Pay Attention to These 5 Aspects To Improve Your Life
Don’t start from scratch. Build from your experiences
Three years ago, I abandoned a life I had committed seven years to.
I took a bold step and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I got thrown into an adventure that carved a new path before me.
I sold my car and got a scooter.
I left a high-paying job that destroyed my mental health.
I moved to a new country.
I started working in a new industry.
I spent more time with myself.
New experiences always get us excited. Everything in your life takes up space. Clearing it makes way for things you never had.
Our brain is our body’s computer. Like any computer, space is limited. The more you fill it up, the slower, lazier and error-prone it becomes.
Letting go of what no longer serves you is a sign of growth. Freeing up space opens you up to better things.
The next time you look for change, you have your experience you can rely on and choose how to fill this new emptiness.
Your time is precious
I wasted countless hours in bars, engaging in conversations that went nowhere. I could hardly remember any because the drinks kept pouring and most were meaningless.
I replaced that time with studying, writing, reading, exercise and meditation. I was a fish caught on a hook!
For the first time, I could feel the value of my existence. These higher pursuits were a breath of fresh air when I was drowning in an ocean of lost time. That is when I remembered my purpose.
I understood that time flows in a constant. My behaviour towards it determines its worth.
We would struggle to perceive time without clocks. We find it hard to finish tasks without deadlines. We forget that there are cycles longer than 24 hours. We beat ourselves up if we don’t achieve anything in a day and wallow in defeat.
Give yourself time to achieve what you want to achieve. Stop rushing because the present moment, the only one that matters, passes you by before you realize it existed.
Your health is vital
Life becomes joyous when you focus on your health.
People think it is about getting your regular checkups, loading yourself up with supplements, or straining your body with exercise.
True healing starts with understanding the parts of you that need healing.
If you are not your own doctor, you are a fool. — Hippocrates
It is a process that you go through alone or with the help of more knowledgeable minds.
When I talk about healing, I am looking at it from all angles, body, mind and soul.
Our bodies are weak because we make them reliant on substances we do not need.
Our minds are weak because we base our thoughts on everyone else’s, leaving no space for our own.
Our soul is weak because our bodies and minds are weak.
When you wake up to this, you will realize that you are the only one in control of what you consume.
Better choices always lead to better outcomes.
Your social circle defines you
The more friends you have, the better.
Wrong!
I grew up with this notion passed down from societal dogmas. Like many of them, they turned out to be wrong.
Friends take up space in your life you can use for your own benefit.
I was part of a big social circle because I lived as an ex-pat. And one common thing ex-pats have is they are always looking for friends.
They have a void they look to fill from being away from their loved ones.
They lack the comfort they had at home and will do anything to get a hold of it again.
On top of that, I worked in sales. That meant meeting and connecting with people all day, every day.
I was content with how things were until I was not.
It might sound harsh to remove people from your life but let’s face it, we are all guilty of it.
How many friends from school are you still in touch with? Or that kid from your kindergarten? Your office buddies from your previous job? The boss you used to have drinks with four times a week?
Who are your friends now? Do you dread spending time with them? Do you do it out of boredom? Out of pity?
If you are, you are filling up space you don’t need.
I get the kick our social circles give us. But they can be harmful distractions. When you see the value of the time spent in solitude and start enjoying your own company, you open up to a universe of experiences. And who knows, better friends perhaps.
Your conversations matter
I always tried to stay away from gossip. My parents raised me with the idea that judging others and talking shit about them makes you like them.
I did my best to steer clear of it, but companies have it engrained in their culture.
We can admit that people get bored at work. They develop close relationships with their colleagues.
When you spend 12 hours of your day with the same people, your life revolves around theirs.
Conversations come in 2 categories: Mind-numbing and mind-engaging. Gossip makes you think about nothing other than gossip. A hellish spiral that you would do better not falling through.
Engaging conversations make you think. They make you question what you know and pursue what you didn’t.
With enough practice, you gain valuable knowledge about certain topics you were never aware of. You widen your view of the world and the people in it.
Healthy conversations are a fruitful practice and helpful to all parties involved. So long as neither of you considers their opinion the whole truth and closes themselves off to other people’s ideas.
Your habits are what make you
I used to hate waking up early. Now I regret the days I do not. I am not preaching the overused 5 am morning wake-ups. I found how much better I function with a regular sleep schedule and a purposeful routine.
Your energy improves when you feel more in control of your day.
You become wiser about how you use your time.
The sum of your habits has a direct link to your health.
When you become aware of how in control you are, you get to choose how you feel.
Your body and mind start asking you to let go of harmful habits.
There is a reason why spiritual people eat less meat and consider what they consume. It is not only a matter of mistreating animals. It has more to do with the kind of energy you feed your body and the efficiency of its functions.
Everything in moderation is a golden rule to live by.
Final Thoughts
The only right time for making changes is today. Staying in the comfort zone stops you from growing.
Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay. — Simone de Beauvoir
Look at the aspects in your life that leave you unfulfilled.
Find ones that do by trying new things.
Let go of what no longer serves you and open yourself up for all the good you deserve.
