To continue our 12 Days of Living Authentically series, I have four more ideas for you.
But first, did you feel inspired to incorporate any of the ideas we talked about in Part 1?
I’m always here to help, so reach out if you’d like some guidance.
Remember, you don’t have to try four new things at once; it’s best to work on one or two before layering on more.
Now, here are days 5-8 of Living Authentically:
5. Meditation
There’s no right or wrong way to meditate. If you find you can’t sit still, do a moving meditation. Walk around. Listen to music. Stretch. Clean.
The most important thing is that you make the time to meditate. Give yourself 5 minutes to be with yourself and notice whatever comes to mind. That’s all you need to do. Just notice. Don’t fight it. Don’t resist. Don’t judge. Don’t critique. Just observe.
Any time of day fits the bill for meditation, but morning meditations are especially powerful – before the events of the day kick in.
What better way to start the day than being grounded, centered, and connected to yourself, ready to show up for life with poise and peace?
6. Mindfulness/Being Present
Ahhhh being present. Your greatest power is, always has been, and always will be in the NOW.
If you’re ruminating about the past, catastrophizing about the future, you’re not in the present moment.
Think about it this way – this is the ONLY time in your life you’ll experience THIS moment. You don’t get to go back and relive it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
The things in life that have the greatest impact come as a result of focusing your mind on the now. Regardless of what you’re doing, be fully present.
The more you practice, the easier it gets.
Be mindful of the whole experience, and make it a multi-dimensional one, calling on all the senses. What do you feel? What do you see? What do you hear? The more you color in the experience, the more you’ll immerse yourself in it, and stress will start to fall away.
What gets in the way of being fully present for you?
7. Simplify/Less is More
There’s an indisputable link between living authentically and simplicity. The more and more you continue on this journey and get in touch with who you truly are, the more you realize how little you need to be happy:
Your health, the people you love and who love you, and the means to support a life that feels full and meaningful. That’s about it.
With extra “stuff” comes extra responsibility, extra weight, and more to tend to. The less there is to keep track of, the more space you have to operate from a place of freedom and inspiration.
My friend and I went for a 2-hour walk outside the other day, and we stopped back at my house to make breakfast. When he walked in, the first thing he said was, “I can’t get over how clean your house always is.” First, let me clarify that it isn’t always like that – I have teen kids, and sometimes, the weeks get away from us a bit. But I will say that I do strive to keep my house clutter-free and organized. I know myself well enough to know that the more peaceful my house is, the more peaceful and creative I feel on the inside.
In what area of life are you feeling pulled to simplify?
8. Inspiration
What do you feel inspired to do? Do more of that because those things will move the needle the most.
As you do more of what makes you joyful, you’ll experience more creative intuition in your personal life and business.
Create the space for the inspiration to come.
Over the years, I’ve moved away from routines and toward “menus,” where I have a list of options from which I choose, depending on what I feeI I need. For example, rather than checking boxes on a morning routine, I allow myself about an hour to fill myself up doing things I feel inspired to do. That way, I start my day feeling energized with lots of momentum.
What are you feeling inspired to do?
Stay tuned for Part 3, where I’ll share four more ideas for living authentically.
Reach out, and we can chat more about incorporating more authentic ideas into your life.