Newsletter
Stormy Seas
The financial crisis, the political process and the general chaos of life are upsetting people. We are tightening our belts until there are no more notches. We are bombarded with overwhelming and negative predictions. Winter is on its way and the forecast calls for more gloom and worry.
Here are 4 Ways to Right Your Own Ship:
- Take Action
Turn off the television, flip that switch. Turn down the flow of random information. We are inundated with every accident, every problem and every crisis that has and is occurring in the world; a tsunami of information. The media hooks our attention with alarming sound bytes. We have been sensitized to negative, scary events to the point of overload. Sort it out. Think about now and just be. Don’t imagine bad things happening to you. - Clear the Decks
Take a few minutes each morning and every evening to calm your inner dialogue. Cleanse your mind. Close your eyes. Breathe in slowly and visualize that tranquil beach scene or your own private retreat. Exhale. Feel the physical changes in your body. Do it purposely and slowly. - Improve
Spend some of your energy on yourself. Eat food that makes you thrive and feel better. Move and appreciate your body. Laugh often and enjoy what you are doing while you live in the present. Take care of yourself. Sleep just enough and well. Refresh your mind and body. - Full Steam Ahead
Think about what you can do, what you can control. Focus on your circle of influence and fine tune your circle of concern. Concentrate on your actions in the world. You make a difference on an individual level. Interact with integrity and truth. Choose how to feel. Decide where your resources will go (time, money and energy).
You are the captain of your own ship.
Tame the Time Bandits
- Have you been intending to do something, but can’t find the time so you keep putting it off?
- Do things pile up and pile up until it seems you have mountains of stuff?
- Does time seem to slide by and you find yourself pretty much in the same place you were a while back?
Whatever your challenges are, it is definitely time to get them out of the way and learn how to direct your efforts so you have more . . . More time to enjoy. More space and room to breathe. More of what you want and imagine for yourself.
Here are 4 points to help you map and manage your life:
1. Get Rid of Your Clutter
Whether it is your overflowing mail or your year’s worth of fast food wrappers lining the floor of your car, get rid of it. Clutter weighs you down. Toss all of it. If it seems too overwhelming, throw away a chunk each day until it is gone. Once you have cleared some space for yourself take a nice deep breath and pat yourself on the back. Now remember that peaceful feeling and deal with the items that accumulate one by one and day by day. Be consistent. A lot of little tosses will save you the time and effort of a major overhaul.
2. Listen to Yourself
Schedule a daily appointment with yourself for yourself. Set aside a specific time and make it a priority. Take a moment to breathe deeply; quietly. Once you have centered your mind, treat yourself as a friend, no judgements or guilt here. What do you want? What do you want to let go of? Where do you see yourself in a year?
3. Step Up to the Plate
Find one thing you can do everday to help you become who you are. When you have mastered that one thing, add another. Want to exercise? Try walking an extra block or two on your routine way to work. Or do all of your chores standing up, just start moving. Treat yourself to 10 minutes of exercise that appeals to you. Do something new for yourself a little at a time. Try it. It isn’t a destination, it is a process. Want to go to school? Take a community class that interests you, enroll in a course online or at a local college. Small steps in the same direction will add up to your path. Consistency is key.
4. Keep it Going
You don’t have things holding you down and you are making time for things that are important to you. Bravo! What’s next? How do you continue to make progress? Celebrate and remember who you are and what you want. Visualize it. Seek out internet information, books, articles, music and experiences that inspire you. Spend time with people who reinforce your progress and share it with them. Build on what you already have, have always had inside of you. Share it. Reconnect and refresh with what you want for yourself.
Time is finite. When junk accumulates until it reaches mountainous proportions or when we procrastinate until we are overwhelmed, we need to focus. When we are aware and take actions to eliminate distractions, we free up time to do what is important, not just urgent. When we follow our strengths, we become stronger.