Do you believe that your mindset is the foundation for everything in your life? I do. I've seen it and felt it change my life. I've watched negative thinking ruin the moment, the day, the relationship...and I've watched the opposite happen. I've caught myself thinking negatively and took action to intentionally change my mindset. And I've also looked back on a moment that went horribly wrong and realized that I had the power to change it - and I didn't. I am not perfect and I am definitely not an expert, but I am aware and I am consciously working on growing and using what I know about myself to be a better woman.
I believe that self-awareness and the willingness to be honest with yourself and work on your flaws is the key to success in life. I believe that if you truly look within and are strong enough to accept who you truly are, you can both love and accept yourself and simultaneously challenge yourself to be better. However, I often see the concept being used in a way I don't necessarily align with. I've noticed a lot of people that speak to their own "self-awareness" but they utilize it as an excuse or a badge of honor about their flaws that people just "need to deal with". "I'm a wreck. I'm a mess. I'm a freak...deal with it" There is so much attention given to negativity and I refuse to get onboard with that. I am all about loving yourself, taking care of yourself, putting yourself first, and honoring yourself, but what happened to being the best you can be?
I truly believe that each of us individually have the power to change our lives, change our families, change our circle, and change our environment based on the light that we each carry inside of us and how that can impact our world. By changing your perspective and choosing happiness, peace, joy, and love - despite the circumstance - you can change your world. This isn't easy AT ALL. In fact, it is incredibly difficult. But there are ways you can set your mind and your heart every day that can make a huge difference. These are things that have worked for me and in sharing them I hope they can work for you.
Mission. We are all familiar with creating a mission and vision statement in the workplace. Whether you have been part of the process or you have seen the company mission statement on the wall or on the website, you know what it is. What about a mission statement for your life? What if you went through a similar process to create something valuable for yourself and your life that would guide the decisions you make and the choices for your life. What would that look like? What are your values and your guiding principles that are most important to you right now? Take some time to think about that and establish your personal mission statement. Have fun with this process and be gentle with yourself. This is not set in stone. This is fluid. This is flexible. This is a living statement that changes as you grow. What is your personal mission statement for right now and the foreseeable future? Create your personal mission statement and allow it to guide you in crafting the life you want.
Mindfulness. Once you know your personal life mission, you can start your day with setting your mind on the person you want to be and the life you want to create. You have the power to create the life that you want. I truly believe that. It doesn't matter what happened in the past or what might happen tomorrow. We all have stuff. We have baggage and pain and memories that have shaped us. But today you have the power to be who you want to be. Your mind is an incredibly powerful source of creation. You have the choice to focus on the negativity, the stress, the what-ifs, or the frustrations. OR...you can choose to focus on gratitude and the blessings of life. I don't meant to make it sound like it is easy. It's not easy. But it is simple. It just takes practice. Every day. Start your day setting your mind in this direction and see how it changes the way you think about life.
Manifestation. Manifestation is often referred to as a mindset strategy, based on the laws of attraction and belief, intended to bring about a personal goal, primarily by focusing your thoughts on the desired outcome. I am sure there are several strategies and techniques out there and you may even have your own...but for me it is simple. I believe that I was created to have a beautiful life and do great things! Why else would I even be here? So, if I believe that, then I believe good things are going to happen. And if I focus on the good things and set my mind on positive thoughts and the creation of the life I want, the rest will come. How you do this is totally up to you! That is the beauty of it. You get to create your own habits and your own thoughts. For me I do this several times a day. First thing in the morning when I am walking my dog Lola...that's when I start. I am out in nature and I am thinking about how grateful I am. I am thinking about my dreams and my desires and my plans. I believe when you feel gratitude for all that you already have, you are blessed by even more! But if the opposite is true - if you are ungrateful or negative - you will find the rest of your life follows in that same direction. Manifestation can be a powerful tool used to focus your mind and thoughts in a positive way. Try it.
Movement. Another more physical strategy that I use daily to establish a positive mindset is movement. Moving my body every single day in some simple way keeps me focused, happy, healthy, and strong. I discovered a long time ago that the physical release that comes from exercise helps me to be a better woman. If I move my body through exercise I think more clearly, I am less stressed, I am more positive, and I am a more pleasant person to be around. Exercise is my medication and it comes in any form you can think of. I like to mix it up so I hike, run, lift weights, do HIIT, practice yoga, or just take my dog on a long walk. But I do something. Every. Single. Day. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you enjoy it and you stick with it. Consistency is key and it will help to build this practice into a daily habit. Make it fun. Exercise with a friend or take a class or sign up for group fitness. Find YouTube videos or follow people on social media that provide workout tips. Find a way to schedule it into your day and do it for YOU. If you do it right and have a good attitude about it exercise feels good and it is something you want to do. When we go on vacation, Ken and I hike or ride bikes or take the dogs on a new walk to explore. It doesn't have to be hard or uncomfortable. It just has to be movement. And movement will change your mindset.
What are the things you do to set your mind right? What works for you in shaping your thoughts and your attitude? Our minds are incredibly powerful and influential so make sure YOU are in control of the direction your thoughts are taking you. Make sure you set the tone for your day and for your life.
XOXO
Emily
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