Tag Archive for inner peace

5 Steps To Living Your Purpose

October 30, 2023 John Uncategorized No comments

You’ve nurtured your purpose for a long time. But you’re not sure if you’re really living it.

Let GenuLines help you take the guesswork out of this puzzle.

5 Steps To Living Your Purpose

You’re working hard to achieve your dream life. It could be that you’re aiming for a promotion at work.

Or you’re trying to get your business off the ground. If you’re finding success a bit of a struggle you may need to find your life’s purpose.

Finding your purpose is like finding a magic key. The key helps you align everything you do and focus on getting to your best life now.

Here are five steps to help set you in the right direction.

purpose spelled out

Look Within

Too many people look to others for the answers. Too many people follow a path that’s not theirs.

Only you can know what your dream life looks like. The answer to your life’s purpose lies deep within you.

You have to tune into it.

Journaling can be a helpful tool to allow your subconscious to speak your truth. Or meditation, or brainstorming.

The important thing is that you look into your own heart.

Trust Your Intuition

Learning to trust that inner voice that tells you that the conventional way of doing things isn’t right for you.

Whether it’s a college degree or a selling technique:

If it doesn’t feel right, you don’t have to do it!

Find your own way of living your life, and you’ll be much more likely to feel content and to be successful.

Get Friendly With Fear

Many people choose to live safe, conventional lives. They’re too afraid to do things in a different way or to take a chance.

Fear of the unknown is understandable. But you can choose to face your fears and to meet challenges head-on.

Deciding to live your own life according to your values and your passion means many things. One of them is being able to look fear in the face and step out of your comfort zone.

Don’t Be Bound by Your To-do List

It’s easy to become a slave to the never-ending checklist of things you need to do before you can live your purpose. You only get one shot at life.

Have a look at your current list of tasks. How many of them will move you closer to living your best life?

How many can you delete or delegate to someone else?

Know That You Already Have What You Need

One of the most important things to know is that you don’t need expensive courses or workshops, or the right suit or car.

You already have everything you need to start living your life’s purpose.

It’s all within you. What matters is what you do with it.

And today is the best time to start!

JohnK. 10-30-2023
chiforyourself,com

stick man hears about purposeOverheard: “The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost; to be everywhere, is to be nowhere”

~Michel de Montaigne
 

 

disclaimer for purpose

 

 

Live Your Best Life: Focus On What Matters Most

August 22, 2022 John Uncategorized No comments

You’re living a pretty good life. But there’s room for improvement.

Ratchet things up a bit with this GenuLines look at where you’re putting your focus. 

Live Your Best Life: Focus On What Matters Most

Have you ever noticed how fast our days seem to race by? We wake up, bombarded with an insane amount of things we have to get done.

Then, before you know it, the day’s done. Having the world at your fingertips doesn’t help to slow things down.
 
It only adds to the chaos.
 
Today, I want to focus on what matters most in our lives. That could mean different things for different people.
 
man living life
 
Still, each one of us has certain things we value more than others.
 
So, read ahead to find out how you can live your best life by focusing more on the things that matter.

The Most Important Things in Life

Having status and designer shoes are great and everything. But having them won’t make you any happier or healthier than the average person.
 
Another thing we tend to obsess over is what we don’t have. Sometimes, it becomes our driving force that can lead to negative habits and behavior.
 
Let me ask you this: do you want to live your best life today and every day? This is what you can do:

Identify What Matters the Most to You

First, take a step back and look at your life from a different vantage point. Next, try to dissect each aspect of your life.
 
Which areas should you pay more attention to? Which should you cut back on?
 
To lead a balanced, well-fulfilled life, consider having one, or all, of the following. You might even add a couple of our own to the list.
 
A healthy body and mind
 
Family and friends
 
Money in the bank
 
The drive to always learn new things
 
A place to call home 
 
Realistic goals and a purpose in life
 
So recognize that what matters most in life has nothing to do with material possessions. Better to appreciate what you have.
 
Reconnecting with these things can lead to a better, happier, fuller life. It can also boost creativity and lower stress.
 
It also gives you control over your happiness. This is much better than allowing external factors to affect your inner peace.

Listen and Pay Attention

While it’s important to listen to those close to you in life, it’s much more than that. It’s also about listening to yourself and paying attention to your likes and dislikes.
 
This is a measure of your true worth and how much you love yourself.
 
Self-love requires practice, but it gets easier with time. When you’re at peace with yourself, you love others in a healthy, mature way.
 
The takeaway: Show yourself the same kindness and compassion you show others. When you look in the mirror, focus on the good rather than the bad.
 
Treat yourself to nice things and be happy with who you are.
 

Be in the Present

Too often, we find ourselves regretting the past or worrying about the future. But, what matters the most is the moment we’re living right here and now.
 
Connecting with the world around you makes you appreciate what you have. The more you’re in tune with your ‘present,’ the more you’ll realize how precious life can be.
 
As Earl Nightingale said: “Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Think how very precious the time is you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”
 
The takeaway: Being self-aware helps bring tranquility and happiness into your life. In turn, the happier and calmer you are, the more things you’ll find to be thankful for.

Find a Hobby

Hobbies are the things you do for fun in your free time. They can range from knitting to deep-sea diving to jumping from airplanes.
 
Your experiences in life are what make it worth living. They give it meaning and shape the way you see others around you.
 
Doing something you enjoy can be one of the very best stress reducers. You can also use it to push your boundaries a bit and step out of your comfort zone.
 
Sometimes, the idea of doing something new can be terrifying. If this happens to you, recognize your fear.
 
Then, tell yourself it’s okay to be nervous about something new.
 
The takeaway: Live your life. Be eager to try out new experiences. They’re what add fulfillment and richness to your life.

Practice Positive Habits

Identifying positive habits and carrying them out daily brings order to your life. Good habits also result in good physical and mental health.
 
Stay with routine. You can reduce distractions that stand in the way of your accomplishing things.
 
They also help steer you towards making better decisions.
 
Studies show that routines and good habits boost your life, health, and well-being. The trick is to be authentic to your values and beliefs.
 
Let’s be honest, that can be hard to do in this media-frenzy world we’re living in. Yet, having confidence in who you are can help shine the light on what matters most in your life.
 
The takeaway: Your words express your thoughts and, down the line, your actions. Those actions turn into habits, so make sure you stick to enforcing positive habits in your life.
 
Final Thoughts
These five things are some of the ways you can focus on what matters most in your life. At the end of the day, what it boils down to is that to live your best life, you have to focus on certain things over others.
 
Remember, what matters more to you may not be as important to others. So, stay true to your values and hold on to the things you treasure more in life.
 
JohnK 8-22-2022
 
stick figure hears about lifeOverheard:  “The best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unencumbered acts of kindness and of love”
                                              ~Wordsworth
 
 
Article image by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash
 
 

disclaimer for life

Consider Doing a SWOT Analysis on Yourself

June 18, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
We’re about halfway through a year-long GenuLines series of articles on self-improvement. It’s a good time to pause for an overall look at how we’re doing. 
 
The following offers a template for doing that.
 
 
call to action for analysis
 

Consider Doing a SWOT Analysis on Yourself

man doing analysis
 
When people create case studies on businesses, they often include a SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
 
If you can do this for business, why not consider doing one for yourself?
 
 
 
It can help you gain insight into yourself and reinforce the idea of believing in yourself.
 
The SWOT concept is usually diagrammed in quadrants or squares. Each represents one word or letter in the acronym.
 
You can put any of the words into any square
 
It’s customary, though, to use the upper left square for Strengths. The lower left square is for Opportunities.
 
The upper-right square is for Weaknesses, and the lower-right square is for Threats.
 
Fill up each quadrant with appropriate items relating to the heading of the quadrant. To take this a step further, ask family and friends to help you fill up the quadrants.
 
After you have them all filled, you can decide what needs improvement.
 
Stay positive
Don’t let the negative aspects of this process (Weaknesses, Threats) trip you up. You’re listing them to gain perspective in areas that you need your focus.
 
In fact, some weaknesses you may not want to tackle because it doesn’t interest you. Threats are merely items to be aware of and may help you try to overcome them.
 
The key to success is to be as honest as possible with yourself about all the items included in the analysis. If you aren’t, it isn’t going to help you much, and you may focus on the wrong items to improve.
 
Further, you may not be as strong in some areas as you believed, which also can lead you on the wrong path.
 
A good SWOT analysis is a great foundation for your personal and professional life. You can use it as a tool to advance your goals.
 
You’ll learn about yourself and who you are. But don’t rush this process.
 
You want it to be as representative of yourself as possible. It’s better to take several days or even weeks than to try to list items for the sake of filling up the quadrants.
 
Feeling comfortable with your analysis can help your self-belief.
 
It’s all there for you to reference and to refine your tasks and goals.
 
JohnK 6-18-2019
 
stick figure doing analysisOverheard:  “The analysis of character is the highest human entertainment”
                         ~Isaac Bashevis Singer
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer to help our analysis

Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF And A New “Freebie”

February 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Ira Israel pictureLast week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel ran into some “technical difficulty” as they say. So it was not available to you live. But my conversation with Ira was recorded.

Ira Israel is the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

 

First, a look at some of the show’s talking points:

  • The central theme of the book
  • The meaning of “negativity bias”
  • A definition of authenticity
  • The part resentment plays in our lives
  • Is there such a thing as the “mid-life crisis?”
  • The myth of romance
  • Beginning the process of forgiveness

…and, the show itself. Listen by clicking on below–

 



 

 

A new CHI FOR YOURSELF “freebie” is up and available. Get this free report on dealing with stress when you click here–

 

FREE Stuff

 

 

 

 

JohnK 2-13-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

 

 

 

Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF And A New “Freebie”

February 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Ira Israel pictureLast week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel ran into some “technical difficulty” as they say. So it was not available to you live. But my conversation with Ira was recorded.

Ira Israel is the author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

 

First, a look at some of the show’s talking points:

  • The central theme of the book
  • The meaning of “negativity bias”
  • A definition of authenticity
  • The part resentment plays in our lives
  • Is there such a thing as the “mid-life crisis?”
  • The myth of romance
  • Beginning the process of forgiveness

…and, the show itself. Listen by clicking on below–

 



 

 

 

A new CHI FOR YOURSELF “freebie” is up and available. Get this free report on dealing with stress when you click here–

 

FREE Stuff

 

 

JohnK 2-13-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

 

 

 

A Grown-up Look At Childhood: Ira Israel on CHI FOR YOURSELF

February 8, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

It’s our first (first run) CHI FOR YOURSELF episode of 2018! 

Ira Israel pictureOur guest will be psychotherapist and counselor Ira Israel, author of How to Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

Ira offers a step-by-step path to recognizing the ways of being that we created as children and transcending them with compassion and acceptance.

Hear the CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Ira Israel on Friday, February 9th at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com

 

JohnK 2-8-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

Adventures In Solitude With Robert Kull

February 2, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Although many cultures have long recognized solitude as an opportunity to look inward, in our culture we sometimes think that spending time alone is unhealthy.

In the 2009 CHI FOR YOURSELF interview with Robert Kull, we learned that spending time alone can actually soften our sense of alienation from others. Kull used his journey to deep wilderness solitude to drive that point home.

Robert Kull talking solitude

Robert Kull is the author of SOLITUDE: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes- A Year Alone in the Patagonia Wilderness.

Listen to the interview by clicking on below-

 

 

 

 

 

JohnK 2-2-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

 

 

 

Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!

 

 

 

Eating To Live And The Signs That You Eat Too Much

January 31, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
 
 
Eating is a fundamental pillar of life. Most of us enjoy it, especially when we’re savoring some great tasting food!
 
eating bad food Unfortunately, we also don’t always have the best sense of when to stop eating. Especially when we have access to good-tasting foods in immense quantities.
 
We poke fun at humorous situations such as Homer Simpson eating until he can’t move. But, there are consequences to this. They range from a mild stomach ache to cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
 
 
 
 
Plus, overeating is not as dramatic as eating until our pants are about to burst. It’s subtle. It’s more like eating more than we need in one sitting. Or eating until we’re full rather than eating until we’ve gotten the nutrients we need.
 
We don’t have the natural constraints our ancestors did to prevent us from overeating. In evolutionary terms, most humans couldn’t overeat. Large-scale agriculture and food processing are fairly recent developments.
 
Most humans (especially Americans) have access to more food and convenience than ever.
 
So, what drives us to eat more than we need?
 
One key insight is the emotional connection to food many people have. Research has shown that they tend to eat more or overeat when they’re feeling sad. Or depressed. Or if they’re struggling with an issue.
 
A study in the Journal of Adolescent Health looked at eating disorders like binge eating. It found that “it’s important to consider depressive symptoms in overeating.”
 
Are we eating because we’re hungry, or because of an emotional issue we’re dealing with?
 
Another consideration is symptoms of Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. The Medical University of Warsaw found that these symptoms can lead people to eat more. Why? To satisfy urges to increase insulin. So, it’s important to practice moderation when eating sweets. They cause us to eat far more than we actually need.
 
Finally, your body is your best warning system. Warnings come when you experience constipation, blockage, vomiting or stomach aches. Your body is telling you it’s had enough.
 
If you feel a constant need for laxatives or antacids it’s most likely your body’s alarm system at work. It’s telling you that you’ve taken in far more food than you need.
 
Your body’s energy level and mental alertness also are signs of eating too much.
 
We all enjoy a well-prepared meal or delicious healthy snacks. Yet as far as biology is concerned food is no more than fuel for our body to consume and turn into energy.
                                                                                                                                          eating bad food
But when you bog your system down with excess or poor quality food (A.K.A. junk food) your energy will decrease. You’ll feel sluggish and less alert. Rather than boost energy, it will make your digestive system feel overloaded.
 
Your brain and your emotions work together to send you the warnings. These can come in the form of depression or stress.
 
 
 
 
Be mindful with this. Be aware of your current state. Your body tells you through your energy levels and digestion system when you’ve had too much.
 
The signals are there. Are you listening?
 
JohnK 1-31-2018
 
 
Image for overheard for eatingOverheard: “It’s not that some people have the willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.”
                    ~Carl Sandburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Build Self-Esteem: The First Step Toward Self-Development

January 24, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

 

 
If you’re interested in self-development but have low self-esteem, the first thing you need to do is change that. Until you do, it’s much harder to assess what you need to learn and change to achieve your goals. In fact, if you have low self-esteem it can be difficult to even see what your goals are.
 
dartboard of self-esteem
 
Imagine yourself as a dart board. At times anything and anyone can become a damaging dart pin at one point or another.
 
These dart pins will destroy your self-esteem and pull you down in ways you may not even be conscious of. It’s important not to let them destroy you, or get the best of you.
 
 
 
 
So what are the dart pins to avoid, and how can you keep them from hurting you?
 
Dart Pin #1  Negative Work Environment
 
Beware of “dog eat dog” theory where everyone else is fighting to get ahead. This is where non-appreciative people usually thrive.
 
No one will appreciate your contributions even if you miss lunch and dinner, and stay up late. You may find you are working harder and harder for less and less return.
 
Stay away from this since it can ruin your self-esteem. Find ways to manage your work within the normal working day at least 90% of the time.
 
If you have to compete with others, compete on your own terms. Don’t fall into power games or negative behavior that could hurt your self-image.
 
Dart Pin #2: Other People’s Behavior
 
Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, the walking wounded, controllers, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers … all these negative behaviors in others can damage your self-esteem.
 
And, they’ll push back your self-development program. But remember, it’s not the person who is the problem: it’s their behavior.
 
Dart Pin #3: Changing Environment
 
Changes challenge our paradigms. They test our flexibility, adaptability, and they alter our thought process.
 
Changes will make life difficult for a while and often cause stress. But when we look back we’ll see that change is often the catalyst or cause of self-development. Decide not to resist it.
 
Dart Pin #4: Past Experience
 
It’s okay to cry and say “ouch!” when you experience pain. But don’t let past hurts turn pain into fear.
 
Dragging the issues of your past relationship into your new one is a road to failure. Don’t expect your partner to be a mirror image of your last partner.
 
Treat each failure and mistake as a lesson, and move on.
 
Dart Pin #5: Negative World View
 
Look at what you’re looking at. Don’t wrap yourself up with all the negativities of the world. In building self-esteem, we must learn how to make the best out of worst situations.
 
Dart Pin #6: Determination Theory
 
Your behavior is said to be the result of a mixture. The ingredients include your inherited traits and your upbringing.
 
Other factors include your environment, such as friends, work situation, and the economy. You can even throw in the climate in your country.
 
Know that your genetics or upbringing don’t determine your life path. Failures among your family members don’t rub off.
 
Learn from other people’s experience, so you’ll never have to encounter the same mistakes.
 
In life, it can be hard to stay true to your code. Especially when things and people around you seem to keep pulling you down.
 
Yet, building self-esteem will lead to self-development if you become responsible. Be responsible for who you are, what you have, and what you do.
 
man raising self-esteem
 
When we develop self-esteem, we take control of our mission, values, and discipline. Self- esteem brings about self-improvement, true assessment, and determination.
 
So how do you start putting up the building blocks of self-esteem? Be positive. Be contented and happy. Be appreciative. Never miss an opportunity to compliment.
 
A positive way of living will help you build self-esteem and set you on the path to positive self-development.
 
JohnK 1/24/2018
 
 
self-esteem image of stick manOverheard: “Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your handbrake on.”
                       ~ Maxwell Maltz
 
 
 
 
 
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3 Steps to Creating New Habits

January 17, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
 
Let’s talk about forming new habits. There are times in our lives when we want to create new and better habits for ourselves.
 
This could include getting into the habit of eating healthier. It might be drinking more water. Or it could be moving more and taking the dog for a daily walk. Or it could be work-related, or spiritual, or…
 
There are so many areas in our lives we can improve and make easier if we create new habits. 
 
Getting into the habit of doing something is often easier said than done. We seem to form bad habits without any effort, but getting into a “good” habit can be a little more challenging. 
 
arrows toward habits
 
We’ll break it down into a three-step process. This will make it easy to follow until you’ve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit. You’ll do it without having to think about it. Like brushing your teeth. 
 
Decide What You Want To Do 
 
The first step is to decide what the new habit is. Be as specific as possible. Be bold. Don’t tell yourself you want to exercise more. Say something like “I will go for a 30-minute walk every single day.” Deciding what your new habit will be and committing to when and how you’re going to do it, is half the battle. 
 
Remind Yourself To Get It Done 
 
The next few days should be smooth sailing. You’re motivated and excited to get this done. Sticking to your new habit isn’t an issue. But a few days in you’ll notice that it’s easy to slip back into old habits. 
 
Say it’s raining and you’re not feeling like going out and walking. Or the hours in your day seem to be getting away from you. This is when it’s important to have a daily reminder. Set an alert on your phone or add the new habit to your daily to-do list for a while. 
 
Make It Part Of Your Routine Until It Becomes A Habit 
 
It takes some time before a new behavior becomes a true habit. Until then, a routine will work to your best advantage.
 
A routine will help you solidify the habit. This way you won’t have to spend a lot of willpower or rely on daily reminders. 
 
Make that daily walk part of your after-dinner routine. Or switch from grabbing a snack at the vending machine at work at 10:00 in the morning to packing a healthy snack. 
 
You can do this! Decide to create the new habit. Practice the routine until it’s second nature and you’ll be well on your way to forming a new good habit. 
 
JohnK 1-17-2018
 
chiforyourself.com home page
 
 
 
Image for overheard for habit formingOverheard:  “Whatever ought to be, can be”
                     ~ James Rouse
 
 
 
 
 
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