All of us know what we need to do in terms of physical fitness. Exercise and eat healthy! What about when it comes to inner fitness; when it comes to dealing with stress, drama, pain and disappointment life brings?
Back in school, we were taught math, science, language, history and health, but I cannot recall ever being taught how to deal with life’s challenges. Isn’t that the most important lesson we all should be learning? Unless our major in college was psychology, we sort of picked up behaviors along the way to navigate through the challenges in our lives.
Just like a flower needs several conditions to blossom, so does a person to blossom on the inside.
Following are some powerful habits that have helped me get through the challenges in my life. Regardless of whether you face challenges at this moment or not, cultivating these habits will help you become powerful and strong on the inside.
- Gratitude – It’s easy to feel grateful when things are going our way, but how about those days they don’t. It can be challenging to feel grateful when we are going through pain or hurt. But here is the truth. There is always, “always”, something to be grateful for. The challenge lies in focusing on what we have as opposed to what we do not have. If you got laid off or fired from work, do you still have your health? If you are going through a divorce or a heart break, do you still have wonderful family, friends or kids? Finding gratitude in every moment shifts our energy and brings abundance into our lives.
“Gratitude is a powerful process for shifting your energy and bringing more of what you want into your life. Be grateful for what you already have and you will attract more good things.” The Secret
- Connection – As humans, we all need connection. Most of us have a choice in deciding who to surround ourselves with. Find and surround yourselves with people who love you unconditionally and uplift you. Some may already be blessed with family members who love them unconditionally. If so, cherish them and love them hard. If you don’t have a family that provides this support, actively seek for those friendships that will give you the same. There is nothing you will not find if you actively seek for it.
“Find people that will love you at your worst and arms that will hold you and uplift you at your weakest.” – Author Unknown
- Volunteering/Giving – We all have something to give, whether it is time, money, or attention. If we notice, the world is giving to us constantly. Give back to those outside of the four walls of your house. It could be tutoring a child in need, volunteering at a non profit organization or donating to a cause close to your heart. Over time as we give more, we begin to see that when we help others, we are helping and transforming ourselves.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Gandhi
- Focusing on the Now – Living in the moment and focusing on just the task at hand have been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. Often our minds are tied up with thoughts of the past or future. While reflecting on past and planning for future have its place in life, 99% of the time, unconsciously getting lost in thoughts of the past or future prevents us from living our lives fully and deeply. Being truly present with life as it is happening can be difficult for many of us. How many of us begin a task already thinking of the next task on our to-do list? This makes the task at hand unpleasant because our mind is already anxious to complete the next task. What if we took time to perform each task at hand with a purpose? For ex., when we are folding laundry, rather than thinking of it as a chore and all the other chores to get done, we see it as an honor to be folding clean clothes and putting them away for ourselves or our family members. A simple task of folding laundry thus turns into unconditional love unfolding. As we continue to practice living in the now, we begin to live each moment with a purpose.
“There is only one time that is important – NOW! It is the most important time because it is the only time that we have any power.” – Leo Tolstoy
- Faith in your Purpose – The purpose mentioned here is not in reference to our jobs, our passion or our responsibilities as a partner or a parent. This is a purpose that stems from having faith in something bigger than ourselves. We are all here to fulfill a purpose and that purpose is to continuously evolve into the best version of ourselves. When we have that faith, we begin to meet life’s challenges as part of fulfilling that purpose. With faith, we believe in our journey and trust that those challenges are exactly what we need for our transformation and evolution.
“Purpose drives the process by which we become what we are capable of being” – Lolly Daskal
Give a Reply