“An Ounce of Practice is Worth a Ton of Theory” – Many people stay in their head about personal learning and development of new ways to help their life feel like it is working. Conceptualization and ‘thinking, thinking, thinking’ is a favorite pastime of many people who want their life to be better or different in a way that is fulfilling or satisfying. Staying with this pattern of wishful thinking doesn’t work to help the very thing you are caring about to happen.
Often, anxiety leads the day as well as worry about what ‘might’ happen. You know…that “what if” question. Nothing changes unless you ‘make a decision’ and then follow through with specific action. It is up to you.
So…how to help this move along? Bring your attention to your heart and gut and notice what you feel there. Make the decision that you will change your life in a specific area, even if you haven’t been able to see the way to do it YET. You are the only one who has the power to change your life experience.
This approach sets you up for taking specific actions to implement possibilities for the ‘new something’.
- Take small steps as an experiment if you aren’t completely sure of which direction to go. Then, you can make small adjustments in your direction as you discover what is what.
- Build on your self-understanding and the awareness of this aspect of your life over time.
- Acknowledge anything that feels like it is working. Define ‘success’ as anything that works even a little bit.
- Then, build on it with more small steps…one at a time…and take note. What is the hurry? You have time. Where else do you have to go? It is YOUR life. You belong to yourself.
- Give yourself a chance to grow in a specific direction. Give it some consistent dedication. Stay with something you are doing to help yourself until you find a breakthrough. This commitment to yourself WILL pay off. Following through with self-commitments builds confidence.
- Review at intervals, and give yourself the space and time to learn. If something proves unworthy of your efforts, find some way that will. There will be a way for you. Remember that having a connection with what is important to you will fuel your direction…just like a choo choo train that is firmly connected to the train track. “I think I can, I think I can”…as the train moves right up the hill to its destination. (smiles)
- Don’t just keep doing the same thing over and over if it is clearly not working…just because you aren’t sure what to do next. Keep sharp and search for new ways. Be the detective and apply yourself to what you find. Dump the things that don’t work and keep the things that do work.
- Ask for help. Oh yeah, that thing…. There is always some way to get help, encouragement and support if you reach to a trustworthy source.
Your core strength, intelligence and energy will follow you where you go with your attention.
If you were injured in a way that limits your physical movement or functionality temporarily, you would regain your strength and stamina with little exercises and health practices that would build strength over time. You would practice regularly to bring yourself back. You would find that special gentle and self-friendly attitude to help yourself along. Yes?
You can’t push the river. It goes at the speed that it goes.
Please let go of pushing yourself with pure force of will. This doesn’t work because it leaves out consideration and perspective. Instead, set your course forward based on common sense. Go for one step, the first step, towards developing a new pattern. This can bring you a new perspective on what real action could work for you longer term. If this first step doesn’t work well, try to adjust your plan instead of allowing yourself to get discouraged. If it works somewhat well, but needs ‘something’ to help it along…and you aren’t sure what to add…take some time to explore another approach or an adjustment to the first approach. Then, stay in action and do the next experiment until you find the way that works.
Sometimes, you may need a pause for reflection in order to digest what you are learning and what the next decision for new action might be.
NEVER GIVE UP!!! If something is important to you, find a way to stick with yourself or to come back to yourself if you have lost enthusiasm or temporarily lost your way. As you slowly build a new pattern for yourself in any area of your life, your emotional self-confidence will get more solid and root into the ground for your ongoing benefit.
You CAN do this. When you feel you need support in your process but want to stay with it privately, come back and read this again. Perhaps you will feel a boost.
And remember, your care and love for yourself is the most genuine motivation. Love is the panacea for all ills. Let your Glowing Heart help you.
Say to yourself out loud: “I am worth any and all the dedication, time, attention this requires”.
You are the first, most important person in your life. You always matter.
