31-Days Re-assess and Motivate Your Life

This is the introduction to the Live and Grow Now - Alive in 5 series. Although originally formulated in 2018, this series has value for any year and at any time. If you are wanting to make changes in your life, start here and work your way through the next 31 days with this five-minute daily motivation. 

It’s time to start following through for you.  When you do, you strengthen your sense of worth.

Stand up for yourself. Believe in who you are. When you don’t  you become a person who feels they have to always earn everything that comes your way. For example, instead of embracing and receiving love, you feel you have to earn love. Every time you speak up for yourself you deepen your own sense of worth. You do matter.

You are good, and you deserve good things. You deserve acceptance, belonging and love. There’s no mistake in you, YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH Just as you are.

Time is your most valuable possession.  It is no wonder that we need to be conscious of how we spend it.  Time is the one thing we will never get back. What we say and DO is important. To say we do something quickly is not the same as making the best use of time. Taking a moment to reflect on what what "time" means can lead you on a path to fulfilling your greatest and most rewarding desires. 

Time is the one thing you will never get back. Living life on your terms is essential to truly living. We only get one chance to live. Living life to the fullest not only in quantity, but more important in quality will determine if we have used what time we have responsively. Are you free to be who you want to be?

When you value something, you consider it important and worthwhile. ... As a verb, it means "holding something in high regard," (like "I value our friendship") but it can also mean "determine how much something is worth,"  How much value do you see in you? How much are you willing to invest in yourself? 

Steps to protect your who you are:

1. Avoid gossip and drama.
2. Let go of things you can’t control.
3. Avoid comparing yourself to others.
4. Keep your faith larger than your fears.
5. Don’t do anything that doesn’t feel right.
6. Stay away from people who drain your energy.

While we cannot completely stop fear and the stories that often pop up in our mind, we can control the effects of the presence and presentation. The more you practice this the more comfortable you will become and the less anxious you will be when fear presents itself. 

Have you ever wondered or asked yourself what the world would look life if you were to come up with an idea that could change things? What are the things that you are passionate about and is it possible that these same things could be the fuel to develop solutions for others in search of answers? Don't discredit the thoughts that come to mind. These thoughts may be your path to greater satisfaction in life. 

There are six basic emotions that we experience: happiness, sadness, surprise, anger, fear, and disgust. Our emotions affect how we see ourselves and they affect how others may see us.

Our emotions have an expressed purpose in our life. How we use them determines how we view our selves and the world.

We all tend to feel insecure sometimes, some of us more than others and some more deeply than others. Our childhood, past traumas, current or past experiences of failure or rejection, loneliness, social anxiety, negative beliefs pertaining to our individuality, perfectionism, or having a critical parent or partner can all contribute to insecurity. Understanding or recognizing an insecurity, looking at it objectively, reflecting on past positive occurrences, analyzing where you are, positive affirmations (self-talk), making a commitment to yourself, accepting who you are, and realizing that everything is not and can not be everything to everybody and that it is okay, will take you far in defeating the insecurities you face.

What is the difference between motivation and habit? Do we need to be motivated to form the habit or does forming the habit produce motivation?

A definition for motivation is “the reason(s) one has for acting or behaving in a particular way or the general desire or willingness of someone to do something”.

A definition for habit is "a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up".

Whichever one fuels you, the end result should be the one you set out to accomplish.

Endurance is associated with the ability to withstand hardship or suffering. It is the ability to continue in the face of adversity and challenges.  

We are put here to interact with others. Before we can establish relationships that are healthy and meaningful with others, there are things that we need to establish.

• Self-Love. In order to have a healthy, loving relationship with another human being, first learn to love yourself. 

• Trust. This may seem obvious, but so many people are with partners they don't trust. 

• Honesty. 

• Communication.

• Connection.

To develop more positive and healthy relationships in all areas of your life and have a sense of connectedness:

1. Accept and celebrate differences. 

2. Listen effectively.

3. Give people your time. 

4. Develop your communication skills.

5. Learn to give and take feedback.

6. Learn to trust more.

7. Develop empathy.

It is important to develop authentic relationships. In developing these relationships we have to be prepared to hear what seems to be harsh reality about how others may see us. It is vital that we be able to hear what is said as well as remain objective. 

Knowing who you are will help in determining the difference between criticism and honest feedback.

Living in the past is one sure way to remain stuck. You can move yourself forward by committing to a few things:

Forgive yourself

Change how you see things

Begin taking small steps or making small changes

find out what your purpose in life is, find your passion

Challenge your ideas about how things should work.  When you decide how things should be you limit your ability to be effective in the world  because your view does not see what really is.

Answer these questions and be honest with yourself

• What makes me happy?

• What were my favorite things to do in the past?

• What are my favorite things to do now?

• When do I enjoy myself so much that I lose track of time?

• Who inspires me the most, and why?

• What makes me feel good about myself?

• What am I good at?

Have you heard the phrase "Everything happens for a reason"? 

Even though everything we face or deal with may not all be pleasant and enjoyable, if we were to be honest with ourselves, we most certainly still can reap benefits from the things we have gone through.

It is a good practice to examine your interactions and reflect without placing blame or finding fault, but look as an observer and glean from what you see.

What is that you want? Why do you want it? What are your intentions? How do you communicate what you expect and want from others?

Having clear expectations keeps you focused.

Responsibility is something you're required to do. Knowing the difference in what is required of you and what is either self-imposed or given will help you determine where your efforts need to be focused.

Overwhelmed as a word, is neither negative or positive. It only refers to the extreme strength of a feeling or emotion.

Experiencing anything in excess can present concern both positively and negatively. What do you do when you are feeling overwhelmed?

Resolve to be happy. Choosing peace can be maintained when you shut out those things which distract, constrict, irritate, vex and trouble your life. Knowing that there are things you can not change, that there are things which are not yours to bear, and accepting what is yours to deal with makes way for calm in your life.

Take the time to focus on what is going on in your life. Think about whether those things add value or whether they consume too much energy while providing nothing that accomplishes or moves you closer to accomplishing your goals. Actually make two lists; (1) the things  that add value and (2) things that cause distractions and waste your precious energy and time.  Really study these lists. Then begin to see what you really want for your life. 

Sometimes even our best plans can run into snags and ditches. This is life. You will never know how strong you are or where you need to be strengthened and built up until you face adversity. Something in your life must be challenged.  There must be pressure. All too often our first objective is to avoid rather than deal with the things that pressure us. Having a resolve to remain committed even under fire helps develop who we really are. You need to know what you are made of so that you can see your character development. Staying the course is commitment under fire.

Joy and happiness are  feelings that we experience, but they are very different. Joy is the result of making peace with who you are, while happiness is the result of some outside stimulus.

Joy is eternal and happiness may be fleeting.

Stand before the mirror and tell me what you see. Think about past events, occurrences, opportunities, or activities that have transpired in your life and recall what they meant to you then and what they mean to you now. This is reflection.

Bravery is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation without the feeling of fear. Bravery is often expressed as courage; however, courage is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation even though you have the feeling of fear. Not quite, the same thing.

Silence is not the absence of communication. So much can be communicated through silence.

Good physical and mental health is essential in living your best life. 

Each one should teach one. Receiving guidance provided by a person who is experienced in an area that we are looking to acquire is receiving mentorship. We should in turn share what we have learned and give the benefit of our own experiences to another to assist that person on their journey. The mentee has an obligation to also be a mentor.

Self-improvement is the improvement of one's knowledge, status, or character by one's own efforts.  Examples of ways to improve:

1. Reading

2. Taking classes

3. Overcoming fears

4. Increase your skill set

5.  Exercise regularly

6. Get out of your comfort zone

7. Challenge yourself

8. Receive feedback

9. Learn from people who inspire you

10. Quit a bad habit

11. Avoid negative people

12. Start a journal

13. Learn from people and your experiences

14. Get a mentor or coach

Never limit yourself. Exploring possibilities gives you freedom to dream, and increase or create vision. The deeper the exploration, the more possibilities you can find. Remember the world is limitless in what you can achieve.

You have made it to the end - YES - say it!!!

This is the end of the introductory course work, but not the end of the journey. It is our hope that you will continue with the next titles in the series.

Stop Hiding from Who You Really Are

6-Week Building Self-Esteem

6-Month Transformation