
Stop filling your days with tasks and activities that
don’t serve your higher purpose for your life
In addition to identifying who we are with what we own, some
of us also define ourselves by how busy we are. We somehow manage
to think of constant rushing, always being in motion, always
on the go, as proof positive that we are important. After all,
aren’t busy people important? No, they’re just busy.
Shift your perception from "gee, I’m so busy, I must
be popular, special, wanted, needed, important" to "gee,
I’m important enough to me to only participate in activities
that support my goals and higher purpose in my life ".
Realize that you are on this earth for a specific purpose, anti
that until you can slow down long enough, and stop filling in
all the empty spaces with useless activity, you might not be
able to find out who; that purpose actually is, nor will you
have time to follow that purpose into your future.
Cut up all but one of your credit cards
Yes, I’m serious. One. If you can’t live with one,
then chances are your credit card debt is out of control and
once again, you are equating who you are with how much plastic
you have. Just as with your physical environment and clutter,
your financial clutter is also a direct reflection of how you
see yourself.
Do what you really want to do!
What do you love to do? I mean, really, really love to do? What
activities would you be doing right now if there were no obstacles
in front of you? When you can really connect with doing something
that brings you energy, joy, peace, fun, and passion in your
life, then it no longer feels like work. How many of us are
doing things we really don’t love doing? What will it
take for you to shift from doing something just to earn cash
and scrape by, to getting out there and living your dreams?
At the end of your life, will it matter more to you that you
have a big pile of cash in the bank, or will it matter more
that you pursued your finest vision in your life?
Learn to put yourself first
Putting yourself first is a concept many of us find difficult.
We think that putting yourself first means not caring about
the needs of others, that it means we are cold and mean and
selfish. But think about this: by not taking good care of yourself,
your own needs, your own dreams, your health...how much you
can you really serve those around you who need you? Putting
yourself first, taking good care of yourself, is actually a
gift to those you love. Your loved ones want you to be around
for a long time!
Stop trying to control everything
Let it go. Often, we find that we become very attached to our
expectations of others. We fixate on how we think someone else
should act, behave, or speak. We spend our valuable energy trying
to get them to change or live up to our expectations and then
crash down into anger or upset when we feel they have failed
us. The question is "Why do you have those expectations
in the first place"? Why is it so important to you to control
what others do? By learning to release all attachments to the
outcome of what others do or do not do, you free yourself up
to focus on you. We also have expectations of ourselves, ideas
about ourselves that are based on information we received from
childhood and from our life experiences. Do your ideas about
yourself inspire you and motivate you to pursue a wonderful
life, or do they hold you hack by bring negativity and self-criticism
into your world? Letting go of obsolete ideas about yourself
is critical to your growth and development.
Slow down, chill out, and breathe!
We live in a fast-paced world. Keep in mind that it’s
a gift to yourself to give yourself permission to slow down
a bit, take a deep breath, and reflect on where you are and
where you’re heading. Spend some time meditating, spend
some quiet time with yourself, spend some quiet time with your
loved ones. Quiet time is a way of checking in with yourself,
as well as a way of connecting with those around you.
Express gratitude by "Giving back to the universe"
Giving back of yourself to the universe is a way of expressing
gratitude for what you have, as well as what you don’t
have yet. No matter where you are in your life, you do have
something to give - time, skills, money, and knowledge. By giving
wholeheartedly in whatever ways you can, for the sheer joy of
sharing of yourself, that gift will always come back to you
in some way. When we try to hold on too tightly to what we have,
we are approaching life from a place of fear and scarcity. Abundance
can only thrive when we can approach life from a space of love
and giving freely of whatever gifts we have. If you want to
practice expressing your gratitude to the universe, simply say
"Thank You". |
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