Life is not a race. Social Media makes it all too easy to be caught up in what others are doing/have/life stage they are at, and we can end up getting busy rubber neckin’ it, miss-shoot our own paths, trip and fall. Here we are disconnecting from ourselves to connect with others, being sucked down this worm hole in online portrayals of others people’s lives. Our own inner voice can be drowned out by the noise of everyone else’s feet thundering past, or so we perceive them to be doing so.
One of the biggest things I personally have struggled with is; figuring out what it is I want in this life, finding a passion to pursue, knowing a direction to go in. It gets to be overwhelming, especially as the years go by and the people around me seem to move forward, while I perceive myself as floundering around. The social pressure these days to be doing your passion. While I yell back HOW THE HELL DO THEY KNOW??!!! I admire people who know, and drive forward, I am awestruck by their self-assurance of this. This year I am focusing more on listening and trusting my voice more.
This last month I have come to realise something about myself; I do not like to rush, or be rushed. I mean most people don’t!. I make time in the morning before I leave the house, so I do not have to rush. I can enjoy the process of my morning rituals, my bike ride or walk to the office or the gym. I am usually last to finish my work out at the gym. I get flustered if I feel pressure to rush through a set, and it turn don’t enjoy the work out then. In yoga, I feel tense when a flow is fast paced, crammed with movements and rushed. I used to think this was a flaw of mine, and that it was something I needed to ‘work on’, fix or change. In actual fact I have grown to love this quirk about myself. It brings me peace and calm in this busy world. It ties into how my life journey is moving to date, this is my pace
Can you identify a trait or pattern you thought to be a flaw, turn around and grow to love it, not comparing it to what someone else is doing? Shine some love and positive energy onto it. I had a lovely conversation with a lady at my gym recently. She is a dance teacher, instructing young kids all the way up through to teenagers. One of the things she teaches them once the start with her is ‘ You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.’ She says it works in all aspects of life, and its true, it does. This little mantra has been floating around my head ever since. Accept where you are, stop looking at what others have, don’t get upset, you can change direction/mindset, nothing is permanent in this ever changing life of ours. Learn to love all the highs and lows.
Trusting and knowing that there is always a route, at path to where you want to go, sometimes its just not that direct. All the twists and turns on this long and winding road. Finding courage to keep moving, and view these twist and turns as rich opportunities to discover more clues and treasures on this adventure called life. We don’t need to race, compare or compete, we find our own pace, as the road is long. Find joy and wonder in each step. Pack light, shrug off that excess baggage of the past.
What’s your mantra? I would love to hear some! They can be so powerful. We can use different ones at different stages/phases. Something so small can help get closer to truly loving and accepting yourself. So simple yet affective. Let others success lift you up and not bring you down by comparison and competition. Connect, communicate, listen, learn, lead, teach, follow your own path at your own pace.
A journey of self help and love 