Love Your Body, Love Your Life. I originally came up with a different title - Love Your Body, Live Your Dreams. But the publisher preferred Love Your Body, Love Your Life. I thought it had a nice ring to it, and everyone I spoke with preferred the publisher's title, so we went with that. (Also per the terms of my contract, the publisher had the final-say…) Upon reflection I realized this new title has presented me with a bit of a challenge, and therefore, as I like to say, an opportunity.
I knew how to love my body and live my dreams - doing that was the impetus for writing the book. But what about loving my body, and loving my life? This was a slightly different claim. For me to be authentic, to practice what I preach as they say, I need to love my body AND love my life. Living my dreams was much easier than loving my life. Living my dreams was something I could DO, and I am quite good at doing. But loving my life? In order to love my life, I had to BE, and to BE required a whole different tool kit from DOING. For me to truly be authentic, I had to learn how to be happy, be peaceful, be grateful, and simply BE so that I could truly love my life. This doesn’t mean that I stopped doing things, but it does mean that I have become much more strategic in what I choose to do and why I choose to do it.
Here are a few things I have learned to help me create a life that I love:
DO NOTHING
Yes for all your overachievers out there, I am serious. Do nothing. We are all so busy doing all the time. Somehow we have come to value ourselves based on the amount that we accomplish in a day, or the number of things we cross off of a list. Whether you are goal driven, or tend to take it easy, we all seem to be rushing around more and more, keeping ourselves busy, in an attempt to get somewhere other than where we are.
Schedule some time to actually do nothing. In a time of Blackberry's and overbooked calendars, it can help to put it on the schedule. Example: Saturday from 1-4 - DO NOTHING. Just sit, lie down, do whatever is comfortable, close your eyes, or keep them open, and just BE. Your body and mind will be infinitely grateful. Simply notice any judgments that come up - check to see if you have been valuing yourself based on what you do…remember - you are a human being, not a human doing. :)
DO WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY
Numerous studies have been done on happiness. Maybe I'll write about them in some coming editions. But here is the most important thing - we can make little choices every day, every moment, that can help us feel happier and increase our sense of well-being. So often, it is not the grand or the grandiose that brings us that wonderful feeling of well-being, it is the little things that we do each day. And these little things end up creating the big results.
Here are some ideas for what you can do:
Whenever you find yourself rushing around in a doing frenzy, simply stop, close your eyes, and breath. I know it sounds simple, but it really works. It doesn’t need to be a long ordeal, just a few moments can suffice. Simply stop and breath - you will notice your stress levels begin to drop and you can re-engage from a more peaceful place.
Focus on creating friendships in your life. Human beings are social animals, and numerous studies have shown that simply talking will raise your levels of positive neurotransmitters such as serotonin. If you are feeling down from busyness or from boredom, feeling lonely, or trying to break an unwanted habit, simply talking to a friend can make you feel so much better.
Take pleasure in the simple things. I know, this is all stuff we have heard before, but sometimes it helps to be reminded. Every day we are bombarded with opportunities for ecstasy. (Yes, I am serious.) When you wake up in the morning, can you enjoy the smell of your favorite coffee or tea, or perhaps of the flowers blooming nearby? Maybe your child's laughter? When you eat, can you enjoy the beautiful colors, smells, and textures of the food? When you talk with a friend, can you notice how simply talking makes you feel better?
When we are stuck in our minds, we often miss the very pleasures that we are craving. We push ourselves to get something that will make us feel better, when in fact whatever will make us feel better is right in front of us.
SIMPLY LET GO
The more we hold onto something, the more suffering it creates. When we cling to a specific outcome, we worry. When we hold onto a positive experience, we worry. When we focus on avoiding pain, we suffer. Holding onto to anything and everything creates turbulence in the mind. If you want to live at peace, the key is to let go. This is one of the most important practices to help you create what you want in your life. Set an intention, and let it go. Create a goal, and let it go. Focus on something, and let it go. Experience pleasure - let it go. Notice the pain - let it go.
Creating a life you love means being in dialogue with the universe, and you can only have this dialogue when you let go. Whenever you are holding on, it is a monologue. And monologues rarely create the magic, the mystery, the joy, and the ecstasy that will fulfill our deepest desires.
Do these simple things. Or rather, BE these simple things. As you establish yourself more fully in being, you will be amazed how much effortless it is to create a life you love.
The better you feel, the more joy, love, and well-being you experience, the more centered and grounded you feel, the easier it is to avoid unhealthy behaviors such as overeating, over-drinking, over-spending, over-worrying, and over-doing. And the easier it is to make life-affirming choices that will help you to feel more happiness, peace, joy, and love.
Have you found this post helpful? If so, please share it along to three of your friends or family who you think might also enjoy. Life can get rough, and, in my opinion, the more sources of inspiration the better. Please feel free to post comments - I read them all.
To your limitless well-being,
In love,
Peace, Love, Beauty,
Sarah Maria
www.sarahmaria.com
sarahmaria@sarahmaria.com
510-326-9610
P.O. Box 7509
Oakland, CA 94601