We are approaching an end to 2020; it seems as if we have collectively been called to shift our lives, giving us more time to reflect and go inward. Now is an opportune time to become a participant in the process of redesigning our lives with intention and personal responsibility.
When we enter the world at birth, we enter a world that is already in motion linked to culture, relationship, and behavior patterns that create influence in our lives from the very beginning. As we evolve in our environment, there are more and more influences that shape who we become. It can be challenging to separate the self from the world, leading to anxiety, depression, or restlessness.
We like to think we have control of our lives, yet most of what we do is influenced by what we learn from social media, news, and other opinions outside of us.
Four simple practices that can kickstart your journey inward:
1) Take inventory
Take inventory of your life and think about what areas in your life have been calling you for change and what areas you are ready to let fall away. If you were to take more responsibility for your well-being, what would you add to your life and what would you let go?
2) Make a commitment to be personally responsible
Commit to detach from environmental factors by pausing, reflecting, and changing your thought pattern. Thoughts and feelings are significant components of how individuals define themselves. When we begin to connect to our thoughts, emotions, and behavior, we take responsibility for ourselves. When a negative thought or a fearful thought enters your mind, practice pausing, and ask yourself, “how it makes you feel in your body?”
3) Set an intention
Setting an intention to stay connected to this commitment will raise your emotional energy and raise your physical energy. Intentions inspire and motivate us to stay on track.
4) Focus on your response
When we look for solutions outside of ourselves, we are distracting ourselves from going inward. When we focus on looking inward to see how we are creating what we are experiencing through our thoughts and behavior and taking responsibility, it gives us more POWER. Our response is the only thing we can change and have control over. When an event happens, you have no control over the event, and you have no control over the outcome. But you do have control over how you respond.
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