Mindful Monday – February 26, 2018
“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” – Bob Moawad
Have you ever thought to yourself, if I could just fall in love, I would be happy. We’ve all had thoughts like that at one time or another. We put conditions on our happiness. But conditional happiness is no happiness at all, for there are no guarantees in life. Circumstances can change at any moment. Why wait for a particular circumstance to arise to experience happiness? You could be waiting for a lifetime, and that is no life at all.
We have more control over our happiness than we believe. We must figure out what we want out of life, and commit to changing our behavior to reflect our life’s vision. Making commitments may sound limiting, but it is just the opposite. Excuses limit us; commitments open us up to fulfillment.
In January 2017, I made a couple of commitments of my own to improve my life. I decided to turn off all electronics (phone, T.V., etc.) at 10 pm and to never use them in bed. Making and abiding by these changes has helped me sleep better and decrease stress.
So… what do you want out of life? Here are some ideas for commitments (bullet points) that will help you towards long-term goals (in bold).
HealthÂ
- Run three times a week for thirty minutes
- Learn to cook a new, healthy recipe once per week
- Begin a new, doctor-approved diet
- Develop good sleep hygiene habits (sleeping eight hours per night, no electronics an hour before bed, etc.)
- Drink eight glasses of water per day
Spiritual Enlightenment
- Attend mosque / church / temple weekly
- Pray every night
- Meditate for 20 minutes per day
- Practice yoga twice a week
- Spend more time in nature
Good Relationships
- Get coffee to catch up with a friend each week
- Join a MeetUp group where you’re likely to meet new friends with shared interests
- Try a new restaurant with your spouse once a month
- Have an electronics-free family meal every Sunday
- Call your family members on their birthdays
What commitments have you made that changed your life for the better? Comment below and let me know.
– Rebecca
So true. We always convince ourselves that the next thing , whatever it may be, will make us happy. I am intently focusing on making these changes:
**Getting better sleep
**Do a guided mediation in the morning
**Do at least 1 post a week
So far I have been doing pretty well. Sleep is main struggle and thus my number one priority.