Step into the Spotlight
You are an amazing being!
Now is the time to learn, own and use your unique gifts. Another year has passed and the focus for 2009 will be in stepping into the life you now wish to lead. I am going to take you on a trip to rediscover joy, teach you how to weave joy into your present days and shape your world around that which brings you fulfillment.
Doing so will give you freedom to grow and expand while sharing your light with others. It’s time to Step into the Spotlight of your own magnificence!
When you were born and in your early years, you played, created, tested, learned and tried all sorts of wonderful things. Never once did it cross your mind that you “can’t” do it. It never crossed your mind that you might not be able to learn your primary language. Never did you get up from the floor thinking I’ll try to walk, but I might not be able to do it. Your impressive, inexperienced mind did not try to keep you from doing anything and the you owned the world!
As you grew and others started to impress upon you their rules and their beliefs, everything started to change. These impressions were not made to hurt you, but rather, the intent was keep you from harm and form you into part of the family. At some point, what was “expected” of you and of course, you tried to comply and fit in. It is natural to work to please those who you see as authority figures and those whom you love.
Now, you are grown. You have your own experiences and do not have to rely on the beliefs of others. Somewhere inside of you is a nagging idea or feeling that you need to do something differently than you are doing. You live day to day, getting up, going to work, taking care of your home and family, and perhaps going out for a small dinner once a week. In between, there’s cleaning, shopping, car repairs, lawn mowing, helping children, assisting parents and a never ending list of things to do. With all of these things going on and taking up your time, what is left of you? Take a moment to remember a time when the world was a fascinating place, full of possibilities. Think and remember the things that make you happy. For some, this is a difficult thing to do. That place of feeling joy and true happiness is deeply buried under a monster to-do list and exhaustion that would take a week of sleep to undo.
We’re going to travel back to find what it is that brought you joy in the past and follow this path forward so you can incorporate that joy in your present life and work. Then, you will be able to look to your future with a different focus and really begin to live the life and do the work that fulfills you.
1. Start by scheduling a minimum of 5 minutes. Yes, I said schedule it. Do what you have to do to have at least 5 uninterrupted minutes of quiet. Take a long shower, sit in your car in the parking lot, take a walk around the block, whatever it takes. During this time, your focus will be on the word joy.
Think of all the things that bring you joy and make you feel happy. Is there a type of music that makes you feel happy? Perhaps walking in nature makes you feel good. It may be the taste of one special food dish, the way your child laughs, reading a great book, enjoying art, or maybe even just these 5 minutes of quiet time to yourself. Whatever it is you think of is right for you. Don’t judge each thing, just note it and think of some others.
After a few minutes, you should have thought of a number of different things that bring a feeling of joy and happiness. If you can, write them down in a journal. If not, just take a moment to really make a mental note of what the things are. Do you notice anything about them that makes them similar? Is most of your list items that have to do with being in nature or your family and friends? Do they include other people or are they solitary things? Are they things that you learn from or are you simply being and enjoying?
That’s all you have to do for your 5 minutes today. Over the next couple of days, allow yourself to play with your list in your mind. Take note of the thoughts and emotions that arise when you go over your list of happy makers. Where you can fit more of these things into your life right now?
By consciously incorporating things that bring joy into your life, it has a trickle effect that will make those around you happier. When you are happy and those around you are happy, stress will be reduced and each day will run a little more smoothly, thus making everyone feel more happiness. Now there’s a cycle we could all stand to run in!
Lesley V. Ingves
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