On a trip to Jamaica last winter, sat on board a Boeing 747 the safety crew went through their safety checks. They got to the part when they say, “If you are travelling with a dependant put your oxygen mask on first.” The clear message here is, take care of yourself first because when we are unable to breathe how can we possibly take care of those who are important to us in our life.
It also applies to our lives.
All feelings and behaviours start with thought and the way that we are thinking creates our experience, therefore whatever is going on around us is just happening – it’s the way we are thinking about it that affects how we feel.
When we have been through a difficult time, we often go about life putting a plaster over those feelings, filling our life with other wonderful external things in order to make ourselves feel good, a glass of prosecco or a few beers on a hot summer evenings, the next holiday, handbag or the latest gadget – it’s a way of coping we have learned in our society and it works – as a temporary fix, just like any habit.
But, when you are alone with you – do you ever stop to ask yourself ‘what is important to me?’
Taking precious moments in our day to stop and look within could give us the answers that we cannot find outside – how then will you show up to the world?
Showing up without the thoughts of should, need to and have to. Letting go of your own high expectations can be liberating and as easy to do as breathing. It’s not a search for your life’s purpose or a race to be the best. It’s a chance to be, an often underutilised, best version of you.
Giving you time, literally minutes, to check in and notice how much of your day is occupied with what lights you up and fires off those good chemicals in your body. When you do this and give yourself a chance to pause, you will show up to your loved ones and your colleagues as the best version of you.
By understanding what we value and what is important to us and giving attention to that within our 24/7 we are better placed to step into our own power and show up as the best version of our self more of the time.
When you do this you will feel the difference and others will notice the difference in you.
Jessica Crowley
Licensed Master NLP Practitioner & Hypnotist
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesscrowleycoaching/