My Best Self 101 Blog
Our mind is like a stage. Thoughts come and go every second of every day, and as directors of the entertainment, we get to decide which thoughts deserve the spotlight and which ones don’t. As we put the spotlight on more deserving thoughts, we’ll be able to emulate greater happiness in a world that might feel as though there aren’t many things to be happy about.
David Brooks, a columnist for the New York Times, said, “We all have moments of suffering, but we can either be broken by those moments or we can be broken open by them.” Just like the plants and seeds in the field, we too can be broken open to create new life, new joy, and new hope by the fires that seek to destroy us.
Yoga is a very popular form of exercise, and once you experience the benefits for yourself, it’s easy to see why. Coupled with good nutrition, yoga can help you fall asleep faster, alleviate chronic pain, and reduce stress and anxiety. But can you still practice yoga effectively while social distancing or quarantining? Thankfully, the answer is yes.
When you pay attention and nourish the positive emotions, they will come back more and more often. Experiencing both positive and negative emotions is part of being human. It is important to recognize that nobody is immune to uncomfortable thoughts, and nobody is incapable of nourishing helpful ones so that they become more prominent participants in our daily lives.
Intuitive eating refers to a way of eating that promotes flexibility and freedom by relying on the body’s physical sensations of hunger and fullness. This approach encourages people to simply eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. It does not involve counting calories or cutting out food groups. Rather, it involves trusting your body to tell you what it needs.
I learned that purpose is a personally-derived, authentic set of life aims that guides one’s behavior, pulls one into the future, and gives meaning to life. I learned from great philosophers like Neitzsche that “Those who have a why to live for, can bear with almost any how,” and from Viktor Frankl that, “There is nothing in the world...that would so effectively help one to survive even the worst conditions as the knowledge that there is a meaning in one’s life.”
Flow is characterized by a merging of attention, action, and awareness. Paradoxically, people who have experienced flow describe it as a moment when time stands still but also flies by. It is seemingly effortless despite the fact that one is facing an extreme difficulty. Intensity and relaxation. A feeling that you have lost your sense of self, while simultaneously feeling extremely present.
