Journal
ADJUSTMENTS OF SELF PART 1
More connection less multitasking.
It’s hard (impossible) to be really present if we do many things at once, which will happen at the cost of connection, both with oneself and others.
To really vibe with another person in a way that goes deeper than just words, is one of the most stimulating and beautiful things we can do. To be able to do this we must leave everything out beside this moment.
Practice it by valuing exactly this when you’re with someone you really like spending time with.
More optimism less negativity.
It’s a choice. Every day, in every situation, it’s a choice of what you look at.
Do you see what’s missing and what’s bad, or do you see what’s beautiful, possible and positive?
It’s an active choice. Actually, it’s more, it’s a way of life.
Remind yourself every day when you wake up of how you want to be.
Less defensiveness more acceptance and love.
To look for approval and/or use every second of your (work)life to see if you’re doing OK will do at least three things to you:
1. Take you away from your connection with yourself, your true, authentic and so precious self, because that’s what happens if you live your (work)life through the eyes and minds of others.
2. Waste a lot of energy, vibrance and motivation to grow. Protecting what you have is time-, energy-, and life consuming.
3. Take you away from your best performance. We need to trust ourself and our current capacity if we would like to perform the best we can. Hesitation, overthinking and defensiveness lead you to a suboptimal state where there are more questions, snapping at others and loss of energy than high-performance, love and expansion.
Accept and trust your current capacity as the level where you are right now.
Allow yourself to perform at the best of your capacity, without fear of making mistakes, and know that this will make you better, including making mistakes. That’s information for growth.
You don’t need to defend anything about it, not trying to be perfect, nor pretend that you know everything.
More hard work and more recovery, less time in the space between.
It’s not optimal always being productive. To always do things or thinking about doing productive things will be the contrast to optimal. It will, slowly but surely, burn you out.
It’s much better to work 10% harder when you work, plan, grow etc, and then give yourself a pat on the shoulder, smile and say “thank you” and “good job” to yourself and then leave everything productive, work- and/or grow related.
Instead focus on a shift of perspective, focusing on connection, art (if you don’t work with art, of course), mindfulness, laughter and just celebrating life in every possible way.
This will recharge you.
Nourish your soul and make you a happier, nicer person to be near, and help you get ready for your next work day.
‘Coming in to the office’ (whatever that is) with fire and focus in your eyes is for sure the foundation for vibrance, high-level work, for motivation and for discipline when you need it.
It’s all coming from your ability to relax, shift perspective and celebrate life.
Being able to work/train/create 10% harder/better/more intense will elevate who you are and what you do.
The concept of ‘work hard play hard’ may be a cliche and trite, but there are things to learn and integrate from those words.
More spontaneous laughter less restriction (in our inner dialogue).
Many of us can feel a restriction to just laugh to whatever, if we haven’t done this or that, or we have done it but not reached the level we hold ourselves accountable to.
Those “rules” that we have in our own minds really restricts the quality of our lives.
It’s really hard to just create wonderful moments. Often the really rich, true and strong moments come spontaneously, and if we’re not present or if we don’t allow ourselves to embrace those moments, we will miss a lot of what’s beautiful in our lifetime.
Our time on earth is precious, and performance, growth, progression, contribution, alignment and accountability to one’s standards are important and stimulating parts of it, but it’s crucial that we never neglect ourselves joy and laughter in the moment, because we think we’ve failed to meet our conceived rules or some outer expectation.
This life is a journey.
Growth, ups and downs, wins and losses, singing and laughter, eye-contact, tears and sleepless nights due to both challenging times and celebration are all parts of this journey.
Feeling overwhelmed due to life’s challenges and intangible sensations of birth and death, are parts that give this journey color, perspective, meaning, questions and value.
If life wasn’t beautifully fragile we wouldn’t value it as the gift, education and experience that it is.
It’s our will and skill to adjust to what life brings us in a meaningful and authentic way that holds the wisdom and key to a fulfilling and connected life that feels important and meaningful to you.
Things/life will happen. Our adjustment-skills are crucial for survival, meaning and quality of life.
/ LIVE YOUR STANDARDS
Photography by
Marcus Falk Olander