The reason I started this blog is for you to hopefully find something that resonates with you and inspires you to try something new. I know what it’s like to feel the monotony of everyday life and feel completely clueless on how to bring about real and lasting change. We all go through periods of time in our lives where we don’t feel like doing anything differently because we are too tired (mentally, physically, or emotionally) and it just seems like too much effort to break out of our comfort zone.
I am here to tell you that the comfort zone you are living in daily, week after week, month after month will turn into years of regret and basically a lifetime of never really doing anything that helps you grow and expand your mind and your consciousness.
Did you know that 85% of people after the age of 30 will live the rest of their lives just repeating the same habits they have established up to that age. Never learning anything new and thinking the same thoughts day after day... This is the sort of existence that leads to depression or burn out or worse. Don’t wait until you're down so low in that place that you can’t get out. Don't be part of that 85% stuck in a loop forever repeating the same thoughts and feelings and habits.
So many people look around at their circumstances and think they are powerless to change them without taking massive action but I am here to let you off the hook. You don't have to take off running to start making changes in your life. This is the missing piece that most people skip over but it is the most important one.
The first thing that you have to do is set aside some time every day to just sit with a pen and paper, and your thoughts.
I want you to take just 15 minutes a day and forget everything about your life that doesn't bring you happiness. You are only allowed to bring into this space your favorite parts of your life. The parts that bring you joy. The parts that maybe you don’t share with the world. It could be something as small as your morning cup of coffee, or your dog, or a song, a movie….you get the idea.
Once you are smiling, the next step is to start using your imagination. Start to envision yourself doing something you've maybe never done before but have always wanted to try. For me this was easy because there were so many things in my head that I could see myself doing for the first time, like traveling to Bora Bora, Italy, Paris, and becoming a person who meditates daily and practices yoga. I wanted to get in the best shape of my life and feel confident when I wasn't wearing makeup. I wanted to enjoy cooking. I have always cooked but never enjoyed it before. Cooking was something I felt like I had to do and I usually wanted to just get it over with.
Now, in this space, I started seeing myself enjoying cooking. Now remember, you are just using your imagination at this point. If there is something that you have to do every day that feels like drudgery, then the only reason you're allowed to have that thought in this space is to see yourself doing it happily.
How many times as adults do we allow ourselves a few minutes in our day to just dream? I bet most of you, like me, used to just turn on the television or scroll through social media and be envious of everyone else doing the things I wanted to be doing.
This is the process that helped me begin to break out of my monotonous routine. I started to play music and listen to podcasts while I was doing those things that I didn't enjoy very much. At first it was just music but now I actually look forward to cooking because it's my time to either have a dance party (by myself or with my dogs) in my kitchen or listen to my favorite Abraham Hicks podcasts. Did you know that the vibration you are offering when you are cooking actually has an effect on your meal as well as your digestion!? (another post) That's for another talk but yes it’s mind blowing how much your feelings affect everything and everyone around you. Even the meals that you prepare.
Ok, back to your happy place...
The whole idea behind this exercise is to elevate your mood and stop thinking about anything that doesn’t bring you joy. You can actually trick your mind into believing something that hasn't actually happened yet, and feel those emotions ahead of the manifestation or realization of your desired (or undesired) outcome. This works both for happy thoughts as well as negative thoughts, so please be intentional with your thinking.
Once you have been doing this exercise for just 15-20 minutes a day, you will have created new pathways in your brain! When I first realized this was actually expanding my mind, I wanted to spend more time than just 15 minutes a day there! I stopped watching television (except for a few favorite shows) I absolutely never watch the news or commercials. Another blog post) Giving up these two things has allowed me more time in my day to do things that help me grow and the best part of all, I am so much happier!!
It seems like a simple thing, but if you are like me, it was something I never did! I would use my imagination at times to think of the worst case scenario more often than I would use my imagination to dream. Not ever again. The most important thing you can do today to begin to change your life is to control your thoughts. This one exercise alone is how I began to change my reality and I know you can do it too!
Grab your pen and paper and let's get started on dreaming up that future self that is living your dreams! This is the first step towards living the life you were born to live! Start to play it out in your mind. See how big you can grow the dream inside your head. If you will begin to include this in your daily routine, you will become part of the 15% in the world that will not live the same life forever!
If that doesn't get you excited then I don't think you would have found this post or would have read this far! Congratulations because you not only will change your life, but you can influence your loved ones to do the same...and that is the reason we are all here.
