Healing: An Inward Journey – Part Twofeatured

Welcome back! Hopefully you’ve had a chance to read Part One of this series. If not, then make sure to check it out when you can. It helps to bridge the two pieces of this together! Remember, living with intention encourages us to focus on our goals and to make a conscious effort to achieve them. When we take the necessary steps to do that a lot of the missing pieces of the puzzle will fall into place.

In order to understand the big picture, the art of living with intention requires each of us to be cognizant of four major areas within ourselves: mind, body, heart, and soul. When we take care of each of these areas, we are helping ourselves to build a positive and sustainable foundation. The mind, body, heart, and soul of a person are all interconnected. When one area of ourselves is off balance, then it throws the other areas off balance as well.

Think about a time when you’ve been down in the dumps about something and it’s made you feel emotionally sad. You rack through your brain to find the positives of it, but you might not always be able to find one. When your mind is in your feelings like that, your body begins to react in a similar way either through experiencing aches and pains or through digestion issues. Both your heart and soul feel the sadness around you for as long as your emotions and thoughts dwell on what’s bringing you down. When you stop thinking about the things that make you sad, the other areas respond in kind.

It’s also similar to the reaction you get after an intense workout at the gym. Your body feels exhausted and sore, but your mind feels vibrantly alert and alive, ready to take on the day. Both your heart and soul are ready to help you whip that body into shape with passion and motivation pushing you forward. This spiritual connection with yourself is vital for any foundation or direction you take within your life. Each day it’s important to take the time to check-in with yourself in these areas to see where you are.

Here’s an example of how to do that:

–MIND – A creative way to do this would be to consider learning something new such as a new language, skill, or craft. Challenge yourself to see another perspective or point of view that differs from yours. Both sides of a narrative are equally as important just like your own. Think and act with care, both for and about yourself as well as others.

– BODY – Instead of a sedentary lifestyle, make sure you exercise, stretch, and move your body either through yoga, Zumba, or (my personal favorite) dance around living room to your favorite songs. Just keep moving and grooving when you can. Another thing to consider is being mindful as to what your choosing to eat as fuel for your body. There’s SO much information out there about healthy eating, organic foods, and vegan/vegetarian alternatives. They are all worth checking out and reading up on.

– HEART – Always, always, always be thankful for the love you have in your life with family, friends, and romantic partners. You never know when they won’t be there and the memories you have with them will be all that’s left. This is also where self-care, self-love, thoughtfulness and mindfulness all come into play. With all the love you give to others, please make sure you’re also giving that to yourself.

–SOUL – As the world around us spins, it’s beneficial for us to take the time to silence our inner thoughts. When you disconnect from the chaos around you and take a moment to breathe you allow yourself to reconnect to your soul. Meditation is a great way to help with this and allows you the space you need to find peace.

It’s important that when you think about the things you want and set the focus to take those steps that you are patient with the process. I promise you that it will NOT be one of those things that you start Monday and the benefits will signed, sealed, delivered to you by Friday. Unfortunately, it’s not one of those things where we get to reap the fruits of our labor before planting the seeds and doing the work.

Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do good and great things. Believe that no mountain is so high that you cannot climb it. Believe that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. Believe in yourself. – Gordon Hinckley

Tips on How to Live Intentionally

–Whether they are short term, long term or ongoing, make sure you’re setting realistic and achievable goals for yourself. It makes plenty of sense to put your all into something you know you can successfully obtain and put the work in towards. If it’s not something you can commit to, don’t make it a goal until you can.

– Declutter your space and remove negative energy, vibes, thoughts, and behaviors. If what you own is no longer useful or provides the decorative beauty you’re looking for, then maybe it’s time to decide to let it go. You’re not going to start using it more by shoving it in a closet somewhere else. Removing physical clutter opens your living space for positive things to come in and take its place. This goes for emotions too. We all have moments of self-doubt and unsureness; that’s okay. But don’t let clutter and negativity stay in your space. These things won’t help you on your journey and will only find ways to weigh you down.

– You are human. Don’t sweat the small stuff and be comfortable with being imperfect. We all make mistakes and we all have to learn to deal with them. This journey is for YOU and no one else. If it takes you longer to get where you’re going, release the unnecessary pressure and just enjoy the ride. You are exactly where your supposed to be as you go through this process.

–Listen to your inner voice. There are A LOT of people out in the world who may not be on your same wavelength in terms of perceptions and life. SO WHAT. Thank them for the role they play in your life and let their opinions be on their way. You are the keeper of your thoughts and you should believe in what’s comfortable for you. Live freely and learn through your own experiences.

–Express gratitude to people and for things. It’s a wonderful thing to be thankful and express it as often as you can. Most people don’t always expect to receive gratitude in response to something they do, so it’s warming when you’re able to surprise them. Start a gratitude journal and write a few things down every day that you’re thankful/grateful for. You’ll start to see how your life transforms before your very eyes.

–Get to know yourself. You are the best friend you’ve always needed. Take yourself on dates, pamper yourself, and learn to be comfortable alone. When you know the things you like and don’t like, you comfortably set boundaries for yourself. It’s easier to see when other people cross those boundaries because you’ve taken the time to get to know your limits.

–Let go of fear. Vulnerability is not a weakness. In fact, it takes a lot of courage to recognize your feelings, understand them, and find ways to work through them. Standing your ground and facing the things that scare you the most builds inner strength and reminds you that although you’re not invincible, you can handle the hardest challenges that life throws at you.

When each of us start to replace life’s distractions with the things we love, we start to live intentionally. Healing occurs because our thoughts, feelings, and emotions align with our desire to do so. Forward movement and progression can be a beautiful gift that each of us can give ourselves if we are willing to take the steps to get there. One thing that is easy to struggle with, and we can all learn to get better at, is that no matter how much positive movement we make we cannot change what has already taken place. Learning to love the life you are building means forgiving and loving pieces of yourself that might be hard to do.

But imagine where you’d be if you didn’t move forward. Do you like what you see? Would you be happy with your choices? If not, then consider the available resources around that inspire you to learn & grow. With the time each of us has been given, make sure what you experience makes you happy and is memorable. Because at the end of the day all any of us ever have is one life. Time is non-refundable, consider using it with intention.

With Light & Love ♥