We bring who we are to what we do. When we bring the best of who we are, we do great things. We work from the inside out; we know ourselves, we have rich internal resources, we come from an authentic place, we are connected to what we do in a passionate and engaged manner.
But when we run around doing and doing and only focus on the outside, we lose the connection with ourselves, we start to run on empty, burn out and have the life sucked out of us. We lose our footing and things start to run amuck.
Connecting to ourselves is the antithesis of selfishness. It is self-care which helps fill our bucket and we therefore have that much more of ourselves to give. Being in touch with ourselves helps us live our lives with balance, focus and clarity. It helps build our resiliency muscles for those tough times when we need to call upon our strong biceps to carry our heavy weight of pain. So it’s great for the present and is {some} insurance for the future.
So how do we set our stage so we can get out there and perform at our best? How can we start our day in preparation for our ‘doing’?
By going inward we prepare ourselves for our outward tasks. There are many variations of routines that can gently guide us into our busy day. Here are some basics to get started:
Deep, slow breathing. Great for calming down and getting centered.
Meditation. Just a few minutes of silently sitting and letting all thoughts just float by. Notice and let them go. Saying a word or phrase can keep you focused on your breath. Great for quieting our monkey minds and disconnecting from all outside stimuli. After a while you may even look forward to this time of sheer mindful quietude.
Gratitude expression. Placing hand over heart, bring up a few things you feel grateful for. Feel the heartfelt feelings.
Read a meaningful excerpt.
Engage your senses. It could be with a scent you like, a piece of music that moves you, anything that speaks to you, that makes you feel good.
Journal. Even a few minutes brings out what’s in us.
Visualize your best self – what you enjoy, what you’re good at, the goodness you can bring to others.
Just as we prepare ourselves externally by showering and brushing our teeth before we go out, we need to take some time preparing ourselves internally – our mind, soul and spirit need tending to as well. For that is where our seeds of greatness lie.
Thanks for stopping by. How do you connect with yourself? How do you fill yourself?
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