How to Approach life

Life can be complicated. Especially when we choose to swim against the current, but even if we do swim with it, life can bring upon us vast challenges that might seem impossible or even too stressful to deal with. Life is good, but what do we need to do in order to remember it more often?

I have been investing in this question great deal of time and came up with good tools to use in order to get a balanced perspective over life, how to deal with problems, how to swim through the challenges without hurting ourselves and how to approach this thing we call life with essentiality and stamina. Good vibes only kind of living… or at least for the most of it.

In order to live a more constructing life one should remember the following:

  1. Breath
  2. Eat
  3. Love
  4. Move
  5. Music
  6. Light
  7. Boundaries
  8. Yes & No
  9. Kindness
  10. Know your herb
  11. Sleep
  12. Dream
  13. Alone
  14. Dance

Now lets dive into this mini rabbit hole.

Breath

Note to self-breath!

You’ll might be surprised to hear that most of us don’t breath properly. We tend to think that we do but we don’t. The misconception that if we are alive that means we are living is strongly rooted and good place to start from is paying attention to our breaths. Breathing should be less shallow and rapid and more deep and slow.

If you can, please mind your breathing. Don’t deal with it all day long but do make yourself available to a conscious breathing: Every hour or so take 3 deep breaths, once a day find online breathing technique and practice it or just make sure to breath more intentionally and less randomly. Think of this amazing life supply called oxygen entering your lungs, imagine it.

Oh if you got time then try to make it a habit to go out and spend some breathing time in nature – cleaner air, brighter thoughts.

eat

The urge to eat and get food is rooted in ones DNA

Food is evolutionary. Meaning, the urge to eat and get food is basic and programmed in our DNA. Sugar included. Yup, our brains prioritize sugar greatly due to its immediate available energy supply to our muscles and movement. Once we understand the foundation of our urges, we are much more able to control them wisely.

And what is poorly food management? Industrial food, junk food and their “friends”.

For more information please have a look in my article about food that keep us healthy.

love

Hate & anger are a lot “easier” to manifest but much more difficult in the long run

Hate is a lot easier to manifest in early stages. life, can, be, hard. Therefore it is kind of more accessible to dislike rather than like.

Difficulties and hatred gives us the legitimacy to mistreat others, find conversation topics to communicate about aka gossip (cause speaking about others played evolutionary role in the ancient tribe socializing) and instinctively most of us feel more comfortable to reject and outrank others rather than accept and admire.

For the long run it’s a headache as hatred consumes more energy and requires much more nurture than the “love and let go” concept. When you love, you release yourself from the burden of constantly watering your feelings – plant as love is free, light and manifests itself into the cosmos to this pile of energy conservation law.

So try to love…others and by that you will ease your life and accommodate self-love.

Move

Movement is the foundation of our existence

Movement is the foundation of our existence. without it we would have ceased to exist a long time ago. In order to eat we hunted or planted seeds. In order to escape hazards we ran, jumped, hid. In order to nurture our babies we held their tiny hands and carried them in infancy, and in later days in modern living we walked to work, compete in stadiums and danced in parties.

All is movement. Moving keeps us vivid and healthy as when we move our body, operates and all life essential procedures are maximized.

It is good for our blood flow, lower sugar levels, increase immune system to protect us from viruses, colds, illnesses and a magnificent booster to our mood.

Just move it.

Music

“Music is what feelings sound like”

A wise woman taught me once that “Music is what feelings sound like”. It is a powerful language, that everyone understands somehow, a universal wonder of communication.

Everyone loves music and music loves everyone. Listen to it, when you are up, down, tired, sore. Listen to it when your neighbours interrupt your “me time” with some unwanted noise of their own, or when you cook, read a book, train or whenever you wanna aspire and be inspired.

In everything there’s music – you might like it more or less but one thing for sure you can’t ignore it as it is one of the epic creations of humankind. Who said we only bring distruction?

Light

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”

Ok, so this one is a noun and less of a verb, although some might claim that light is an action in motion (well… it is but let’s leave it aside for now). The noun meaning of light is one of the most essential must-have for successful, happy and healthy life approach. So try to spend time in lit places as much as possible. It can be either choosing to live in an Apartment filled with windows & sunlight, go on daily walks, sit in a nice park, by the beach or even arrange nice lightings set in your house for brighter times.

So lighten up 😉

Boundaries

Stretch your boundaries

Just say “No” when you don’t feel like it. When it makes you feel bad, sad, wrong or uncomfortable. Say “Yes” to things that makes you smile and feel just right in this gut of yours and try to dismiss damages to others while you’re at it.

Not a lot will admit it but I will as I don’t care what others think and tell you this: You will always make someone unhappy or down by your opinions, decisions or actions. So what?

Remember, being disappointed is a choice made by whom chooses it and that just makes it not your problem. If your choice or personal happiness makes someone “disappointed” then perhaps it is time to rethink your relationship with them. Maybe they disappoint you just the same, or more.

Putting boundaries to yourself and others is NOT a negative thing but on the contrary, it enables you to define what is good for you and what isn’t. If everyone will draw their inner and external boundaries there is a good chance for a happier healthier humanity and a lot more “Yes I can” attitude.

So please, be in oneness but create your boundaries too.

Yes & No

Just say “No” if it doesn’t suit you

In continuous to previous paragraph, know also when to say “Yes”! I like to call it the yes attitude, simple as that. We tend to dismiss what scares us and get us out of our comfort zone, and comfort zone can be a sanctuary but also a prison when we wish for a fulfilling life.

Good things happen when you leave your comfort zone. It can be scary, but also worth it.

In my opinion prior to serving “Yes” and ” No” all over the place we need first to define ourselves, understand who we are, what we want out of life and what we are willing to do for it.

What does it mean? it means confronting ourselves with our objective truth: Am I sleeping enough? moving enough? eating well enough? asking myself the right questions for me and replying the courages truth?

Once the answer it with a “Yes”, or even “I am in the right direction towards it” we can start defining what is our “Yes” and “No’s”, and from there, the sky is the limit in terms of better life approach.

Kindness

In the world today, pls be kind

“In the world today, if you can be something, be kind”. Each and every one of us is going through something. We can relate to this something or not but it is a matter of fact – we are all dealing with something.

Therefore I would recommend to try and choose to just be kind as we only know very little about a person and sometimes have no idea of half of the things they might be going through.

Yes, It might sound as a cliche’ but what do we really have to lose by being kind?

from my experience we only gain from it, as while some can be blind to our kindness another can and will see us for what we are. The reward will arrive in a pleasant cosmic way. People still love kind people. You better believe it.

Know your herb

Herbs are natural love

Ahhh, Leaf shaman is happy we got to this point. Herbs are magnificent full stop. But don’t jump over the top just yet. Start small, modest.

Pick one favorite herb to start with and make sure you have it with you for a nice 16:00 o’clock (or whenever) tea. It can be Chamomile, Ginger, Cinnamon, Mint, Chinese green tea or any other light gentle herb that makes you feel at ease and in enjoyment.

Take your herbal tea break, sit in peace, let the smartphone rest aside, breath, gaze smile or even cry when need to.

Be with yourself… when you’ll be ready we’ll explore more herbs together but for now… be present.

sleep

Sleep-for your sake

Sleep enough and well, sleep enough and well, sleep enough and well.

Did I mention sleep enough and well?

Yes, so no magic tricks on that department. If you abuse yourself by lack of sleep or poor sleep (such as noisy environment that disturbs you) the results will not be late to come.

Sleep is the foundation of longevity, health and good life approach – so please as less compromises in that department. Your sleep is absolutely crucial for your EVERYTHING alongside with other things but moreover, in a sense.

Find a peaceful place to sleep in, darken the room, keep it clean and hygienic as possible and let go of led screens at least 2 hours before bedtime. Food too…

Relate to sleep as your magic la la land and go towards with a smile. Worth it I promise.

Dream

“A glories failure is better than dreams in the drawer”

“Do not dream your life, live your dream”. I made this my rule and make effort to live by it. Also “A glories failure is better than dreams in the drawer” is a great one and reckon that it is the best advice one can give you in that department.

Physical dreams are the reflection of one’s mind for better or worse. It can represent desires and fears and sneaks through our amazing brain through night sleep usually. A dream can be present in day-dreaming, and the dream I refer to in this article is the dream we build to ourselves while wide awake.

It is the thoughts we run to on a busy schedule, difficult moments, on the bus, in traffic and sometimes even when we simply lie in bed or sofa sailing away to our happy place. A dream is a merely true heart, mind and soul desire, that shoutout from the deepest being of ourself with the yarn of coming true one day, some day and perhaps – this day.

So dare to build them, your dreams. Reflect on them, muse on them, ask the right questions in terms of what, how, when and mainly – try to go for it and minimize the limitations that might stand in your way to make them come true.

Dream. Believe. Know. Achieve.

Alone

Understand the difference between “alone” and “lonely”

Learn your “me time” and practice enjoyment of it. Teach yourself the difference between “alone” and “lonely”, while lonely poses a negative connotation, alone is the positive essential cousin.

Everyone needs to learn how to be productively alone. But for getting there first must learn to be alone. Try at first to just take your time at home when everybody has gone for dinner – stay with yourself for a couple of hours when everybody’s out. Watch TV, read a book, clean etc. If it is harder to find time alone at home go out for couple of hours, walk around, go to the park, beach, neighborhood caffe or the countryside. See how it makes you feel.

In time increase to amount of time alone and the “me time” activity while there. Time alone will allow you to ask the real questions and better yet, receive an honest objective answers. You will know yourself better and enhance your life according to your true self.

Once you do that you’ll approach life accordingly and most probably get a good feeling about it. Know your alone zone. Embrace it.

Dance

“& you can dance, for inspiration”

They say, you save the best for last. I did. My best is dance. Dancing is the foundation of solid, healthy, happy unapologetic life. We express ourselves through dancing, daring to break the walls and Chains of society, let all go in order to accept all in as a part of this crazy dance called living.

I dance in studios, beach, on my queue in the postoffice, in my living room, bedroom, outside and everywhere.

But dancing is not a specified act, it is a concept, a point of view, a genre and it should rather be called a movement with a musical nature.

Doesn’t matter what you do-just do. Move, stretch your bones and muscles and start moving. Practice martial arts, Swim, do Crossfit, Yoga, Ballet, folk dance, lift some weights, go on a walk or anything that comes to your mind and involves physic.

In time you’ll see the difference, healthy mind in healthy body. You will look better, sound better and think better. From there you’ll know how to approach life in the best way possible for you… and for the people around you.

“If life is not the party we planned, we might as well dance”