Recently I did a meditation that asked me to think about something that was causing me some stress. The process was to then ask where that stress was in my body. As I scanned through my body I found it everywhere. Literally, this problem had made it’s home throughout my entire body.
I have to say I was surprised. I know I carry a lot in my shoulders, but to find it in my legs, in my belly and hurting my heart was shocking. Especially since I thought I was dealing with it!
Awareness is a double-edged sword. However, if you don’t start down the path you will find yourself in a place you never planned to be. I am excited to be in a place where I can look at the stress, really look it in the eye, know it is there and then start tackling it. It might be small steps at first, but ignoring it allows it to fester and wreak havoc on the rest of your life.
Today I want to inspire you to look at one area of stress in your life. Pick a small one to start. Write down a goal that includes steps that will help you get rid of this stress. There can be many ways to do this. I recommend that you write on paper, in a journal or a pad, not the computer (it just makes more sense to your brain). Ask yourself what is the long term goal? If the stress is a relationship how do you want that relationship to feel in the future? If the stress is work-related, what would be your perfect day at work? If the stress is financial what would your perfect financial picture look like? Create a big vision for your life without this problem in it. Write it all out, how will you feel when you can speak to your partner about important things? How will it feel when you are eager and excited to get up for work in the morning? What will it be like to know that you are being compensated for your creativity, time and expertise in a way that will provide not only a nice home but also allow you to be generous with your time to those that might be in need? Pick a subject that is true to your life and journal about it.
Next, write down what is necessary to achieve this goal? Do I need more information? Is it something I can handle myself or should I ask for help? What are the action steps for asking for help? Do I take a class? Ask a professional? Hire someone who has expertise in this area so that I can direct my energy in the area I am skilled in? Write down all of your ideas. Don’t judge them just write them down. Don’t even think about how you are going to do them. Just write down what would be some steps that would take you closer to this vision.
Later you can revisit this list and start to prioritize. You can actually create action steps and break them down into smaller steps that are manageable. However, you do not need to do it all at once. Just take the first step. Notice the stress, notice what you want to improve, imagine what life will be like with this improvement.
Then ask “what kind of a healthy daily ritual can I create to start building momentum toward this goal?” We all get stuck in patterns. These patterns suck our energy. What if you chose to start the day with a short exercise routine. Do you have 5 minutes? Take this 5 minutes and do some stretching, situps or jog in place. Now that you have completed that and you are feeling refreshed think of one small action step you can take toward your goal. Plan to fit that in your busy day. Make it a priority. At the end of the day celebrate your win, no matter how small, congratulate yourself for acknowledging the fact that you want to improve your current situation. Go to sleep feeling excited and eager to face a better tomorrow because of the positive step you made today. Even if it is a small one, you are moving! That is all it takes. One small step at a time and you will be closer to your dreams.
Be Youthful in your Approach, Remember anything is possible, connection is the key
