Life Worth Celebrating

With life being as fast-paced as it is these days, where we are often wondering, “Where has the time gone?” we become programmed to seek instant gratification. We forget to live life in the moment as we chase or expect more from our day-to-day.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Nobody was ever considered lazy for being hungry and driven for more out of life. But in the realm of manifestation, when we are chasing rather than attracting, we lose touch with the magic of creating the life we desire. All the sayings teach us to be patient: “Rome wasn't built in a day,” “Good things come to those who wait,” but in contrast to that, we are also taught, “The early bird gets the worm.” How can we possibly know what the right action and stance is when we are raised to believe such contrary things?

I spent most of my youth chasing my dreams, and yes, it served me well in achievements and growth. But knowing what I know now about health and what it is to truly live, what do I have to show for it, really? Don't get me wrong; there's a wealth of knowledge in my noggin through the experiences and trials and tribulations I have undergone, but there's also a life not lived and not truly savored. As one accolade came, it was quickly dismissed and traded for the next pursuit. Where is the celebration and the time spent honoring the work invested to get to such a standard? I am disappointed to admit that very little time was spent honoring myself and the sweat and tears it took to get to where I am today.

Why? Because through the chasing mindset, we also become so much harder on ourselves. This means we don't celebrate the achievements, but we do beat ourselves up more about the failures. Completely unbalanced, and yet we don't see it in real-time. This is one of the reasons mental health issues are on the rise: our lack of presence in the present. Our focus is all over the place as we apply pressure to ourselves to meet a mark.

With the lack of mindfulness comes impatience. Time knows no limit when we are rushing from one task to another, and no matter what we do, there will never be enough hours in a day to live a meaningful life and achieve our goals.

So what's the solution? Better time management? Delegation? Yes, it's most likely helpful to assess these things for a better workday, but ask yourself first: How mindful are you? Are you thinking of the next thing before finishing the first? Compartmentalizing has helped me a lot to quell the niggling thoughts that try to trip up my mental flow when I work. Although I am not diagnosed with any particular attention disorder, it's highly probable that I have one, but I have never allowed that to stop me from progressing and getting through tasks. Rather, I have become self-aware of what works for me and what doesn't.

My brother once said to me, "Knowing your weaknesses is just as important as knowing your strengths," adding that, you can know what needs your focus versus what can be delegated or outsourced. So, learning the practice of mindfulness has been my first skill to hone in on. Some days it is harder to practice than others, and often those are the days I resign myself to doing the least and taking things slower. This is also when patience kicks in. Learning patience with yourself is key. That's when you adopt kindness in how you speak to yourself. Your inner dialogue has no place in your head if it is going to treat you like crap.

Through mindfulness and patience, I have discovered that the world and my projects will not fall apart if I need a little more time to get through them. As long as you communicate well with your client and it’s done within a reasonable time frame, then everything is good. And yes, sometimes it may feel that you don't have this luxury to slow down, but this is one of my non-negotiables now. My own health, mental health, and peace are too important to be thrown out by chaos, and it's a funny thing—when you start to tow these boundaries with yourself and with others, somehow it all slots into place, and you get a manageable day that you enjoy, fueling your life overall. You get sick less, you can live a better life because your headspace is positive, and you can see the joy in the small things that warrant celebration too, not just the big achievements. Little things like dancing around the house to a song you love when you get ready for the day can be a celebration of your life and a positive start to your day. Putting those good vibes into your life make a huge impact in how the rest of your day plays out.

So start looking into mindfulness. My journey started with daily quantum meditation and has become a natural way of living for me. Some days are more loaded than others, and that's okay. It's when all days are loaded that I know I have lost my way somehow. And if you don't know how to start or want any tips, feel free to pick my brain to help you get started!