It is an undeniable fact that we live in trying times. Even though it is summertime, and all one can dream of is lazying around on the beach without a care in the world, we are bombarded with news of the COVID pandemic once again rearing its ugly head,aided by the monkey pox. Then there is the energy and food crisis, sad by-products of the horrendous war in Ukraine. The planet reminds us that we have grossly misused its resources with freak weather conditions. All the above not only wreak havoc with our food and the energy required to go about our daily lives but even worse, they claim human lives. How can we continue to separate ourselves from this reality and keep our sanity intact?
One of my favourite mentors, Lisa Nichols said it so well: "Everything changes, every second." In an everchanging world, how could we possibly expect anything less? The one permanent thing in this life, is change. So, even to one so resistant to change as myself, embracing this inescapable reality is a necessity if we are to keep going forward. On a more positive note, we should bear in mind that not all change is necessarily bad. Even the worst condition carries within it the seed of good.Everything in this life is permeated by the yin yang principle.
There are more inconvenient truths I'd like to share before proceeding to the moves I suggest for a more experience abundant life. After all, difficulty is embedded in ease, the bad in the good. Here it goes:
- Before almost every success, some kind of failure has preceded it. I very vividly remember spectacularly failing the exam in one of my postgraduate courses and then managed to save myself by making a star presentation - and what a relief that was!
- One of the most painful lessons I had to learn was that it's not other people's job to love you, it's yours and yours alone. It is painful to realise how much I hurt myself and other people before I could get to this gem of knowledge, truly embrace it and live it out. That's not to say, of course I don't want people to love me, I just don't require it to feel happy and fulfilled.I am enough to see this task through.
- My next point involves energy. The energy we radiate out to other people, the world, the universe itself. What you think you become. Do you believe you are unworthy of love and abundance? The world will project this energy back to you with lack of friends, partners or money.In our own lives, surely, we all have experienced that when we feel depressed and expect the worst, even worse circumstances are hurled back at us. Conversely, when we vibrate with positivity and love, we feel surrounded by similarly positive energies and conditions.
- Another painful truth, one many of us have experienced, is that you don't have to wait for an apology to forgive. There is no shortage of people that will hurt you in the course of your life. You will also hurt others, willingly or not. What matters is to rise above the resentment and the pain, like a phoenix rising up from its own ashes. One not so obvious choice is to forgive, without waiting for the other person to apologise to you. Is it easy? Of course it's not. It's one of the hardest things one is called upon to do. It takes maturity, wisdom and a big heart. It's excruciating. But unbelievably satisfying and fulfilling. In all of my life I've been able to do it only once. It took me ten years to forgive that particular person, who by the way never apologised. When I got to that point of forgiveness,I felt emotionally drained but it was also like a weight lifting off my shoulders.
- I'm guilty also of the next point. It's a harsh truth indeed, Thinking without doing is a waste of precious time of energy. It's delusional and immature. No results come from daydreaming and wishing. Results come from persistent action and hard work.So if you have a dream, don't wish it comes true, work for it!
- The next truth is one we conveniently avoid. Death after all is uncomfortable. We don't want to be reminded that the average person's life, no matter how long one may live, is still relatively short. So. it is self-delusional to live out our days as if we'll never die. The best strategy here is to keep this truth in mind while we go about our lives in the most productive, loving way, intent on leaving behind something which is worth remembering for future generations or serving people while we are still walking the earth.
You might wonder at this point, which the effective moves to a life more abundant with positive experiences are. Though the previous points I made undeniably lead to a high level of existence if adhered to to the best of one's ability, I still have a couple more truths I'd like to share with you. And while you might not agree with all of them, my hope is that you'll find something that will help you and push you forward as a human being.
Let's dive right in then.
- John Muir or "John of the mountains", was a highly influential author, naturalist, environmental philosopher and an early advocate for the preservation of the wilderness in the USA. He is known among others to have said "Going to the mounains is like going home." So, go to nature daily. Even if there is no forest in the vicinity, go to nearest park or have some plants on your balcony or in your home. Spending time in nature does wonders for one's health and well being. Among numerous benefits, it increases endorphin levels and dopamine production, thus promoting happiness. It reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression,it lowers blood pressure and reduces cortisol levels.Not too bad right?
- Read for 60 minutes every single day.Even 30 minutes of reading per day have been proven to significantly increase and strengthen brain activity,aid vocabulary expansion and one's writing skills. It improves concentration and memory and enhances creativity and imagination, not to mention adding vast amounts of knowledge to one's arsenal. Warren Buffet, the world famous billionaire,advises us to go to bed smarter than when we wake up.He himself is a prodigious reader who reads 500 pages per day. Imagine doing that for six months consecutively, how much would you have progressed as a person?
- Start practising meditation daily, even if it is only for 5 minutes in the beginning. The basic idea behind this practise is to connect the body and mind, so as to help increase both physical and mental peace and calm and also to live more mindfully in the present moment. Other benefits include having a better grip on stressful situations, it is good for your heart and it helps you to become kinder.Many people have reported that they actually look younger after having practised meditation for a while. If it sounds like it's worth it, why not have a go at it?
- Leave people better than you found them, as Marvin J. Ashton famously said. I believe this one is self evident and doesn't take too much elaboration. Be sure to add value to their lives instead of taking from them. Hug the hurt. Kiss the broken. Befriend the lost. Love the lonely. Give of yourself and never fear your loving energy will run out. It is eternal and never ending. The more love you give, the more is returned to you. So give freely.
- Be the politest person you know.Indeed, in a time when politeness is considered to be outdated, an act of subservience, it would be quite act of rebellion almost to possess the dignity and subtle art of choosing among one's thoughts and choosing consciously to behave politely, even when faced with rudeness. When considering that politeness actually is extremely helpful in forming friendships and acquaintances as well as acquiring or maintaining your good name, it certainly will not harm you to become more polite.
- Finally, the fun part.Building music lists. Being a hugely enhusiastic music lover - I sincerely believe not a day has gone by that I haven't listened to music- I have lost count of how many music playlists I have. I don't make too many discriminations when it comes to music. To me, a day without music is a wasted one. Like Plato said:
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
You can't argue with one of the most famous philosophers of all time, can you? Besides, music is fun. It makes you feel happy when you are sad and helps you vent your feelings when you are angry or sad. So, go ahead, make those playlists and dive in the endless sea of notes and feelings!
I do hope you will find the tips I offered you of some use. I know they certainly have done me a great service in improving my personality and my life in general.
Do drop me a line if you would like to add a hack that I forgot or that helped you to better yourself.
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