Why you already are good enough

 

 

  𝐼𝒻 𝐼 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓉𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎'𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝑒𝑜𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝒾𝓉 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒷𝑒, 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽, 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝓅 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝒾𝓅𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓉𝑜𝑒𝓈. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓃 𝒾𝓃𝒸𝓇𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝒸𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃, 𝑒𝓃𝒿𝑜𝓎 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝓎.”
𝑀𝑜𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝑀𝒶𝒽𝒶𝓇

 

Do you even realise how amazing you already are? You may not have been top of your class, you were not this month's employee of the month, and you may not be as pretty as you believe your partner would like you to be. Still, you juggle schedules both at home and at work, you manage a household and the children while keeping everything organised down to the last detail. Simultaneously, you always find the time and energy to spend time with your friends and family. In spite of how defeated and not enough you may feel, I'm here to tell you that you already are good enough, just as you are.

Not feeling good enough is a common denominator of all emotional issues nowadays.This fear is one of the deepest, most fundamental fears every human being on the planet has. It's our mind's default setting. When you don't feel enough, you can't seem to get enough of anything- be it food, shopping or even gambling. The feeling of not enough-ness can be traced back to childhood, in our formative years, where one harsh comment or even worse, abuse, can cause the child to not feel enough to be loved by its parent.It is at the root of all emotional pain that results in overeating, excessive shopping, procrastination, self-hatred or self-sabotage.

 

 

𝓗𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓵 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓲𝓽

Once you have recognised what lies at the root of your emotional pain, make a choice to remove it or at least to minimise it. In this way, you can reactivate the feeling of enoughness you were born with. Some ways to cope are the following.

*Start being kinder to yourself. Go easy on yourself for a change and give yourself some credit for all the great things you 've already accomplished and acknowledge that it is not always easy to be you. You are as deserving of love and kindness as any other person on this planet.

*Avoid comparisons with other people on social media. It is disastrous to resort to comparisons with social media icons, celebrities or other more successful individuals. Your life, your experiences are totally different to theirs and you cannot therefore consider yourself lesser than them. It is just nonsensical. Love yourself at this stage of your life and strive to get better daily.You carry your own worth. Own it and honor it!

*Be mindful of those pesky, negative thoughts as they arise.  Avoid getting caught up in negative self-talk.Don't focus on the negative rather focus on what is going right in your life right now. A great way of getting rid of negative self-talk is the use of affirmations such as "I am enough", "I am special", "I have amazing coping skills" to name but a few.

* Create a list of the things you're good at. Seeing as we're so hard on ourselves most of the time, I realise it's not as easy as it seems. More often than not we are pathetic at recognising our strong points and our inherent worth. Write down what you do well, and refer to this list whenever you are feeling down. It should be a great boost to pick yourself back up.

*Spend time with positive and supportive people.  Strive to surround yourself with people who are encouraging and supportive of you. People who will show you that it's not just you facing this issue.That way you will not feel alone in your struggle with your self-worth.

*Practise self-care. Our reactions and our perception of our self-image significantly worsen when we are sleep deprived or have poor self-care habits. Regulate your sleep patterns, cater to a nutritious diet and tend to your personal hygiene. Taking regular breaks from social media is also necessary on a weekly basis. Finally, don't even attempt at keeping everyone pleased, that's not your job.Not to mention it's emotionally and energetically draining.

*Find out what your passions are. Discovering what you're passionate about will distract you from focusing on negative feelings and thoughts and will provide  the motivation you need to keep moving forward towards your goals.

 

 

 

I will leave you with the amazing words of Kathy Brown, who summarises the notion of enoughness so beautifully:

    “𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑒𝓈𝑒𝓇𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓉𝒶𝑔𝑜𝓃𝒾𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝓌𝑜𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝒻𝓊𝓁, 𝒷𝒾𝓏𝒶𝓇𝓇𝑒, 𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒻𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒. 𝐼𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜𝓃'𝓉 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝓍𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝒶𝓁𝒾𝒹𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓉𝒽 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻.”

As always, sending you ripples of positivity and love,

Lia

 

 

 

 

      

 

How to handle daily pressure

 

 

  “𝒯𝓇𝓊𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓈 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝒶𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝑜𝒾𝒸𝑒𝓈 𝒶 𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒 - 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝑒𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝑜𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝓇'𝓈 𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝓃𝒶𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒.”
― 𝑅𝑜𝒷𝑒𝓇𝓉 𝑀𝒸𝒦𝑒𝑒, 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎: 𝒮𝓊𝒷𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒, 𝒮𝓉𝓇𝓊𝒸𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒, 𝒮𝓉𝓎𝓁𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝒾𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒮𝒸𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓃𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔

 

Dealing with pressure is something both you and I have to deal with on a daily basis. If we are honest with ourselves, we find ourselves in a state of pressure most, if not all of the time.  

 I am positive you'll recognise the potential sources of pressure below: 

*Other people's opinions, so contradicting oftentimes that it feels like you're being pulled in every possible direction.

* A lack of information and communication between you and your family members or you and your team at work

*A huge workload with deadlines to meet or the opposite, having no work to do at all and you feel bored and useless.

*Technological failures.You know what I'm talking about. Your laptop crashes or your printer will just not respond right at the moment you need it!That can really add on the pressure, right?

* Outside pressures. Home life, finances, relationships, health concerns and many more.We've all been there.

 

 

It is important not to demonise tackling pressure. Accept it, own it and think coolly of possible outlets to release the pressure and not allow it to escalate to pressure.Let's have a look at some possible outlets.

 

*Personally, I love working out. Or engage in any kind of physical activity. It helps me blow off steam and get me into a more rationally thinking mindset.

*Prayer and meditation are also great options to clear your head and gain perspective over said situation.

* View the situation that adds pressure as something temporary. Somehow that takes away its power over you and allows you to find possible solutions.

* Try to see it as a bringer of beautiful changes. A diamond is forged and formed in conditions of extreme pressure. Some degree of pressure on you has the potential to do the same. You are a diamond in the making.Isn't that a more attractive perspective?

*Listen to any kind of music that uplifts and inspires you. Could be inspirational music, gospel, jazz, pop music or some good old rock or heavy metal music in my case. Whatever you like, just crank it up and feel the pressure on you ease up.

* In the same spirit, dance it off. Dancing energetically, allowing your body to move in any way it wants to the music, allows for all negative energy to be released. So get your body moving to your favourite music, you'll feel much better! 

*Laugh it off. Put on your favourite comedy and laugh till your belly hurts. It works every time.Some comedies I really love are School of Rock,Mrs Doubtfire, Meet the Parents or My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding. 

Reducing or relieving pressure goes hand in hand with elementary self-care. Take good care of yourself to be able to endure in times of extreme pressure. Prioritise getting enough sleep every night, eat nutritious food, take frequent breaks to get some fresh air and perspective and stretch your muscles. Talk to someone you trust and allow them to help you. Figure out what's best for you and incorporate them into your routine. 

On a final note, remember that if you are accomplishing great things in your life, it's normal to feel some degree of pressure.Always keep moving forward with your goals and plans. Do not allow the pressure and temporary discomfort hinder you from achieving what it is that you want. 

What are your action steps to managing pressure? Let's talk about it!

Sending you love and positivity,

Lia   😀💓

 

15 important lessons my life taught me

 

 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻 I can actually find moments of silence that will allow me to go within.To allow for that wise voice of my intuition to be heard. In those moments of introspection, my mind takes me back and I revisit all those incidents of misconduct or moments of great achievement and joy of my life's journey. 

This year I've been pondering and journaling on the most valuable lessons I got from my 50-year-long life. For some reason I felt called to do so.To go within but also back in time. So I am sharing them with you, hoping they'll be valuable to you . 

Before I start, let me first acknowledge that each life is unique and that what might hold true for me, for you it might not resonate at all based on your life's experiences. So please take what I say with a grain of salt. With that out of the way, let us begin.

1. Treat everyone with respect.I am guilty of having been utterly and shamefully disrespectful to people who deserved nothing but my absolute respect. A habit I changed after realising how hurtful it is.One thing I simply cannot tolerate is hurting other people.

2.Don't follow the herd. I had always been too shy and timid to have any opinion of my own,well into my adolescence and early adulthood. I agreed with everything and avoided all conflict no matter what. I liked what everyone else liked. Looking back it's a pathetic, mundane existence of no individuality whatsoever. Suffice it to say that is no longer the case. All credits go to the hardships of my life and some amazing mentors and friends.

 

3. Don't listen to critics. It's one quality that due to an almost inexistent supply of self-worth and self-esteem I sorely lacked. It cost me countless of wasted opportunities, the loss of valuable people from my life and made me act in ways I still cringe when thinking of them. One more thing I definitely not do anymore.

4.Exploit hardships for your growth.  I can't recall the exact moment I realised that all horrible moments of my childhood and adolescence could be used as fuel for my growth and progress as a person. But oh, what a difference it made once I got that lesson down. I aced it!

5. Celebrate the tiny triumphs. You don't have to wait until you've hit that long-term, lofty goal. Celebrate every little success in between. That will give you the necessary fuel to keep taking those baby steps while going for the big one. I should know from experience.

6. The things that are hardest to do are generally speaking the wisest to do. It's something we all know to be true but pretend it does not apply to us. Like getting up early or planning ahead, sticking to a healthier eating regime or working out more often. Not many of us can muster the discipline needed. The rewards for those who do are improved health and more freedom of time during their day. 

  

7.The fears you don't face become your walls. I know I'm not the only one whom this applies to. Due to my life's circumstances I had developed this huge fear of being hurt, I was just too afraid to trust anyone, at least enough to let them in. It cost me dearly, I can tell you that much. Face those demons head-on, you know exactly what they are. Scary as they may seem, you can do it. Your life will be so much better if you do. 

8.Keep your promises, both at home and in the workplace. Don't say you'll do one thing and never do it. Do not lie.Not to yourself and definitely not to others. When at work outwork your peers and deliver massive, beautiful value to the world. You might think nobody is waching. Trust me, they do.   

9.Mastery takes massive practice. And unwaivering faith and unlimited resources of patience. If you aspire to be a master in your field you've got to work harder than anyone else.While I'm still pretty far off from being considered a master in my field, whatever experience I gained through hard work and practice is precious to me and it fuels me to move onward still. I'm proud I came this far and  I look forward to becoming more knowledgeable in my field. There's always one more mountaintop after you've reached the top, right?

 

 10.Morning exercise is a game-changer. At least for me. Of course this is not set in stone and not everyone necessarily likes it. The difference it can make in your daily life,however,  by giving you the necessary boost in feeel-good hormones and ample amounts of energy to be the absolute best you can be, are invaluable advantages to you.

11.We are at our most creative when in solitude. Speaking for myself, I do my best work when I'm alone or in the early morning hours when everyone else is sleeping. That's when creativity and  the soft voice of inspiration are at their peak. Why not use those moments to work on yourself or hone your craft?

12. Education is your protection against distraction. We are all painfully aware of the numerous sources of distraction around us. Your phone screen is one, constantly flashing notifications. The tempting allure of social media. The latest show on Netflix. And while it's ok to indulge from time to time, if your goal is to be productive, make sure your mind is fed and innoculated through daily reading and education. I myself love watching a good movie or series and Itend to get hooked on them. I do try though to counterbalance that with at least 30 minutes of reading or watching educational content.

13. An uninspired person can't inspire others. In order to keep the flame of inspiration burning, I suggest you do things that inspire you. Read good books or biographies. Go to an art gallery. Travel more if you can. Have amazing, thought-provoking conversations with people who are smarter than you. Watch a documentary or listen to a podcast.Go to conferences or networking events. 

 

14. Cheap costs more. We all love finding bargains and admittedly, most of us are not that affluent to go for the more expensive option. But it does come at a price. I've bought cheap shoes more often than I can recall with horrendous, extremely painful consequences for my feet. Cheap clothing items I tossed away after having washed them only once, since they quite literally tore up at the seams.Cosmetics that caused skin damage, thankfully not extensive or serious. It's therefore preferable to hold out till you can actually purchase a bit more expensive product or service and be healthy than paying money to doctors or other specialists to fix whatever problems your cheaper choice cost you.

15. Life can change in a day. Worse still, it can change in a matter of seconds. Savour therefore the blessings this moment in time brings you, don't postpone it. Even when you're going through trials and tribulations right now. Just enjoy the present moment, you're not going to get it back, ever again. So don't wait. Be present, laugh, listen, be with your loved ones. Time waits for no one.  

Well, that's it from me today. I tried to keep the list short and concise. It is my sincere hope that whatever lessons I learnt in my life will be of service to yours, so you can make yours the best, most loving and productive life, for yourself and the ones you love.

 

𝓐𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼, 𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓲𝓷𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓰𝔂,

𝓛𝓲𝓪😀💓

       

Revisiting 9 of my earlier blog posts on Soul Sessions

 

In my very early blogging years I kept a blog called Soul sessions, one that hosted my musings and thoughts, some very personal, at the time. It served as my personal journal of sorts, a place I could vent all my pent up feelings and express all those words that remained unsaid inside my soul..You will also find some of my thoughts and beliefs on my craft, teaching, my love for children, writing and bringing about positive change. 

Though I have changed immensely since that time, I am grateful, as it still served as a means for me to evolve into the person I am today. Below are what I believe to be the best among them.It is my sincere hope that you enjoy reading them and hopefully even derive some value from them. 

5 Reasons to stop feeling so negative

Heaven is a place on Earth 

10 surefire ways your students will dislike you

 

  Own and Honour your space 

Get out of that comfort zone and go after what you want

Momma, what would you do if you had wings? 

 

Wake up child...

On creativity or letting every poet loose 

To teach or not to teach (or how to create the leaders of tomorrow) 

 

  

Soul Sessions is still online should you feel curious enough to check out more of my past blogging ventures.Just visit -worplayblog soul sessions

 

That's all for today. Make sure you make this day in time the best ever, in whatever way feels right for you.Make a difference in someone else's life and it will truly be a day well lived.

Sending you, as alway endless ripples of love and positivity,

Lia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The glorious sparkle of beyond average moments

 

 

 

 Oftentimes I liken each new day to a new tapestry woven with the threads of the unique moments of our daily lives. Warm moments of joy and laughter, intersect with golden moments of cuddles and love and silver moments of inspiration and focus. Each day is wonderfully unique in its own right, with its unique colours and glittering in the canopy of life with its own unique sparkle and shine.  

So today, you could make the conscious choice to go the extra mile and make your tapestry even more special. How you might ask? Well, by choosing the proper yarn and colors that apply to your unique life and then do a little bit extra with everything you do today. Just a little more. Something that will light up your life and the life of those around you and give this day a spectacular sparkle. For example,today choose not to be a grump but stir a little more love and sweetness into that cup of coffee or tea you prepare for your partner, parent or friend, sprinkle the food you will prepare for lunch or dinner with some extra glittery caring and a smile. Pour some more glowing warmth and comfort in that cuddle and hold on to it for just a little longer. Add the glittery glow of genuine love when you kiss your loved ones today. Weave each moment of hard work with the silver threads of inspiration and focus, so that your work will become a uniquely crafted masterpiece, a true work of art.A Michelangelo of sorts.For what would the Sistine chapel be without that extra effort, without that painstaking attention to detail, that giving of self Michelangelo put in when he crafted that breathtaking masterpiece? Just another average chapel, like so many out there. 

You might ask, is it only today that I should give a little extra of myself? A logical question. As human beings we have our ups and downs, we get sick or get frustrated with our work conditions or the boss. Our spouses don't get us or our children are misbehaving yet again, infuriating us to no end. The government is passing laws that are unfair and the economy is on a downward spiral yet again. I know we have a lot on our plate, it's not easy.However, reflecting on the darkest moments of my life, I remember that in my days of gloom, it was the extra efforts of the people in my life that stand our like diamonds in the darkness. My aunt's agonising and fierce efforts to put me back on track when a bout of sever bulimia and depression got its claws in me when I was just a teenager. Back in Crete, it was my dear friend's ferocious support that got me through the dark moments of solitude and crippling sadness after my mother passed away. You see, the outward circumstances are what they are and by no means am I trying to be condescending, that's not my intention. 

 

 When in our lives everything seems to be going to hell, I found that it's always the loving actions of people closest to us who choose to lift us up, make us feel seen, held and cared for, that add comfort, a touch of heaven for a couple of moments. Moments whose sparkling memory has a  long- lasting effect in our hearts and changes us for the better. It doesn't have to be something big and grand necessarily. A  sincere smile goes a long way, a loving touch or the show of unwaivering support, just being there for someone, actively and presently listening to them if they should need it. It's this  conscious effort daily, the creation of such unique, loving moments that creates a different and unique tapestry every single day of our lives on this blue planet.All of us have this superpower and it is entirely up to us how we choose to use it or how often.That's the beauty of free will.  

So today I am asking you to not just go through the motions of your life, unconsciously and negatively. Today I would like to invite you to handcraft the most extaordinary tapestry with the brightest, warmest colours, interwoven with the silver and golden yarns of love, care and inspiration. As you're weaving it, notice how each loving, caring act done consciously to offer more of yourself makes it even more beautiful, more sparkly and unique to you. Each moment of you offering something extra, doing a little more than you have to, making a difference, however small, in someone's life sends glowing ripples of love and positivity in our sphere of existence, affecting not only the lives of others, but also yours, making it wonderfully bright and unforgettable. A win-win for all involved.

Here's to making today- and every day- a sparkling diamond, a uniquely woven tapestry, a masterpiece whose craft can be likened to that of  Michelangelo's Sistine chapel.

Sending you sparkly ripples of love and positivity,

Lia 

 

  

   

          

 

The inevitable beauty of adaptability

 

 

   “𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓫𝓮 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼, 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼, 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻. 𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓹𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝓬𝓾𝓹, 𝓲𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓾𝓹. 𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓹𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮, 𝓲𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮. 𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓹𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓹𝓸𝓽, 𝓲𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓹𝓸𝓽. 𝓦𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓭𝓻𝓲𝓹 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓬𝓻𝓪𝓼𝓱. 𝓑𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭.” – 𝓑𝓻𝓾𝓬𝓮 𝓛𝓮𝓮

Today, though I had originally planned on writing on something different entirely.I felt the urge to talk to you briefly about adaptability, the one soft skill necessary not only to survive but also thrive in this era of  rapid change on all levels of human existence.To define adaptability, according to Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, it is the ability to change or be changed in order to deal successfully with new situations. Considering the mind-boggling pace with which technological progress, among others, is taking its place in our lives, it seems to me that in order to stay afloat and thriving, one must stay informed at all times and embrace those changes to their benefit or otherwise perish.

Taking technological advances for example, approximately 5 billion people use the Internet. Users pose a question to Google 8.5 billion times a day. It is estimated that by 2040, 95% of purchases will be done online. The Compound Annual Growth rate for AI will be 42,2% by 2040. In the same context, AI is believed to  have replaced around 85 million jobs in the US alone by the year 2025. For those of you who haven't been living under a rock this past year, AI technology has been progressing  pretty fast and it has to be emphasised that businesses and individuals both love its efficiency, as it is saving them not only precious time but also increases their revenue, not to mention all the drastic impact that it is already making on businesses, education, medicine but also on the way we live our daily lives.

For more incredible information, check out this amazing article on the mindblowing growth of technology. A great and informative read which I highly recommend : 

How fast is technology advancing in 2023? 

It's a lot to take in, how fast it's all going and like in every cusp of change in human history, it's up to every individual to choose whether to adapt or to be left behind.Without getting too philosophical, we all know all too well that life loves putting challenges in our path. Consider it as a test of sorts. What choices will you make? Will you choose to jump in head-first, embracing it fully, determined to make the most of it or will you hide behind the excuse you are not yet ready and need to think things through first? Paulho Coelho said it so well:

“𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔀𝓮 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓲𝓽, 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝓾𝓼 𝓪 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮; 𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓪 𝓶𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸 𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓻 𝓲𝓷 𝓼𝓪𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝔂𝓮𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝔂. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓲𝓽. 𝓛𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴. 𝓐 𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓾𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓻 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓬𝓬𝓮𝓹𝓽 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝔂.” – 𝓟𝓪𝓾𝓵𝓸 𝓒𝓸𝓮𝓵𝓱𝓸   

I will not tire you with an overload of information on the specifics of adaptability in the workplace or school.That was not the reason for this post. I would, however, like to outline some of the benefits of adaptability that I hope will serve you well, whatever the nature of the change is in your present moment. Having had to adapt to harsh circumstances in my family life as a child, I could say adaptability is one of my superpowers and has helped me through quite tough circumstances. It is a necessary skill to possess. Let's have a look why.

1.Happiness. Making the choice to adapt to whatever change life threw at you instead of playing the victim and feeling sorry for yourself, actually helps you feel happier and more content. 

2.More opportunities. Career wise, an employer is more likely to consider an adaptable person for a new job opportunity or promotion,as they will be better equipped and prepared to face the challenges and obstacles that will inevitably come with it.The same is true for students of course. Moreover, it is my firm belief that being adaptable makes you more attractive as a personality, drawing  friends and relationships to you. Who could say no to that?

3. Overcoming the unexpected. You know as well as I do that the unexpected is the only constant in life. An adaptable person is more than ready to face it head on.It is necessary, therefore, that you hone your adaptability skills and you'll be more than prepared to face just about anything.

4.Better understanding of other people. An adaptable person understands that each person has their own point of view and is more willing to listen and understand what they're about and accept them for who they are. That in turn  makes them more empathetic towards others and thus more likeable. 

 

 

5.Open-mindedness. An adaptable person is better equipped to accept the new, the disrupting breakthroughs. They'd be the first to embrace them, to ride the wave and not allow emotions or insecurity to accept the changes. Open-mindedness results in clarity of thought and the ability to solve problems quickly and effectively.

6.Usefulness.  Daily tasks whether at work, school or at home constantly change. This requires of you to be coolheaded and be able to prioritise and find solutions to deal with it all. Such an ability is most useful to you, as it enables you to be of service to your family, your employer, your community and definitely makes you stand out.

7. More efficient leadership. An efficient leader is open to change and open-minded, meaning he is adept at adapting to changes or viewpoints that are not necessarily fanourable to  him. This in turn allows them to lead with empathy and understanding, thus setting the example for everyone in the team/family/class. Finally, an adaptable leader is more open to experimentation, changing traditional approaches to situations and is not afraid to fail their way forward.A win-win situation in any case.

 

That's all from me today. I do hope that in some small way this post will be helpful to you today. I will leave you with the words of Helen Keller who said:

“𝓐 𝓫𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓪𝓭… 𝓤𝓷𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓯𝓪𝓲𝓵 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓷.” 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓷 𝓚𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻

Sending you nothing but positive thoughts and energy for an amazing day,

Lia

  

Some thoughts on happiness

 

 

 

“I have lived through much and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes to be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor—such is my idea of happiness. And then, on top of all that, you for a mate. What more can the heart of a human desire?”

 

-Leo Tolstoy 

I'll keep it short and sweet at the beginning of this new week.There's no need for me to rehash all the cliches on happiness nor do I wish to waste your precious time. 

 

These past few days I have been feeling a bit off, lacking motivation, disheartened. I felt something was amiss with me, with my goals and relationships, just about everything. As I was mindlessly scrolling on the internet, I came across this precious gem of wisdom, by none other than THE best author ever, in my humble opinion, Leo Tolstoy. I read through it once. Then once again. And again. I felt as if this was some sort of synchronicity, a message of sorts. It was exactly what I needed to hear in my state, to shift my perspective from being unmotivated to a perspective of understanding. Life and happiness need not be so complicated.

 

This is Tolstoy's viewpoint of happiness, one that I can definitely identify with, to a very large extent. 

 

 What is happiness to you? Is it peace and quiet when you need it the most? Is it being of service to the people you love, by cooking a meal, giving a hug or giving of your time and love unconditionally? Offering meaningful work to society or your community? Is happiness a good book with a glass of wine or maybe a cup of tea? Is it listening to your favourite music loudly? Sharing a meal with your loved ones? Does it mean you go out into nature and relish in its wonders?

   

What I did after reading this was to grab my journal and write away.It was utterly cathartic I can tell you. I felt a lightness and a renewed sense of purpose in me. It's been a long time coming.

 

So what I would lovingly invite you to do, if you feel called to do so, when you read this, get your journal and reflect on it on paper. I swear you'll feel much lighter, more grounded and connected to your goals, dreams and motivation.

 

I will add, as a small bonus, some music to aid your thoughts to flow more smoothly. It's one of my favourite collections.I'd love it if you let me know how it worked out for you!

 

Sending you lots of positive energy and love. 

Lia😀💓