I know for me and for many close to me this last year has been one of challenges and self-reflection. A time of recognizing my strengths & my weaknesses and reflecting on who and what matters to me. This last year feels like it has been a time of facing yourself and the world in which we are living. Everything we know is being challenged and things are unpredictable….from Brexit to Trump winning the US presidential election. This year has been a time of facing the unexpected. I know I have learnt that these shocks are predictable only in their unpredictability and the only way to deal with them is to be your own hero.
I feel that 2017 is a future belonging to those who can create their own internal realities, irrespective of circumstance. In fact, this capacity is most crucial when uncertainty is at its greatest – in other words, for the foreseeable future. Rainbows & sunshine are just a state of mind!
To be your own hero
1. Have courage and faith. You may be scared or fearful but a true hero will use their fear to reflect and bring our their best side. I think we need courage, faith, caution and curiosity…how to move forward in a productive and positive way. How to convert worries into anticipatory action and how to live from a heart of faith not fear. Let yoga practice teach us flexibility…not just of body but also of mind.
2. Optimism and excitement. Interpret the environment in an optimistic way…is this an opportunity or an obstacle? Look for gaps and opportunities where others may see blocks or barriers. Be excited by life. See with eyes unsullied by regret or self-doubt. See your world as an exciting place to live in.
3. Find your inner peace…your inner quiet place. Try to maintain your calm inner quiet with a regular yoga and meditation practice so that you radiate well-being and calm even when life is unpredictable. It may seem like hard work to make life seem smooth and calm but its worth it, think of how good it feels to be around somebody calm, content and focused and enjoy that feeling from the inside.
4. Be self-aware and watch your self-talk. Steve Jobs told himself and the world “We want to make the best products for people” and Muhammad Ali told us “I am the greatest”. Self-awareness and self-study teaches us how we impact others and hence how we impact ourselves. We become the words that we speak because words don’t just describe the environment; they also define the environment they describe. Taking time to pause, to reflect and to listen to the words you use with yourself and others is important.
5.Engage with life.
Find reasons to reach out to others and involve yourself in projects, the community and family. Don’t be apathetic but engage with life to be happier in 2017. The more we engage in our lives the happier we are…the less we engage the more isolated we become. . You are only as good as you make others feel.
6. Be generous, with your time, your love, your money, your hugs. Give and be motivated by the pleasure of giving. Every day do something nice for someone and know that in an unpredictable world this is something we can all do to improve both our life and that of others. Tone your muscles that look for opportunities to be nice.
7. Ask yourself if you would enjoy your own company! Are you positive to be around or do you tend to focus on the negative. Remember the power of self-talk and think how your choice of company affects your mood. Decide to be the person who’s the joy to be with. Decide to make your life matter. Set an intention to make the minutes matter
Make 2017 your year where you become your own hero. Where you make yourself proud and those around you are warmed by your attitude, your love and your actions.