Two weeks ago I talked about some things to smooth out your life and attempted to explain why the fuck it’s been so hard to be at home lately. My offer was that we might have a look at our rituals, the fact that we’re all self leading in more places in our lives than normal, and that we have little or no demarcation from different parts of our lives: we live, sleep, workout, have our offices, and eat in a much smaller footprint of our lives than just nine months ago.
One week ago I talked about some different levels of getting quiet and sitting still. The aspects of allowing your mind and body to come to stillness and recharge is as important now as it always has been. How do we “check out” in a meaningful way?
This week I have a final offering to complete the trio of smoothing out the edges on life. These are all tips to help you glide into next year and thrive in the next five to ten weeks. And, for the rest of your life.
This week’s offering is really the simplest of them all but one of the strongest mindshift practices I’m aware of. You’re all probably doing this already so maybe it’s just a reminder but it’s a “beauty and appreciation” practice. Do this in whatever way works best for you but do it.
Appreciation is linked to fulfillment and contentment, they create a panacea. I’d even argue that you can’t be content at all if you’re not accounting for all that you have. Someone told me the other day that he also felt a ton of relief when he accounted for what he had which meant that he didn’t have to experience so much discomfort from what he didn’t have. An interesting and powerful way to view life for sure. From that I say, think about times when you had less and how having less caused you to feel uncomfortable. I’ve been taking this for a spin and finding it a nice little nuance to the appreciation side.
The beauty part of this is to look and take notice of what is beautiful in our everyday lives and the beauty that constantly surrounds us. For a multitude of reasons we just become blind to all of it and numbed out to it’s pleasant sensation. If we take notice, it’s everywhere: from tangible things, to the way people treat us, or something in our surroundings. When we’re looking for it we have examples of beauty everywhere: the smiles of our children, the weather, a drop of water rolling down a window. That’s the key here, you have to be looking, and you have to expect beauty in your lives. When you notice, and feel beauty, it shifts how you feel.
I believe in rewarding those who work hard and earn extra credit and if that’s you then read on… if you’re doing all these things already and want to go further into shifting your life and mind I have a humility practice you can take for a spin.
Who did you offend today?
For those that are self important I recommend starting out easy, maybe start with people that you really love and cherish in your life, think of those in your life you would lose if you don’t show a bit of modesty to from time to time. For the true risk takers, find people who you may be repelled by and own how you’ve been offensive with them. Those little passive aggressive eye rolls or not-so-passive sideways comments that you drop in from time to time to slice off just a little bit of flesh. Even if you don’t care about others, being offensive is bad for ourselves.
Humility is a key factor in growing and changing. If you can’t recognize the places where you don’t already know everything then you’ll never learn. Humility is also that pathway where you admit you’re wrong, being sorry for lack of integrity somewhere in your life, or actually being less of an arrogant prick. Are you being the person you want to be?
The opportunity:
What are three things that you’re grateful for?
What are three beautiful things in your life?
Who that you love have you offended?
Who that you despise have you offended?
Have a wonderful day and a wonderful weekend.