“Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any and every part of your life in an instant.”
~ Anthony Robbins
Good morning friends, and Happy March!! What a beautiful, still morning here on St. Thomas today. Spring is in the air!
After finishing off my post yesterday, I went to sit outside on my patio … To dig into the first chapter on our core assets, or aspirations, which we all work to balance in life.
And it’s safety first! As the author points out, we are very fortunate to be living in the United States, where we often take our safety somewhat for granted. “However, living a life being conscious of safety is what gives us the best shot at holding on to all those good things we’ve worked so hard to attain.”
I think we all have our own tolerance for safety. For sure, I’m more safety conscious than Spencer. And I know sometimes he thinks I’m being over-cautious. I can be a risk taker, but usually not unnecessary risks. Experience has taught me to always listen to the little bird on my shoulder!
The book lists out a number of areas in our lives that we should be aware of in relation to our personal safety: Environmental, health and medical, home, work, and transportation. Under each of these categories, he provides in-depth discussion on some of the more prevalent dangers, where we can exercise quite a bit of control through intelligent decision making.
Environmentally, we can steer away from air pollution and all sorts of toxic chemicals. Steering clear of GMOs or Genetically Modified Food substances is a big one for me.
Being a doctor of Indian heritage, on the health front, he discusses our ability to reduce our risk of cancer and obesity through diet and Ayurveda-holistic medicine. He also discusses the importance of preventative pre-screening as we age.
At home & work, our need to exercise caution regarding cyber safety and identity theft is increasing. Taking care of our equipment when we exercise. Not putting all our eggs in one basket financially.
As I consciously read through this chapter, oh boy did my subconscious begin to chatter away!
My “I hate St. Thomas” voice was on a roll. I finally put the book down, and just listened.
When my inner voice was done, I offered gratitude to my guides, took all that “I hate”, and wrote it down. The section on preventative health care really got to me.
I noted all of my own “excuses” for not taking better care of myself. For not getting out to walk every day. For not getting annual checkups, even though I don’t have any known issues (which I’ll attribute to a plant-based diet). Not finding meaningful work. Not feeling community support. Feeling stretched to the limit due to our exceptionally high cost of living. Not having better financial advisors.
Opportunities for advancement on this god-forsaken rock are pretty darn slim! There are many things I love about my little island home, but there are plenty more things that I’m just beyond tired of.
And I’ve known this for quite some time. I’ve just not been willing to anti up to the plate and say “Here’s what I’m going to do about it!”
To quote Dorothea Brande: “A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved.”
Awareness was very clear on the “I don’t want”.
Now, comes empowerment …
I opened up to a blank page in my digital notebook entitled:
“I want”.
For every negative, I wrote out a positive.
For instance: The fact is that I do not get enough physical exercise every day. My excuse is that I need to drive someplace to either walk, ride a bike, etc. I could walk our road, but I find it unsafe, and it’s very hilly. Riding a bike is simply out of the question for me. Plus, my neighbor tends to be pretty disagreeable, and I don’t want to walk by his house every day. I don’t even use my own yoga deck, because I don’t like the vibe of him staring down at me. That’s the honest truth.
So, on my “I want” list I wrote: “Getting physical exercise is important to me. I enjoy it, and it elevates my state of mind. I want to live someplace where I can walk or ride my bike right outside my door.”
This list just flew out of myself. Just as the author noted the other day, when asked our purpose, if we drop the “save the world” mentality, the “I wants or I enjoy” list is pretty darn easy!
Why not take time today to begin your “I Want” list?
It’s how dreamboards begin. It’s a roadmap to a very bright future.
