You’re lucky to be alive. You’ve navigated through big challenges, tough times and difficult circumstances. Life is better now than at any time in the last 20 years. Appreciate that fact every day.
Marvel at how good things are rather than the small problems everyone can find. Be a big, bright, shining star. Give energy to those around you. Do not complain or explain. Attract others into your circle because of how wonderful it is.
Sometimes you simply need a little rest. You may not always know why, but your mind and body will know.
Some of the more common reasons you’ll need a rest are: reduced sleep over the last 1-5 days, recent physical exertion, minor cold or flu coming on, minor infection somewhere, exhaustion (from long hours working (mental or physical), relief (from stress or after pushing your limits for awhile), ageing and occasionally it comes down to simple dehydration.
Whatever the reason, listen to your body. Have a rest. If the need for rest persists for several days and you can’t attribute it to anything specific, check in with your doctor. You could be low in iron or have something more challenging that needs medical attention.
Can you write out a list of 20 things you are grateful for in under five minutes? Try it. Right now.
I am grateful for….
Here are a few ideas to get you started. I am grateful for my good health, all of my formal, school-curriculum education, my spouse and children, my warm house, our comfy furniture and the peaceful country I live in.
The more items you note on the list, the more calm and relaxed you are likely to be. You will realise how great your life is. This isn’t compared to the wealthiest 1% today but rather against the difficult circumstances of living in 621. A life back then was quite different.
So what are you grateful for?…..
Think catching the bouquet, a fly ball or a wave. Or consider arriving on holiday as a hurricane is announced, living during a pandemic, or far worse, a war, or sharing a lift in a foreign land with the person you eventually marry.
Timing can be good or bad, brilliant or devastating. Try to set up your environment to win and set up your mindset to win too.
Maximise your good timing and minimise your bad timing. Get yourself where you’ll reap more benefits.
Perhaps timing isn’t everything but it is incredibly influential.
Smile while you say it too. It’s so easy to do. The phrase is nice, uplifting and makes people feel good. Spread the cheer from ear to ear. Say “Good Morning”.
Engage in battle with an argument to the death? Or you could shrug and walk away. Sometimes it’s just easier to move along and let the other person live in their own bubble. Try it. It may save your sanity.
Perhaps flattening one curve has unintentionally steepened another.
In life we need to make decisions. All decisions have consequences, even indecision, which is actually a decision to not decide.
Our MP mentioned she was at the local hospital with her daughter who had an injured wrist (hopefully all ok!)
The sign there said that it was up to an 8 hour wait time. I recall trips there years ago when it was 3 hours – which seemed plenty long enough.
Did all the “flatten the curve”, lockdown and covid precautions simply postpone regular medical demand? And now we have the regular demand plus 2.5 years of excess, pent up demand, to get caught up on.
Perhaps many medical personnel are off ill, more than usual? Or they have left the profession for a variety of reasons? Maybe these are developments given an aging population? A combination of these all, perhaps?
In five years, there will be some neutral studies done and we’ll have a slightly better idea of the cause of these tripling delays (I’ve heard many others say 8 hours is consistent with their experience).
Until then, remember this: Your actions have consequences. And when you try to change the course of nature, profoundly unintended consequences can emerge.
What have you got? Have you stopped to take stock? Is it your health? Wealth? Relationships? Is it a particular skill, career, or lifestyle?
Sometimes it is good to stop for 5 minutes and remind ourselves how good we have it. This is especially important if we’re ploughing through some really difficult moments.
What do you want your life to be like? Where do you want to be? Physically? Financially? Relationships? Work? Career? Hobbies? Family? Health? Fitness?
Take your current age and add 20 years. If you’re 43, add 20 and visualise your life at 63. List out what your life is like. Write it down. Note the clothes you’re wearing, your fitness, how relaxed you are, where you live (sea, mountain, warm, cool), how you spend your days and how delighted you are with life.
Think about your future. Visualise the dream. Add in all the detail. Make it very real and clear to see, not just the idle, transitory thought.
If you want that life in 20 years, what will you need to adjust to get there? Save and invest more of your income? Change some habits? Learn to delegate better and feel good about it? Outsource?
Make these changes now and work on the changes through till Christmas. Then sacrifice and discipline into 2023 so that by the end of that year, you are well on your way to that dream life. Then keep improving every year for 19 more years. I know you’ll make. You can achieve anything that you want bad enough. Especially in 20 years. Go!
Do you charge straight in? Or do you reflect a little before, create a strategy and consider outcomes? Will you expect to win or just see how it goes?
Prepare your mind to win. Think like a winner. Believe like a champion. Expect the best result. Imagine all the events that need to happen for your ultimate success. Practice in your mind. Train your brain.
Smile. You’re prepared.
