Stories abound on how to succeed at Life but rarely does one cover the full recipe of how to be self-fulfilled. I’ve woven together some of the brightest threads in the quilt that have helped me a great deal at impasses and crossroads in Life. Take what you like, season with your own lived experience and leave what doesn’t resonate.
- Put On Your Oxygen Mask First-Facts are facts-you can’t help anyone else if you’re struggling to breathe. Before you take on the weight of the world, make sure you’ve attended to your own basic needs for meaning, purpose, health, food, clothing, shelter, and mental well-being. Yes, it sounds indulgent, but if you really break it down, would you want to be operated on by a doctor who was sleep-deprived, stressed, and poorly nourished, or would you rather have someone well-rested, properly fed, and content with their life? You’re no different.
- When in Doubt, Go Towards Beauty-I’m not talking about supermodels. If you find yourself stuck between options, tap into your inner beauty calibrator. It’s not just physical beauty I’m talking about here, it’s nature, kindness, joy, generosity…the qualities of Beauty that are inherently high vibing and fill you with energy and vitality instead of dragging you down. If you’re really not sure which direction to travel, go towards what expands your heart instead of what contracts it. Trust your body. It knows.
- People Pay for Passion-Lots of folks are trying to do the “smart” thing with their career moves and degree choices. What that really means is making the choice they think will make their life the least stressful and hard. The thing is, if you trade in what your heart loves to do for something that it only kinda likes, you’re cutting off a tremendous source of energy. Following your passion might seem like a fools errand, but I’ve seen people who have stayed true to their hare-brained ideas and have lived to see their dreams succeed BECAUSE folks can’t help but be drawn to their excitement for making documentaries about unexploded land mines in Cambodia. If you’re lucky enough to feel the burn of desire to do a thing, do it, baby. The world will catch your drift eventually.
- Treat Your Body Like an Expensive Sports Car-Hear me out. Sports cars are meant to be driven fast and take tight turns at speed. They are designed to PERFORM, just like our bodies are. In order to do that however, they need to be well cared for and maintained. They require proper housing, fuel, and care to perform at the level they were designed to. You’ve got one body, so treat it well. It’s not a luxury stay hydrated, get enough sleep, feed your body good whole foods, and make sure its attended to when injured. It’s protecting your investment.
- To Have Friends, Be a Friend – We are social creatures and we need each other to thrive. Even if you’re a natural introvert, eventually you need some basic interaction to stay healthy. I tell my son this all they time-if you don’t like it when people interrupt you while speaking, how do you think they like it when you interrupt them? It’s the basic Golden Rule here-no one is an island and everyone likes to be treated with kindness and respect. Even jerks. So don’t be one and you’ll have your pick of the litter when it comes to pals.
