"Live in New York City once" (in our king sized bed!)
and..
"You are not as fat as you imagine" (which is why I haven't felt a need to go running today)
Okay so I found this on another blog but it's good and I think it will help us get closer to being "that person" Sorry it's kinda long!
Life of Consciousness: A Guide to Self-Awareness and Transformation
We have all been given the gift of choice. We can choose our goals, choose how to react in certain situations and choose what to make of our life. Yet, often we drift through life on auto-pilot, not really taking time to think why we are doing what we are doing. In fact, psychologists say that only 5% of our actions are conscious. The rest of our behavior is automatic and it is not something that we can change overnight.
Think how often you say something without thinking? Or have to go back and check if you have locked your car? Or how sometimes you pull into the driveway with no recollection of the half-hour commute home?
Living consciously is not as easy as it may seem. You can not do it once and then relax happily. It requires constant mental effort and a lot more of your cognitive resources, because you have to think about every decision, every action that you make, rather than reacting automatically and going with the flow.
But as we learn to be more conscious about our choices and our actions, we immediately see the positive changes in our life: our relationships with other people improve, we gain clarity, instead of just drifting through the fog of uncertainty and indifference, and we suddenly become more aware of the beauty of nature, the kindness of people and the little joys of life that we were too busy to notice earlier.
Here are some key tips that have helped me to bring more awareness into my life and that will hopefully work for you as well:
1. Practice active meditation.
“Awareness without action is worthless.” ~ Phil McGraw
This is how meditation in action works: whenever you are walking, washing dishes or talking to another person, concentrate your full attention on the task.
• If you are walking, notice how your feet touch the ground, pay attention to how your body weight shifts from one foot to another, become aware of the sensations you feel in your feet as you walk.
• If you are washing dishes notice the sensation of your skin, as the warm stream of water flows on your hands, the softness and texture of the sponge you are holding in one hand and the weight of the plate that you have to wash.
• If you are talking to a person, make an effort to stop thinking about your next remark and concentrate your full attention on what this person is saying (without judging or reacting emotionally to the words). Be truly present. Listen carefully. For a second try to feel what this person is feeling. A tremendous amount of human energy is wasted in talking past or “at” each other, rather than listening and trying to understand.
Whatever you do, try to do it wholeheartedly, immersing yourself fully in the task and enjoying it, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.
2. Focus on the positive.
“You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It’s just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.” ~ Paulo Coelho
It is easy to see negativity in the world. In fact, most psychologists believe that our brain is pre-programmed to notice the negative aspects of our environment. When we are relaxed and there is nothing pressing that demands concentration, gloomy thoughts, worries and negative memories gradually take over our mind. This is why as soon as we slip into negativity, we should make a conscious effort to shift our thoughts back into a more positive direction.
Refrain from judging by trying to find something good in every person that approaches you. Focus on positive aspects of every situation. Be kinder and more forgiving towards yourself. View each day as a miracle of its own!
3. Cultivate inner peace.
“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance” ~ Nathaniel Branden
When we find ourselves caught up in the instability around us, our inner peace is often compromised. However, it is during the challenging times that we most need to still our mind, stop fighting life and find strength to accept the situation the way it is. Only then our fears, worries and problems lose their power over us. Only then we are able to see things more clearly and make better life choices, as our actions are no longer directed by anger, frustration, personal sense of justice, but by inner peace.
Life will challenge us and throw us of balance many times, but it our responsibility to make a conscious effort to regain our equilibrium and learn from our setbacks.
Think about what helps you to regain your balance and “get centered”. No matter how busy you are, set aside some time in your schedule every day to regain clarity, reflect on your actions and find inner harmony.
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