1. Be still
As a woman who tends to overschedule myself in order to “pack in” as much of life as possible, I have been told by mentors, advisors, and guides that in order to have clarity on what is in my highest and best interest in order to continue along my journey and follow my purpose, I need to meditate. When I first heard this message several years ago, it made sense but how was I going to fit it in to my already jam-packed life? A couple years ago, after getting figuratively “getting hit over the head” by messages that I would benefit from slowing down and creating space for silence, I decided that I had to commit to a meditation practice. Although I had dabbled in the past with meditation in various forms, it never seemed to stick in my lifestyle. That is when I downloaded Deepak Chopra’s mediation app entitled “Infinite Abundance” and I have not looked back since, making space in my life at least 4-5x/week to sit and listen to his wisdom.
2. Make conscious choices
When you clear some space in your head through mediation, time in nature, or practicing mindfulness, you create the powerful ability of making conscious choices; about every decision in your life if you so choose. When I learned that the majority of people were walking through life dominated by the subconscious mind and therefore, were not really in touch with many of the choices or decisions being made, I was blown away. Because our subconscious mind is formed in early childhood, many of these choices are being made by our two-year-old brain that is more driven from fear, scarcity, and selfishness rather than logical, non-emotional adult decisions. Conscious choices very much apply to habits. f you have a habit that you would like to shift to a more positive habit, the first step is being aware of it! Secondly, catch yourself directly after the habit occurs. Next, notice the habit while it is occurring. Lastly, catch the habit right before and make a conscious change.
3. Fuel your body and mind with nutrient-rich food
Since our bodies are machines that are controlled by our brain and nervous system, it is vital to fuel our bodies and mind with the best ingredients. For the body, choose organic, unprocessed foods that are naturally loaded in a variety of nutrients that we need to function at an optimal level. Even with the cleanest diet, our environment is so loaded with toxic chemicals that regular cleansing is necessary to keep your body functioning well. Just like your vehicle, it runs better when it has clean fuel and regular oil changes to remove the gunk. What about the mind? It likes to be fed nutrient-rich food as well which means regular exposure to positive, motivational books, movies, conversations that feel uplifting and inspiring. Our minds also love to learn new things and be challenged so find an activity that you have always wanted to try but never made the time…and schedule it in!
4. Practice gratitude
When we practice gratitude on a regular basis, we demonstrate our awareness of the amount of abundance and blessings in our life. It feels amazing to take the time to feel abundant rather than focusing on the limitations. When we are energetically vibrating at a higher level due to our attention and focus on gratitude, we automatically draw towards us more valuable things, ideas, people, to be grateful for. Literally, what we think, we create so if we want to stay in a more optimistic mindset during a challenging period of our life, it would be helpful to give thanks. During different times of my life, I chose to keep a gratitude journal and would write down five things each day that I am grateful for. It helped me gain perspective on the reality of my life and helped me “correct and continue” when life was throwing a curveball.
5. Love yourself
When we treat ourselves with love and kindness, we open up to living exciting possibilities at our full potential. By discontinuing acts of self-doubt and self-deprecating thoughts, we create a strong, empowered mental status that allows us to choose wisely. When you find a negative self-thought creep into your head, recognize it and switch it around. Create opportunities to practice self-care on a very regular basis. When you treat yourself as someone worthy of abundance, you literally show everyone around you how you deserve to be treated and it multiplies infinitely. As women, let’s set examples for our sisters, mothers, daughters, and friends of how all women deserve to be treated by starting with respect for ourselves. Loving yourself fully allows you to love others unconditionally. It is something we can all strive to grow and stretch towards.
