7/15/2014
How do you make the most out of your day?
Do you consider the more productive, the better the day? Or do you consider laying around doing absolutely nothing as ideal? Of course this can vary from day to day due to environment, mood, perspective, weather, wellness, energy levels, ect.
But in general, what makes it a good day every day?
To the extent that when you get into bed at night, you have little to no negative emotions about the day that had just passed?
That instead you feel at ease about the day, and that it was well spent?
Because each day that you are alive is a coin in the piggy bank of life, and it should be spent wisely. For our days are numbered, our existence in this body finite. And there is most definitely an expiration label out there in the ethers with our name on it.
The problem is we so rarely stop and take a moment to truly contemplate this. We get so caught up in our lives, perpetually stuck in the future or the past. Majority of people being so caught up in what needs to be done within the next hour, month, year, etc… Meanwhile the other half of the population is stuck reliving the past (both in wonderful and terrible memories). Neither is serving you.
Most of us will unconsciously escape living in the now. I know that I am just as guilty of this. Only the masters of our planet, those enlightened to the truth, have mastered how to fully sustain living in the now.
So how do we rein in our precious consciousness back into living in the now?
How do we make the most out of our day without needing consumerism to fill the void in our lives?
We fill the void, with our consciousness by loving ourselves and living in the now. Through this process we make the most out of our day without having to spend a dollar. We make ourselves happy.
Such a simple statement made, but with a strong undercurrent beneath the true meaning of achieving this. Because first:
1. You must work on loving yourself
Which may be one of the hardest feats of them all for everyone. Most people are not even aware of the lack of love they have for themselves until they start to turn their attention inwards.
To be completely accepting of yourself, your flaws (which aren’t flaws by the way), your past mistakes (and current ones), you must accept that you are doing your best and that is all that matters and that you love/respect yourself either way. Really work on this.
2. Meditate
At least once a day for ten minutes upon first waking up in the morning (then build up to twice a day for twenty after some time).
Why is this important? Too many reasons to list! But for starters it helps you see where your thought pattern is going for that particular moment, how you feel emotionally (sometimes we’re numb to that), and most importantly how to work through your emotional barriers that give you the illusion that your day isn’t good enough as it is. That’s a big one that I rarely see meditation lessons talk about. So meditation gives you some leverage to work out those crappy feelings that are giving off those suffocating feelings. You don’t need to buy that new shirt, you need to meditate… 🙂
3. Appreciate all that you have in your life, and the simple things.
It always sounds like a good idea for us to do this. Most of us even know that we should appreciate the little things. However the hardest part for many is actually doing this daily…. and remembering to keep it up. Because, when we appreciate all that we have in our lives (the simple miracles that go on around us on a daily basis), it’s hard to really feel that our lives are lacking.
For example when in the last time you watched the clouds roll by? The way they move? The shapes, densities, and vastness of them all! I don’t know about you, but simple things still amaze me on a daily basis when I stop rushing and appreciate what is before me.
Which leads me to…
4. Don’t rush anything.
And I mean anything. Nothing in life is worth rushing over unless you’re in danger (and even then rushing might be a bad idea). Because if there is anything I’ve learned in this life, it’s that it has been most beneficial to not to rush. For when we rush, our brains are running at a million miles a minute… And chances are you are going to miss a few major details that you are going to wish you hadn’t due to rushing. Also when you are in this frame of mind you can never truly appreciate or enjoy anything! You become stuck on a hamster wheel, running and running until you’re too exhausted to even begin thinking about enjoying any part of what had just happened.
The most unfortunate part of all of this is that majority of the working class (you know the 98%) spend their whole life stuck in this mode. Always rushing.
Rushing to get ready for work, rushing to eat, rushing to the bathroom, rushing phone calls with loved ones, rushing to clean the house, rushing get home, rushing to watch TV (because you are so tired from rushing all day that this then seems like the biggest relief you could offer yourself).
If this sounds like you and you are unhappy with your life, try slowing down. I know this sounds impossible, but I assure you it is not. There are multiple ways to create more time in your day, and cut out the excessive stuff. Plan things out so you know how much time you need in order to not rush. Cortisol levels, and your overall mind, body, spirit suffer when you live your life like this. Consciously. Slow. Down. If you have trouble doing this I strongly suggest step #2.
5. Go out and explore nature/ exercise.
This is best done when you do both together. For nature literally calms the mind, body, and spirit. Meanwhile exercise helps release stuck emotions, while also energizing the body (in so many different ways). It is a well known fact that exercise can fight depression among hundreds of other dis-eases. So even if you don’t feel like it, at least go for a walk through a park (or any kind of nature related area the more wild the better). But a walk in your neighborhood will do just fine. Just get out there!
If you do a combination of all these five steps your day will be much brighter. And not only will your day be much brighter but you are also improving your health by doing all the following.
Revisit this whenever you are feeling stuck in a rut in life, and repeat as many times as necessary.
Remember you are loved, and you are beautiful the way you are.
Till next time,