I have a deep desire to get out of my own way, act on my plans, and be of service to others…
Unchecked, I will tend towards procrastination through naps, Netflix, nestling in, and noshing. It feels satisfying in the moment, but wow, the existential anxiety, depression, and lethargy that eventually follows. By contrast, I know others with more nervous energies who need to move at all cost until they burn out, and then others who have cultivated strong, seemingly unbreakable habits of disciplined balance and creativity.
Inspired by the latter, I find it essential to set my life up for daily, accountable, and varied connection (meaning, not just one person, one way. I’ve shared the multiple ways below). The quality of connections I set up are key to shifting away from my tendencies to activating the more active and purposeful side of me. They are (or should I say, I am) a work in progress, and the more of these that are in place, the better off I am.
- I begin every morning with meditation.
- I surround myself with those that are purposefully active. They are my sources of inspiration and support.
- I surround myself with those that care about my evolution.
- I stay away from crab mentality.
- To me, friends aren’t afraid to call me out, but also they love me. I don’t expect for them to have perfect communication because who does. But I can sort through my own ego because I know they genuinely care about me. I trust them.
- I am careful how much time I spend with those that aren’t authentic, because it compromises my authenticity.
- The rest of the list is assuming I am keeping good company.
- I let my needs, goals and desires be known. I share what I am working on, what I need, or what I lack in skill or resources. It’s pleasantly surprising who ends up hearing them, how much I can learn, and what comes back to me in support of my overall success. I work on being more coachable.
- I accept help. This is an incredibly connective act, and it supports mutual elevation.
- I find gratitude for who I have in my life. Daily. It doesn’t have to be a daily exhaustive list of everyone. One day I focus on some and on other days, others.
- I schedule the purposeful connections that keep me accountable: I teach what I want to master, I blog what I want to affirm in my life and through which I can serve, I schedule meetings with conscious and intentional people, and I consider every day how I can be of service to others. If my ego insists on having a self-pity party, I set a timer for that. If I have to involve someone else in it, I make sure I turn on the “I feel” switch instead of the blame, shame, or justification switch.
- I choose to remember what it feels like not to be doing these things because I have determined that my soul is worth honoring. Egos can be forgetful: they like to remember the feeling-good part of addictive behaviors, forgetting their sequential and guaranteed downward spiral. This memory reminds me of how important it is to stay connected.
- I make sure I eat whole, unprocessed foods, and that I eat light meals so that I can remain clear and light.
- I pre-forgive and post-forgive any future backwards steps because I know they will come.
Savitree Kaur 