Where ever I am in life, where ever I want to go, it begins with me. This blog is the first in a multi-part series based on my Amazon.com best-selling book, Live It – Really Live It!
It Begins with Me is the title of the first chapter, which reminds us that self-care, maintaining our physical health is where the path to our dreams begin. And while chapter 1 places its focus on physical health, let’s not forget our spiritual, emotional, and financial health too. My happiness, my success, they all begin with me.
If it begins with me, then I must stop settling for less than I deserve. I like what Hal Elrod states in his book, The Miracle Morning, “In order for you to stop settling for less then you deserve – in any area of your life, and to create the levels of personal, professional, and financial success you desire, you must first dedicate time each day to becoming the person you need to be, one who is qualified and capable of consistently attracting, creating, and sustaining the levels of success you want.
As I state in Chapter 2 of my book, it is left to us to “make our day.” If we take control of our day, then we take control of our lives. We’d better control our lives or someone else will. The first step to creating
Don’t hit the snooze button. “But I hate waking up in the morning. I just want to catch a few more winks of sleep, then I start my day.” Elrod says, “Every time you hit the snooze button, you’re in a state of resistance to your day, to your life, and to creating the life you say you want.” When your alarm clock says it’s time to rise and shine, rise and shine!
Create the morning routine that sets you up to succeed at the life you’re aiming to live. Start with what makes you happy. Do you need to clean up, brush teeth, first thing, or are you motivated to exercise, meditate, something else that gets your juices flowing? Doesn’t matter, just
In his book, Rhythm of Life, Matthew Kelly alludes to the great modern paradox. “We know the things that make us happy, we just don’t do them.” Start your morning by doing what lifts you, energizes you, brings out the happiness in you. It begins with you; create your day.
What will you be doing today that is in service to your highest aspirations?
What will you be doing today that supports your goals and dreams? If you’ve not included goal and dream support as part of your day, you’re building unhappiness into your life. If you’re not actively pursuing and welcoming what you want in life, then you’ll find yourself only wanting these things instead of experiencing them. Take action now. Remember, it all begins with you.
What will you do today in support of your physical health? Emotional health? Spiritual well-being? Find the time. No excuse is good enough. Make excuses today, and you’ll make excuses for a lifetime. Act now. Whatever you are required to do to bring about the well-being, happiness, life balance you desire, put it in your calendar today and everyday.
Avoid letting the voices of doubt, business, or stress talk you out of taking care of yourself. You can do this. When you call forth your will and your imagination, you will create plans for each day that enrich your life and
What breaks and intermissions will you take today to relax you, to energize and invigorate you today? What will you do to remove yourself from stresses? Stresses often come in the form of schedules, commitments, or obligations. What will you do to rest for just a bit?
Unwinding is essential. Whom do you talk with, what activities do you engage in, to unwind at the end of the day? Where and how do you release the left-over tension and stress the day brings? Conversely, where and how do you share your happiness and joy experienced today? Where and how do you tell of the challenges you overcame, the plans you created, and the excitement you hold? Find the answers to these questions and take action that provides relief from challenges and outlets for successes. Set yourself up to be happy and engaged in life and with others.
Lastly, the end of the day provides the segue into a good night’s sleep, and an energized morning. Find a way to end the day that allows your entirety; your body, mind and spirit, to relax and center. Plan it, do it, no excuses. Everything I have spoken of today begins and ends with each of us focusing on, and meeting the personal obligation we have to ourselves. If we don’t meet our self-care responsibilities, if we fail to apply care and comfort to our day, who will? No one else can, so it’s up to us. It begins with you, it begins with me, it’s up to us all day, throughout the day, to care enough about ourselves such that we find the time. Be bold, and make your Self-care an important part of your day.