There is an abundance of ways to spend your life, to occupy the majority of the time you are living on this earth. The funny thing is, none of these activities matter at all if they don’t lead to serenity and inner fulfillment, yet most people spend their whole lives figuring this out! I wanted to offer a blueprint of steps to keep in mind when laying out the conceptual foundation of the life you are creating, so that you may hopefully gain a deeper serenity around living in your truth.
- Have the end in mind.
Have as full of a picture as possible about what you want to create, how much time a week it will take or not take once it’s where you want it to be, and how it fits into the bigger picture of you as a soul on your journey. Does it give you the freedom to live on your own terms, or does it limit you to a specific geographical location, schedule, or toxic influences? Does it give you the ability to evolve as you evolve with it? Do not create something for the sake of the recognition involved in creating something you think is cool. This mindset stems from a deep insecurity and need to be seen. It is a product of ego but also of a deep insecurity. Ventures which are built from this conceptual foundation will never lead to inner fulfillment. It is better to avoid this altogether saving time, money, and frustration. Make sure you understand where you are going, which steps you can take to get there, and why you feel strongly about this path.
- Live sustainably.
This doesn’t just relate to bringing your own bags to the grocery store, minimizing wastage, and limiting use of natural resources, but truly relates to the life you set up for yourself. In summary it relates to your own energy and what you are realistically, physically, and emotionally capable of. In a similar vein, it relates to what you subject yourself to based on the belief system you currently hold about what is possible versus what you feel obligated or forced to do. Many times you may have heard people making statements such as, “I have to go to my crappy job tomorrow,” or “I have to hang out with my coworker tonight and she’s an energy vampire” These statements are just two examples of people making statements, which are not true, and therefore living in delusion. The truth is you do not have to do anything you do not want to do. You choose to do these things. This is a form of self-sabotage commonly referred to as resistance. Through giving your power away with internal monologues such as, “I have to” you never have to take responsibility for the alternative option being, what would you do if you didn’t work at a crappy job or hang out with energy vampires, and why aren’t you doing it? Also connected to living sustainably is not signing up for more than you can handle. It is better to do fewer things at higher quality than it is to do many things poorly. This will also help us with step 3.
- Be consistent
This isn’t just in regards to working on your goals, but as a principal to how you handle relationships, schedules, and promises to yourself. If you cannot be consistent with yourself, you cannot truly radiate consistency to others. Write your daily tasks down on paper, as well as your goals. Set up your week so there is adequate time for yourself to rest, exercise, meditate, and eat nourishing food. By giving yourself consistent routines which you enjoy doing you are enabling yourself to build momentum. This will build a positive association in the brain with being consistent which will overlap into other areas of your life, that you may not always find pleasant or fun to do. Much of consistency is just showing up as you are, knowing the truth that you are larger than whatever insecurity is preventing you from the follow through. If you are one of the many people who struggle with consistency start with just one daily routine which you perform no matter what. This will give you a foundation to build off of.
- Love what you do and be willing to pay the price for freedom.
In most cases this relates to career or getting to the career that one most enjoys. The majority of us unless born into some serious money, need to work in order to sustain a living. Choose something that you would be happy with if you had to do it everyday for the rest of your life. This brings us to the second part of step four, which is being willing to pay the price of freedom. This relates to putting in the 10,000+ hours for obtaining the skillsets necessary to successfully be able to do whatever it is you desire to do. This may be difficult at times, this may truly test you, but like most things in life worth pursing your persistence and perseverance will be rewarded with growth in multiple faculties. The most common mistake people make is choosing careers based on the goal of making money rather than money as an inevitable outcome of doing what you love. When you love what you do you will be more than willing to put in the extra effort, go the extra mile, and work harder than most people. This type of work will actually feel fun or give you a sense of wholeness. This will make you standout in the field and therefore you will almost indefinitely make more money. On the contrary, if you hate what you do and have to FORCE yourself to do it most days of your life, the money you receive from this burden is money exchanged for your happiness (this leads to low self esteem because you are essentially prostituting your happiness for money). IT is important to remember that when we not doing what satisfies our soul we are not only robbing ourselves of this experience but robbing the world of receiving our gifts.
- If you love something let it go.
The happiest people are able to receive help, blessings, and good fortunes, relationships and than return it back to the world. When someone feels the need to squeeze tightly the best things in their life they will inevitably lose it as they are cutting off the very supply line which enabled them to receive it in the first place. Be grateful you have what you have and than accept the idea that it may not last. Knowing the truth of impermanence will enable you to truly cherish what you have while you have it, and treat it as a gift. This applies to relationships, jobs, living situations, business partners, material items, ect. Ajahn Chah, a celebrated passed Buddhist monk of the Thai Forest tradition, illustrates this concept best.
“Before saying a word, he [Ajahn Chah] motioned to a glass at his side. “Do you see this glass?” he asked us. “I love this glass. It holds the water admirably. When the sun shines on it, it reflects the light beautifully. When I tap it, it has a lovely ring. Yet for me, this glass is already broken. When the wind knocks it over or my elbow knocks it off the shelf and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ But when I understand that this glass is already broken, every minute with it is precious.”
Hopefully these 5 steps empower you to live more in line with your truth and inner knowing. The Spring season is about not restraining or holding in, but being able to move freely and unapologetically. To shed the emotional baggage’s, fears, and insecurities which bind us and to expand as individuals on a soul journey. At it’s core, it is all about growth and outward movement.
It has been a pleasure to be able to share with you.
Talk soon,
Brandon