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Freedom of choice is crucial. When we are free to make our own decisions, we gain more self-assurance, self-trust, and internal strength. People experience spiritual bankruptcy when they are unable to make their own decisions. They lose their sense of self and become dependent on others for validation. When you give someone else control over your life, you're giving up your identity—your ability to be unique or individualistic.
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I'm a bit of a coffee addict. I love the taste, the smell, and how it makes me feel. So when I had to cut down on my caffeine intake for 30 days, I was pretty bummed out about it. But then I realized something: when I could start drinking my beloved coffee every morning again, it was like a whole new world had opened up. The taste was richer, the aroma more fragrant, and the buzz more efficient than ever before. It felt like true happiness, lol. And I made it special during my first cup of coffee. I took the time to set up my work station by the window, looking out at the lake, thanking Mother Nature for her beauty and sipped my coffee. Ahh! The lesson here is that we sometimes need to make sacrifices to find more joy in our lives. By temporarily giving up something we love (like coffee!), we can learn how much better life can be when we really embrace the things that make us happy. Sometimes, when we're trying to reach a goal, it can feel like life is nothing but a never-ending series of obstacles and challenges. We set these goals for ourselves, and then suddenly, we're just swimming in all these things that are getting in the way of our success. But what if you ditched the goal? What if instead of setting out with this one specific thing in mind, you just started moving forward, doing whatever felt right at that moment? What if you just let yourself be guided by your intuition? What if you didn't have any expectations at all? What if you could see what would happen if you let go of your expectations—if you let go of your plans—and just rolled with whatever came up next?  Have you ever known someone who couldn't take action? Maybe they were continuously overwhelmed by the possibilities or paralyzed by fear of failure. Maybe they felt like they weren't qualified enough to get started. Maybe it was all of these things. It's hard to be happy when you're stuck in a state of inaction—especially if you're doing it because of your fears. Fear of what other people will think of your project? Fear that the project won't succeed? Fear that you won't succeed? Fear that you'll fail? We have all been there but you can't let fear keep you from taking action. If there's something that makes your heart sing and makes your soul feel alive, don't let fear keep you from doing it. And again, it's not that easy, but I am reminding you to go out there and try 1% more than you did yesterday.  The way you feel about yourself is what others feel about you too. They'll be drawn to that positive energy if you're feeling good. But if you send out negative vibes, they might feel uncomfortable around you. You can control how people perceive you and what they feel when they're around you.
The more authentic you are, the more magnetic you can be. When you show up as who you really are—flaws and all—people will feel comfortable around you and want to be around you more often. They won't have any expectations of who or what they think "the real" person should be because they know exactly who it is in front of them. You don't need approval from anyone else to be happy with yourself; if someone doesn't get along with who or what they see when they look at you, that's their problem, not yours. Goal setting can be a barrier to happiness in the same way that anything else can be. When we look at our lives and say, "I'll be happy once I get this," we put our happiness outside ourselves. We're looking at the things that will make us happy and waiting for them to happen before we feel good about ourselves and our lives. We're putting all of our eggs in one basket, so to speak, which is never a great strategy for feeling good about yourself. This also creates pressure on when we will feel joy and happiness (time-stamped happiness). But what if we flipped it around? What if instead of waiting for something outside of ourselves for happiness, we looked inside ourselves and asked, "What would make me feel happy right now?" And then did it? That's a whole different story. Suddenly, when you start looking at things from a place of self-love instead of self-loathing, everything changes—and none of it has anything to do with goals. If you're feeling a little low on energy, there are a few things you can do that will help you feel more vibrant and alive!
When we hold our breath, we stop the circulation in our body. And when you raise your frequency, you're also raising your vibration. That's how oxygen works: it moves energy more quickly through your body, which makes you feel more energetic and vibrant. So how do you raise your frequency? Relaxing your body and breathing deeply is key! When your muscles are tight, they slow down the flow of energy through them. So if you want to feel more energetic and alive, try taking some deep breaths and letting go of any tension in your body—you'll notice an immediate difference in how you feel! What if your addictive personality is a symptom of your vast unused creative expression and spiritual connection? You are a spiritual being, and maybe your addictive personality is an attempt to express yourself in a new way. The addiction itself—whether it's alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling, or other things—is a way for you to create meaning in your life. You're trying to make meaning by expressing yourself through the use of the substance or activity that you're addicted to. The fact that you're using this substance or activity to express yourself means that there are certain parts of yourself that you haven't learned how to express yet—and this is why you've become addicted. It's not because you're weak-willed; it's because parts of yourself need healing before they can be expressed through positive behaviors like healthy relationships or meaningful work. The good news is that when we heal these parts of ourselves, not only does our addictive behavior go away but so do all negative feelings associated with those behaviors: shame, guilt, fear, etc. We can begin using our lives in ways that feel more authentic to who we are as spiritual beings.
Instead of toughening up and developing a thicker skin, create boundaries that honor your soft courage, sensitivity and creativity. If you're like most people, you've probably been told that to be successful in life, you need to develop a thick skin. If you can't handle criticism or hear negative feedback without taking it personally, you'll never succeed. But what if there's another way? What if we could see vulnerability not as a weakness but as an opportunity for growth? What if we could see the people who hurt or criticize us as teachers instead of adversaries? As I have worked with people over the years in my various roles, I have found that when people can shift their perspective on vulnerability, they can move through their pain with more clarity and ease. They can overcome their fears more quickly and often feel empowered rather than defeated by obstacles. When we look at vulnerability through this lens—as something that can teach us about ourselves rather than something that needs to be avoided—we start creating boundaries around our behaviors and our responses to others' behaviors that support us instead of putting us down or holding us back from reaching our full potential.  Everyone has a unique set of strengths, and it's important to know what yours are. You may be a gifted songwriter, comedian, trouble-shooter, mechanic, business advisor, counsellor, teacher etc. Maybe you're a combination of all these things! Whatever the case, you should focus on building your strengths to the point where they become your superpower—what sets you apart from everyone else. When we work on our weaknesses, we tend to only get mediocre results at best. Nowhere near where we could be if we focused on our strengths and finding a job in that area. The juice is in your feeling alive spot; do not waste time working on something that doesn't make you feel good about yourself. Delegate the stuff you're not good at and go out there and be who you are supposed to be!  When you close your heart, it's like closing the door on your energy center or chakra. That might seem like a good idea at first, but if you give it some thought, you'll realize that when you close off your heart, you're also closing yourself off to the source of all energy. That can lead to some severe problems. If you lack energy—and we're talking about the energy that keeps your mind and body healthy, not just the energy that helps you get through the day—you'll find yourself turning to less-than-healthy activities to fill the void. And if those activities turn out to be negative or unhealthy? Well, then you end up in a vicious cycle: You want more energy than you have, so you do things that take away from your current amount of energy; then, when those things wear off and leave you with less than before, you start looking for new ways to fill up again… and on and on. It isn't easy to adjust to new situations. But there are ways to cope with the stress and anxiety that come with change. First, remember that change is a process that doesn't happen overnight. Take it one tiny step at a time; before you know it, you'll be in a new routine! Another way to manage the stress of change is by honouring your discomfort. Instead of fighting against it, lean into the feeling of uncertainty and ask yourself what it means for you. You may find that the discomfort has more to teach than you realize. Sometimes we try so hard to eliminate our discomfort that we forget to listen to what it tells us. But if you can learn to lean into your discomfort, you'll be able to see more clearly than ever before.  Human beings are conditioned to be happy based on the behavior of others. We are taught to be happy when we do good things, and we are taught to be sad when bad things happen. The result is that we become dependent on others to make us happy. However, happiness should not depend on anything external. It depends solely on the individual who experiences it. You can make yourself happy by doing things that makes you feel good, whether or not anyone else approves. You can also let go of expectations of how others should behave or treat you because they are responsible for their own actions, not yours. So try to bring your blessed self wherever you go.  You are the only one who can make you happy.
Other people can make you happy, but only if you let them. Sometimes we expect people to make us happy, but that's not their job. Their job is to be themselves. Your job is to be yourself. If you've failed, don't let that be the end of your story! If you've ever heard the phrase "failure is not an option," you know it's a lie. Failure can and will happen to all of us—it's just part of life! The important thing is how we choose to react when it does happen. Failure is just another step in the process of success. Just because you failed once or twice doesn't mean you are carrying a life sentence. Decide before you go out there again that it will work and that you won't amuse your negative voice again. It takes work to reset negative thoughts but you can do it. If you've failed, don't let that be the end of your story! You can reset your thoughts and change how you feel about yourself. It might take some time, though, so remember that this is something you can do and you can do it now. You are a winner.  |
Annica JohanssonMy name is Annica Johansson and I am an Artist, Art Life Coach and a Sound Healer. I am writing about personal development, daily musings, spirituality and depicting mother nature's amazing beauty. Welcome! Categories
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