For the past couple of weeks I've been on a self-discovery / improvement / growth process and have been making strides in changing my mindset, setting goals, making plans, and following through on them. Obviously I haven't gotten to the point where I am the best me yet, but I am actively working on it and I love every minute of my journey.
One thing I've been kinda putting off for a while though is making my own set of Commandments to live by. To me its a list of points and/or sayings I use to stay on track and Follow On Course Until Successful (FOCUS) in my transformation.
1. Be Present - I realized the other day that I was never aware of who I met, where, when, how, why, or what happened. My friends would always have these stories to tell of what happened and even though I usually was there, I wasn't 'present'. Being present means being cognizant of your surroundings, the people around you, whatever is happening, and taking an active role at the same time. So, pay attention! (Note more to myself than to anyone else)
2. Find at least ONE thing every day to be Grateful for - I took a Gratitude Challenge in December (with Shanel Cooper-Sykes) and one thing I've learnt is that having a spirit of Gratitude really changes how you view everything and how you respond to life generally. Acknowledging the things, people, and situations in your life that you are grateful for makes you truly happier. Well, it makes me happier! I realize I have alot . . . ALOT to be grateful for. Yeah things could be worse, but that's not the point. Being Grateful in every situation (regardless) literally takes your mind off the negatives. Focus on the positives in your life. Find something, anything, ONE thing today, that you are truly Grateful for. For me, I am truly grateful to be sharing my Commandments with you today :)
3. Speak with Love, Smile with Love, Listen with Love - this line itself is apart of my daily affirmation. "I am filled with Love, therefore I Speak with Love, I Smile with Love, I Listen with Love". Whatever you do, do it with Love.
4. Have FUN - whenever, whoever, however, wherever you are ensure that you have Fun, regardless. If you're stuck in traffic, play your music so loud the people 3 cars down from you can hear you singing to your hearts content. Wherever you are, find a way to have fun! Which leads me to . . .
5. Laugh as much as possible - even at yourself, especially at yourself! Life is way too short to take little mishaps personally and seriously. As well as finding something to be grateful for, find the humour in every situation. For example, the other day I went to a restaurant for lunch and had to remind the cashier that the price had changed. I could've gotten away with paying less but my big mouth ensured I paid the right amount. That to me is hilarious!
6. ALWAYS try new things, learn new things, meet new people, do new and interesting things - doing something new challenges you mentally and physically. It forces you to think outside of what you normally would. There are simple ways of doing this - brush your teeth with the other hand, drive a different route to work, try a new recipe for dinner. Try something new today!
7. Maintain my connection with God - I understand that alot of people may not believe in or accept God, but I personally could not not acknowledge Him. HE is the Creator and Sustainer of My Life; HE is my Father, Best friend, Lover of my soul, and King, and the great thing about Him is, I can talk to Him anytime and anywhere knowing He hears me! But . . . if you're not into God, stay connected to your own source of strength. Stay connected to you!
8. Fuel your Creativity - I do not believe anyone is without some form of creativity within them. Its a matter of finding it, just like many of us have to find our passion. For me, I see so many ways of creating new things, furniture, art works, etc, for someone else, it may be writing, directing, computer programming, building designs, construction projects, gardening, cooking, whatever you enjoy doing, allow your creativity to influence you and build on it. Never stop at what is required of you, go above and beyond and exercise your 'Creative genius'.
9. Do what you want to do - I used to struggle with this one alot. I would (for example) want to go to the beach one Saturday but would have to rally my friends together and plan a weekend trip weeks in advance and all these things and actually end up doing something completely different and usually not as fun. The Lesson? Do what you want to do regardless of who's into it. If someone wants to come, fine! But don't wait on approval, dont wait on a group of followers, DO You!
10. "Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise" (Dale Carnegie) - I picked up this phrase from 'How to win friends and influence people'. I use it to remind myself of how to approach and speak to people I don't know and even some of my friends. It suggests that you find something admirable about the person and show genuine appreciation for that person, for what they've done for you, and/or how that person makes you feel.
11. Think Big, DREAM BIG - to be honest with you I have no idea what my dreams were as a child (that is the extent of how 'absent' I really was). I was just living - breathing, eating, and sleeping. I had no idea what I liked, what I wanted to do as an adult, as a matter of fact, I was the type of person that did what anybody else told me to do. I had no ambition! That is no life to live! So now, every chance I get I dream. Yeah, I daydream most of the time (lol) but now I actually have dreams. Big Dreams, small dreams, goals, aspirations, passions, and things I want to figure out by myself. Now, I have something to live for, something to look forward to, something to work towards instead of just going with the flow. So Dream, all day every day, and don't just think of what you'd want when you're 40, dream of working until you get there, dream of doing amazing things, of going places, meeting people, and living an Amazing life. Dream BIG!
12. Set Goals and make plans to follow your dreams - So after you've 'Dreamed Big' what's the next obvious step? Set your goals, make plans, do some research and find ways to achieve that which you have dreamed about. It makes no sense to Dream Big and not follow up on it. Unless it is literally physically impossible for you to do it, Anything is possible (if you put your mind to it). Old dogs can learn new tricks!
Of course, my list is not exhausted. I will add others along the way, and modify one or two, but you get the gist. And believe me when I say they take alot of work and focus to do any of the above. Some of them are still a scary notion to me, some I struggle with every day, but I know that in keeping along these lines I will become a better me! And hopefully this will inspire somebody, anybody to become a better them too :)
Nuff Love . . .
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