10 Simple Solutions to Complicated Problems
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1. Be Kind to Yourself First. Be gentle, and treat yourself as you would a highly respected stranger. Notice your thoughts. If they are negative, assaulting and insulting you, just notice them, do not resist, and let them pass. Know that you are doing the best that you can with the information and skills that you have. Acknowledge yourself for your bravery, empathy and mindfulness.
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2. Stay Calm & Breathe. If you can, close your eyes. Sit perfectly still, and draw in a deep breath through your nose picturing it going into your stomach. As you do, in your mind, say, "love goes in". Hold it momentarily. Now exhale through your pursed lips slowly, and in your mind, say, "fear goes out," letting go of any fear, anger and anxiety. Do this slowly and very deliberately eight times. You will reset several systems in your mind and body.
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3. Concentrate on Affirmations. Believe me when I tell you that affirmations are very under rated. Self-talk especially when you are asking yourself questions in your mind, are very much like writing information to the hard-drive of your computer. Begin with mindfulness, and affirm great things about yourself that you know to be true. Repeat them over and over, slowly, and keep doing so until you feel the emotion around them.
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4. Rearrange Your To-Do List. Go inside and find all the things running you that you think (you will think "know"), that you must do, and do by when, and do to what level of perfection, and so on. Call each one into question. Do you really have to accomplish each one? Some you do, but some you don\'t. Regarding tasks that you choose to complete, are the time frames realistic, or are they not? Perhaps eliminate some altogether, mitigate some, and for some others, assign newly discovered levels of accomplishment, and newly set times for completion.
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5. Locate Your Passion. Look around inside yourself, and regarding all things in your life, what are you passionate about? Instead of thinking about all the chores you must do when you get home, think about all the ways you have chosen to serve your family and shape your children\'s future. Attempt to attach passion to as many tasks as you can. Notice that this will take more effort and is not a simple exercise. It takes more concentration and intention, but it is much more rewarding for the effort. It\'s okay for you to notice that life can be a real drag sometimes, and mundane, and even thankless. But you have the ability to change it within, with passion. And everything you accept on the inside, you will notice manifests on the outside.
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6. Acknowledge Flow. As you work on yourself, and within yourself, and you see things that you desire come to pass -- and this is very important -- do not say they are coincidence, or simply brush past them fast to get to the next thing. There is a synchronicity to it all, and we\'ll call this FLOW. The natural flow of life is quite simply you are being at cause in the matter of the order of things in your life more than you pay attention to. When you manifest something that is important to you with passion, say, "I acknowledge and take full credit for creating that. I am powerful enough to create circumstances and a life that I love. I am grateful for this Universal Law." If you believe in a higher being, and taking full credit doesn\'t feel quite right to you, change your affirmation here to "we, us, co-create, our, etc.".
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7. Write It Down. Of the many tasks that you can do that will have the biggest impact, but that most of us ignore, is keeping a journal. No, it is not "Dear Diary," unless that\'s what you\'d like to call it. Scientists and doctors have recorded enormous amounts of energy flow in that parts of your brain that make permanent etchings when you write things down especially with your hand, pen and paper. I love the use of technology, but there is something about writing that is hardwired into your subconscious. If you\'re not certain how to begin, the two easiest journals to start with are: (a) A Gratitude Journal. Just always be writing what you are truly thankful for, and why, and how it makes you feel. (b) A Questions Journal. This is an extremely powerful exercise. Write down questions about things in life that you are incomplete about. "Why did s/he do that, why did I do that, what would make me happier, how can I become better at XXX? You get it. Then start answering your own questions. Date your answers. Write down where you are and how you feel when you are answering your own questions. Keep adding. This exercise kicks it up another notch, but you will begin to discover things about yourself that will lead to levels of happiness and satisfaction that you didn\'t know were possible.
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8. Teach It Forward. As you are learning new and exciting ways to live a life with less stress and less fear and less complexity, you get to own it, and hold onto it to the extent that you teach it. Whether you are a teacher, or a coach, or speak at your house of worship, or anywhere to anyone that will listen -- teach. If sat down to dinner, with your family all around, and you had their favorite meal, would you pull all the food toward yourself, eating it all alone in front of your family without sharing? Of course not. So it is with any life lesson that improves the quality of your experience. Share it. Teach it. Move it forward.
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9. Give It Away. We already covered teaching it forward. What else should we give away. The answer is, "As much as you can". What? Money? Food? Time? Yes, all of it. Be responsible of course. I will assert to you that nothing will bless your life like giving of yourself and your resources as appropriate. I love to keep $5\'s and $10\'s in my driver side door. There are so many homeless and otherwise hurt people living on the street. I rarely pass a person on the side of the road who is asking for money without giving away a $5 or $10 bill. "Well, what if they just buy booze or drugs?" That is a common but incorrect question to even ask. You see, what you do is your karma, or creation and will return to you. What other people do, is their karma, or creation, and will return unto them. Besides, if 9 of 10 people buy drugs, and just one does buy food, I celebrate that I facilitated them being fed. That is all I focus on.
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10. Celebrate Yourself Often. That\'s right. Throw a party, have an ice cream, buy yourself a new something. Spend an entire day doing almost nothing. Just sit with your Gratitude Journal, and list all the things you are thankful for about yourself! I know, that goes against so many things we\'ve been taught. But it is sound advice and grounded in it\'s prescription. You see, if you can\'t ever celebrate you, why would anyone else. This is not about being a narcissist, but rather appreciating the gift that you are. If someone gave you a birthday gift, would you throw it to the floor and walk away? Of course you wouldn\'t. So why do so many of us treat ourselves this way. It\'s oft been said, \'that you can\'t give away something that you don\'t have to give,\' right? You\'ve heard it. Well you need to be able to be grateful for yourself, and celebrate yourself -- as you would throw a party for your child -- because you are worth it. The more empowered you are, the more you can pass it along to others. Just always look for the next kind action you can take. For yourself. For others. You\'ll see miracles in your life as a result. I promise.
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