On the next CHI FOR YOURSELF, we’ll welcome Thomas Sterner. Tom was a guest several years ago when he told us about his book The Practicing Mind. This time he returns with a book that teaches the principles of mindfulness in clear, concise and extremely practical ways. The book puts a special emphasis on helping you reach whatever goals you are working toward in the most efficient and enjoyable way possible.
Thomas M. Sterner is the author of FULLY ENGAGED: Using the Practicing Mind in Daily Life.
Thomas Sterner
Join us for CHI FOR YOURSELF with guest, Thomas M. Sterner, this Thursday, October 27th, at 1pm Pacific, 4pm Eastern time, You can hear the interview by going to the chiforyourself.com Start page.
We’ve reached the final installment of the series on finding your “why.” This one wraps things up with a nice list of questions to help you get clear on your passion. I send you all the best thoughts toward your exploration. And, in the days to come, I’ll be sending you a little “reminder” in case you’re talking yourself out of it.
Easy Steps for Finding Your Passion
Are you trying to find your passion in life? If so, you are not alone, many people are attempting to this every day. So why is it so difficult to recognize what your true passion is?
It really isn’t that difficult to identify your passion, one easy way to do this is to ask yourself some questions. Let’s take a look at a few examples here.
What do you do outside of work? This should give you a good insight of what your hobbies and interests are.
What one thing do you do whenever you get the chance? This will identify those things that you feel more passionate about.
What makes you feel excited? This is normally associated with those things that you are good at. Mainly your talents and your gifts.
What makes you feel more confident? You may find that talking, writing, singing or art makes you feel this way. Again these are things that you know you are good at, therefore you feel confident. You don’t have to think twice about doing them.
What would you do if you weren’t earning money from it? Again this signifies your passions. You aren’t in it for the money, you truly love doing it and just want to spend your spare time enjoying yourself with this task.
What one thing or item would you like to change in the world? Your answer here could be a multitude of things including providing better drinking water. Helping underprivileged children or to help stop an animal from becoming extinct.
What do you do in your spare time? You probably spend time developing one of your hobbies or talents. You may spend this time writing, creating music or exercising.
What makes you smile? All those things that make you smile are things that you love and enjoy doing. Of course, it doesn’t have to be an item. Spending time with your grandchildren or visiting a seniors home can be other things that put a smile on your face.
Go through this list and start writing down your answers. From here you want to see if there is one thing that gets repeated again and again. If so, chances are that this is your passion. That one thing that you love to do, or want to do whenever you can.
Your next step is to simply start making time for it, and yes you can if you truly want to.
You can listen to this article by clicking on the audio player:
We’re almost finished with the CHI FOR YOURSELF series on finding your “why?” I hope this has been of some help as you get a clearer idea of your direction. This time around we look at some ways in which you may enrich your life.
How to Enrich Your Life
Can you honestly say that you are happy and satisfied with your life? Or do you feel miserable and have no direction? Unfortunately too many people are not satisfied with their lives. They feel as though something is missing, and they can’t identify what it is.
Let’s look at ways that you can enrich your life. You will be surprised at just how much happier and content you will feel once you have a purpose in your life.
It is possible that you are just bored with your life. You have way too much spare time on your hands. So how can you fill this time?
Start off by thinking about all those things that you like to do. This might be sports related, charity related, health related or it may just be a hobby that you wished you had more time for.
Select the one that has the most interest for you and find a way to add it to your life. If one of these things was related to your favorite charity look for ways you can help them out. It would be quite easy to help raise money for them. Or start a collection of needed items. Or you may wish to just get the word out about this charity.
As you start spending time on this hobby or activity you will find that your life suddenly has more purpose. You look forward to working on this project and you feel rewarded by it as well.
There are lots of ways to enrich your life and it can be done easily by just helping yourself. You may want to spend time learning a new skill. Or you may want to have time to read more books, or even write a new one!
Sometimes it only takes something small to help enrich your life. Offering to walk a friend’s dog or babysit for a young couple can really make you feel fulfilled.
Other ideas for enriching your life include cooking for a senior, visiting someone in the hospital, pet sitting, volunteering at your local school or at an after- school club. Once you start thinking, I am sure you will come up with lots of ideas of things you could be doing.
Even if you have a long list start by picking one item and putting it into action. Block off a few hours a week or month and promise yourself to work on it. By doing this you will feel as though you are doing something to enrich your life in some small way or other.
You can listen to this article by clicking on this player:
We’re settling into fall and our appetites are for things that are warm, like beverages, blankets, and– FOOD! Jo Eager is back with another recipe that is tasty AND healthy.
Our next first-run edition of CHI FOR YOURSELF is scheduled and you’ll be able to join us on the call in the next few weeks. For now, I’ll tell you that we’ll be looking at the principles of mindfulness in clear, concise, and extremely practical ways. It’s all intended to help you reach whatever goals you’re working toward in the most efficient and enjoyable way possible. Details later in a GenuLines post..
I hope you’re benefiting from our series on finding your “why.” Lots of good, actionable points you can put into practice to get you moving toward your purpose. If you haven’t seen it you can check out the latest installment here.
I don’t know about you but I’m getting hungry! Time for another helping of Jo’s Healthy Eats.
We’re moving right along in the CHI FOR YOURSELF series on finding your “why.” Time to take notice of feelings that are surfacing. Maybe you’re a little down and thinking that your life doesn’t have much meaning. If so, this installment is intended to give you the courage to keep move through the feelings.
Does Your Life Hold Meaning?
Can you honestly say that your life holds meaning for you? If you are not sure, then do you know how to identify your true calling in life? Once you do the next step is to have the strength to follow it.
Many people sit and feel quite depressed about not knowing what they should be doing with their life. This happens early in life. Do you remember being in high school and having to choose a career for the rest of your life? Talk about feeling pressured at a young age.
Everyone has some type of true calling or purpose in life, and yes life does have a meaning. Sometimes your true calling is staring you in the face, you just don’t recognize it yet.
Your true calling can be identified in various ways. Many people believe that God will show them the way to their true calling. Others experience dreams that open up their eyes to a new opportunity.
You have no doubt heard stories about people experiencing death and then coming back to life. When they recover they find they have a new outlook on life altogether.
Now, you don’t have to wait for something terrible to happen to you! Instead, you can start discovering your true calling and the meaning of life yourself.
Sit down and think about what it is that you would love to do with your life. Think about what you would do if money was no objection and you didn’t have to worry about anyone but yourself.
Write down all the things that come to mind. If you have several put them in order of priority. Which is the one item that you truly feel passionate about? Then ask yourself– if you were to do this would you feel as though your life had meaning?
When you can truly answer these questions openly and honestly you will be well on your way to uncovering what the meaning of life has for you. Remember we are all different and no two people will see something in the same way.
Your next step is to be courageous and follow your passion. You may be surprised at the opportunities that open up for you. There is no reason for anyone to be sitting and feeling unfulfilled, or thinking that their life has no purpose. It does, you just have to find yours.
Listen to this article by clicking on the following player:
JohnK 10-3-2016
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Overheard: “Everyone now knows how to find the meaning of life within himself.”
~ Kurt Vonnegut, The Sirens of Titan
LIfe seems to provide an endless supply of things that make us angry, bugged, hassled, or ticked-off! Yet if we examine those feelings they can take us a long way toward finding our fulfillment. This next installment in the CHI FOR YOURSELF series on finding your “why” is offered to you as another tool for self-discovery.
Can Anger Identify Your Passion?
If you have read any type of self-development or improvement information, you know you are told to find those things that make you feel happy. Everyone should have a passion in life, as this helps you add meaning to your life. But just how do you find it?
One way to identify your passion is to look at those things that make you angry. You know, those times when you fly off the handle without even thinking about it. This could be when you see an animal being mistreated or hear about a child being abused.
Still not sure what your passion is? Then take a look around you and make note of all the things that make you upset. Anything that stirs some type of emotion in you; tears, anger, or frustration.
It can be helpful to write these things down, especially if you have more than one thing that bothers you. Once you have your list select the main one that troubles you the most. This would be the one thing that you would happily fix if you could.
The more personal this becomes the more passionate you will be. If you have seen one of your pets abused first hand, this would resonate with you on a much deeper level.
When you get angry your feelings can often overwhelm you. You have no real control over them and they flare up unexpectedly. What this signifies is that you are dealing with something you are passionate about. Your goal is to now take this energy and turn it into a passion instead of feeling angry.
When identifying your passion you need to pick that one thing that you can identify with. You don’t want to bend to the rules of society and be passionate about something just to be part of a group.
Finding your passion often entails getting out of your comfort zone. It is way too easy to like something just because a friend does. It is much harder to stick up for yourself and stay passionate to your true feelings.
By being true to your own feelings, you are fulfilling your life. You are doing something meaningful and making a difference. Not everyone is going to approve of what your passion is. You need to have the confidence to stay on track, if and when friends try to tell you otherwise. This way you will know you are being true to yourself and to your passion.
You can listen to this article by clicking on the player:
Be well!
JohnK9-26-2016
chiforyourself.com home
Overheard:
“The greatest remedy for anger is delay.”
~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Wanted to remind you that CHI FOR YOURSELF continues the series on finding your “why.” I hope you’re using some of the suggestions in each post to help you get to your genuine place. A place that’s waiting to yield your purpose and direction in life.
A few years ago on CHI FOR YOURSELF we heard from a guest who had to face some big challenges before her genuine life could flourish. Barbara Hofmeister is a refugee from former Communist Germany and knows first-hand what it’s like to be living in adverse circumstances. Hear the replay by clicking on this player:
The CHI FOR YOURSELF series on finding your why is moving right along. But as we reach the mid-way point you may be feeling as though you’ve hit a wall. This process is simple but not always easy. The following tips (I think of them as bullet points) are intended to give more clarity to your journey.
Are You Stuck on Finding Your Why?
Anyone who has taken any type of self-improvement course has been told to find their why. While this may sound easy enough, it is not always simple to identify your why. This article will give you some suggestions for how you can really find your why in life.
Before you can identify your why you need to know which area of your life needs improvement. Why are you looking for a meaning to your life? Are you looking for an overall purpose, or do you need to develop a why for a specific reason? For example, you may want to uncover your why so you can lose weight or stick to an exercise regimen.
It can often be a little easier to define your why for specific reasons. If you are trying to lose weight you will want to have certain reasons for doing so. This could include wanting to look more attractive, to feel better, to be able to play with your kids or to battle a medical issue.
To uncover your why it can be helpful to understand why you are doing your current habits. With eating, as an example, why is it that you are over eating? Are you self-conscious about a certain part of your body? Are you addicted to sugar or to carbs?
Once you have this information in hand it can be easier to develop a why. If you want to kick the sugar habit start paying attention to those times when you eat more sugar. Are you feeling unhappy or alone when you do this?
Uncovering your why can be difficult and it does require that you are open and honest with yourself. But once you have a why then you can be more focused and motivated.
If you want to find your why to living a more fulfilled and happier life in general, you have to do almost the same steps. First, you need to identify what it is that is making you feel unhappy. Are you lonely, do you hate your job, or do you wish you were in a better relationship?
Once you know why you feel the way you do, it will be easier to take corrective steps. If you are feeling lonely, can you join a health or social club? If you are just plain bored, is there a hobby that you would like to start?
Even if you are currently stuck on finding your why use the above steps to uncover your true feelings. This, in return, will identify your why.
If you would like to listen to this article click on the player:
JohnK 9-19-2016
chiforyourself.com home
Overheard:
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
Do you have a why in your life? A reason that keeps you motivated and helps you to get out of bed each morning? If you don’t you may often feel as though you are just plodding along the path of life. All you do is go through the motions of living without having anything to look forward to.
If you don’t have a why in your life then it is definitely time to discover what yours is. Most likely you have a dream or a goal that you would love to pursue, but for some reason, you don’t.
For anyone who is attempting to achieve something or reach a goal, it is much easier to do so if you have a reason for it. This way of thinking is often associated with people who are trying to lose weight. Nothing seems to work for them until they uncover the true reason for why they want to lose weight.
Your why can be quite simple and it could be doing certain things in order to become healthier. Or maybe you why is to start an online business so you can retire with your partner from your jobs.
Your why is often associated with your health, family, and financial goals. After all without money you can’t pay the bills or buy food to feed your family.
One thing to bear in mind, as well, is that your why can change as you grow. As your life changes so do the things you need, this can give you a different purpose in life.
A younger person may have a why of saving for a new home or getting a University degree. As you age your why may change to include exercising more so you can enjoy your grandchildren.
Many people will turn to religion in order to uncover their why. No two people will ever share the same why. You may have the same goal as someone else. But you will both have different reasons for attaining them.
The best way to discover your why is to be honest with yourself. This requires letting all your skeletons out of your closet. Sit down in a quiet place and truly think about what it is you want out of life.
This is not always an easy process even when you do know your why. You may not know how to achieve it at first. Just remember to keep an open mind and start working in a small way each day to achieve your why.
(You can listen to this article by clicking on the player below)
On the next CHI FOR YOURSELF, we’ll welcome Thomas Sterner. Tom was a guest several years ago when he told us about his book The Practicing Mind. This time he returns with a book that teaches the principles of mindfulness in clear, concise and extremely practical ways. The book puts a special emphasis on helping you reach whatever goals you are working toward in the most efficient and enjoyable way possible.
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