ADVICE
Proven Tips to Creating Your New Life
Starting Now
“Happy people focus on what they have. Unhappy people focus on what’s missing.” — Buddha
If you listen to the news, or to social media, or to friends on Zoom, you’re likely to hear a lot of sadness. You are likely to hear a lot of doom and gloom.
Zoom doom. Zoom gloom.
That might make me a bit sad, considering how one of the best kids’ TV shows of all time was actually called Zoom.
It COULD make me sad. But I won’t let it. Because I really liked Zoom.
And I get to choose which Zoom I want to focus on.
Here’s a Zoom from 1999 — season 1 episode 1 — a reboot from the 1970's show. There’s a ton of Zoom shows you can watch on YouTube.
So today, I’m focused on this Zoom, not the Zoom that everyone’s using to stay in touch.
Why?
Because I can.
Everything in life is that. We are humans. We get to choose what gets our focus. Or what does not.
Currently, the largest focus project ever in the history of humanity is happening.
That’s amazing! It’s the Covid-19 stay at home focus project. WOW! I never would have imagined ever in my life, that humans would have this much perseverance or ability to all focus on one project, regardless of geopolitical borders or race or religion! It’s amazing! We are — the MAJORITY OF US — focused on staying home in order to save lives.
I love you, humanity. My faith in you is restored.
There are people right now trying to convince us to question the science, and that economics, money and work is more important than life and love. I reject that notion. I’m not focusing on those people and their silly opinions. Who are they, anyway? Do they only care about their bank accounts? Well, let them, I don’t care. My bank account will take care of itself, and I have faith in that. I have faith in my skills to survive and thrive. I’ve gotten this far. I’ve got further to go. I often hear, in meditation, “We didn’t come this far just to come this far.”
We are resourceful, all of us. We have tools to learn, and try, and do new things.
I have created a life for myself over and over again. And I will do it again. Here’s an article about that.
Here are a few quick takeaways in what you need to FOCUS ON TODAY, if you want to begin to remake your life. You may laugh at these. But I promise, if you schedule your day and do these things, without fail, they will serve you well. Remember what the Buddha said — don’t believe me. Just try it for yourself!
- Get a good night’s sleep each night. No less than 8 hours. Follow the sun, rise and shine.
- Meditate. I believe in RPM — Rise, Pee, Meditate. For some, meditation is prayer. Choose the form you love.
- Journal. Write every day. Do this in any notebook you like. This is writing for you. It’s not for anyone else. It’s emotions. It’s plans, It’s dreams. It’s goals. Big goals and little goals. ALL of it. Everything swirling around in your mind. Trap it onto the page, so it doesn’t consume your brain all day long. Once it’s on the page, it’s in its own little prison and can’t haunt you. AND READ! Read books like your life depended upon it. Because it does.
- Eat a healthy diet of fruits and veggies, supplement as you like, and make sure you drink at least 32 ounces of water a day. Measure. Track.
- Get some exercise. Go for a long walk. I walk for at least an hour — 5000 steps. Measure. Track.
Do these things each day. Even if you do nothing else — these things are non-negotiable. Notice how there’s no technology in this list of imperatives.
I remember working for a corporation and barely finding enough time to go for a bathroom break. How crazy is that? Did the corporation care? NO.
I must be the one to care. I must put my oxygen mask on first on this flight that’s going down.
Be sure you are doing these non negotiable items. You come first. You create your life and what comes next. And you choose what that ‘what comes next’ looks like. No one chooses it but you.
I want to thank Helen Cassidy Page and Sherry McGuinn for their recent motivational posts. I am inspired by these wise women constantly.
Susan Brearley is a brilliant strategist, a published book author, writer, seasoned editor, essayist, occasional comedy writer, and an accidental poet.
She is the Chef, Elder and Program Director at Elf Works Lane Retreat Center, where she coaches people, helping them CREATE the life they were born to live.
She is currently based in the mid-Hudson Valley, New York.
