5 Secrets to a Balanced, Happy Life
Make time for the things you love.
How do I know my
potential? originally appeared on Quora - the
knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people
with unique insights.
Answer by Matthew Jones, Doctorate Student, Writer, and Entrepreneur, on Quora:
Everyone has unique dreams,
goals, and aspirations. Each person also has a diverse range of strengths,
weaknesses, and personality characteristics. It's often difficult for people to
know their true potential because they haven't yet uncovered their purpose.
Most people don't know that perfect mix of what they're good at and what they
love, so their true potential lays dormant, covered in layers of socially
acceptable presentations.
We wander through life. While
we like the idea of a cheat sheet, the truth is, most people just do their best
to adjust to changing conditions. When you're constantly playing catch up, it's
difficult to maximize your abilities. We each have talents, but in order to
water the seeds of our potential, we need to find a way to get ahead.
First, what is potential?
Potential is the capacity to
transform into your unique goals and aspirations. It's aligning your
intention with your attention to manifest your dreams in reality. This means
engaging in personal work to define your goals and self-reflecting on your
strengths and weaknesses. After you have a clear understanding of who you are
and where you want to go, you can formulate a plan of action.
Balance is the key to
uncovering your potential. Balance involves
aligning your mind, body, and spirit into a harmonious relationship with one
another. When these three factors are focused on your intentions, you're able
to transcend prior limitations and achieve your dreams. Most people have uneven
development-- one or more of these components may be functioning at a low
level. Because the mind, body, and spirit are interconnected, you must address
each to make optimal progress.
5 Steps to Create Balance:
1.
Prioritize
your health.
Use alcohol and drugs in
moderation if at all. You need to be honest with yourself and decrease your use
of substances if it impacts your relationships, employment, or general
wellbeing.
Regulate your sleep schedule. When you sleep and wake at the
same time, your circadian rhythms provide you with more energy throughout the
day. Make sure you use that energy to exercise multiple days per week. Your
body was built to move, so counteract your hours of sitting by going to the
gym.
Do your best to stay hydrated; most people don't realize that
their dehydration causes fatigue, headaches, and leads to unnecessary eating.
Eat healthy foods. Spend more time on the perimeter of the
grocery store than the interior, and try to increase the number of meals you
cook yourself rather than eating out at a restaurant.
2. Schedule
time to disconnect.
In our modern world, it's
increasingly difficult to step away. You have obligations to friends, families,
and coworkers to be near your electronic device. While it may be important for communication,
it's not great for our brains.
Staring at your screen keeps you trapped in the mind and
disconnected from your body. Scheduling time to turn your devices off can help
you engage in the soul-searching you need to discover your passion.
Start by taking small steps to decrease your connection by
disabling notifications, moving social media apps to the back of your phone,
and refraining from using your device in public. Disconnect from your
smartphone and reconnect with your heart.
3. Engage
in therapy.
It's imperative that you
don't do all of the work on your own. You may think you're strong enough to
will yourself into balance, but you're missing the point.
Going to therapy isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of
strength. Having someone help you process old wounds and current issues
releases stored energy you didn't know was present. This release of pressure
provides you with additional energy to put towards more productive tasks and
re-connects your mind to your body.
The mind-body connection is essential to finding balance.
4. Connect
to your creativity.
Make time for the things
you love. If you enjoy writing poems or painting, schedule time to create your
art.
When you make time for things you love, you send a thank you
card to yourself. You show that your passions and dreams matter, and this
translates into other areas of your life. You activate old brain networks that
haven't been used in years, and this leads to greater happiness.
The most important aspect of creativity is self-expression. When
you externalize your thoughts and feelings and then share yourself with others,
you open your heart to new opportunities.
5. Meditate
on a consistent basis.
Each time you change your
focus from a thought or feeling to your breath, you're doing a meditation rep.
As you learn to flex your meditation muscle, it becomes second nature. You no
longer have to try; you simply relax into presence. As you become more grounded
in the present moment, you'll be more attuned to yourself and your environment.
When you're secure in your presence, you connect to your inner power and have
confidence in your competence. This state-of-being enables you to control your
mind and focus on what's really important.
Balance creates harmony.
When your mind, body, and
spirit are congruent, you're grounded in your potential. Many of us walk around
without awareness of our imbalance, and then we wonder why we're feeling empty
and dissatisfied. If you want to know your potential, then take the steps
necessary to uncover your true gifts. Align your mind, body, and spirit with
your intention, focus your attention, and then achieve your potential.
http://www.inc.com/quora/5-secrets-to-a-balanced-happy-life.html?cid=em01016week07a
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