The New More is Less
Is it any wonder that Life on the Small-a new you, is gaining popularity. The new trend for a growing number of urban dwellers is downsizing into mindfulness. The new more, is less. Getting by with less stuff is making it easier to move more smoothly through the day.
We are scolded for being incomplete and that we need to do more and buy more. This fosters a never-ending cycle of growth that is unnatural and unhealthy. It makes us want to begin at the top of the ladder. It’s almost impossible to meet anyone who wants to start small and to start from the beginning. We want to begin at the top, and I have to admit that I once believed in this concept, as well.
We are force-fed the culture of “hero worship” and the madness of aspiring to be someone, or something, other than who we are. The result often leads to depression and despair.
Be in Control of your Day
The daily news cycle incessantly bombards us with the accomplishments of super athletes, or the financial achievers of the day. I admire these great achievers for their will and fortitude, but I have no desire to become them. I am me and I am content with becoming a better version of myself.
Let the makers and shakers live their lives, and let me live mine. Is it any wonder that we struggle to maintain a degree of control over our daily lives?
When we see an NFL quarterback, throwing “the long bomb”, or “the hail Mary pass“, and scoring an incredible touchdown, we imagine ourselves doing the same, and then feel disappointed when reality lands us back into our humdrum lives.
You are More than you realize
We are led to believe that we are failures when we do not achieve similar results for ourselves. The fact of the matter is that this athlete or person has been honing his craft for years. Golfers, for example, practice their swings for years. Why should we let someone dupe us into believing that we can achieve similar results in minutes or hours?
It takes Time for the penny to drop
Give yourself the green light. Take the moment to consider your next move. Stop and breathe. You are not someone’s pawn or slave. Put your foot down, and say NO to their madness, and YES to yourself. Enjoy the moment, because it will soon evaporate on the wheel of time.
Apply this slowdown to all facets of your life. In the Building Trades, it is common knowledge that an apprentice requires 10,000 hours of study and practice to reach journeyman status. 10,000 hours, at 2000 hours per year is 5 years of persistent effort and study. This means that after spending 5 years in ANY field of study, you are only breaking the surface of the body of knowledge required to understand what is necessary to become competent in your field.
Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers, and Engineers spent 7 to 10 years to reach this level of competence.
There’s no need to learn it all today. A relaxed mind, in clear focus is more efficient and can achieve better results in less time.
We live in a world of instant soup, instant coffee, and instant results. Let me go out on a limb here and say that they are NOT the same as homemade soup, great coffee, and the results that are achieved from years of dedicated study and practice.
Choose the Path for You
Your life needs a routine, but it has to be the routine for you. Yes, sometimes, you have to make your life about you!
Without you being in charge of your being, chaos will reign supreme. To function efficiently you need order and structure. Ships need captains, and airplanes need pilots. How would you feel flying across the country, in an airplane, where the people in the cockpit were unsure about who was going to fly the plane, and what elevation they should be flying at.
The only “instant” in life, is the struggle. Stop listening to the “sugar-coaters”. Sit down alone and ask yourself, “What do I want”, “What motivates me”, “How can I realistically achieve this”? Learn to leave your phone alone for a few minutes. Stop listening to everyone else, all the time. Take a few minutes to ask yourself questions, … and listen to the answers!
A New You
Teach yourself to listen, to read, and to study a situation more calmly. Without study and learning, you are not going to be able to move forward in your career of choice, let alone compete with the best in your company, or in the world.
Start small. It takes years to be able to do these things well. Learn to negotiate and learn to speak up.
Learn to stand up for yourself. You cannot, and will not, change the world in one day, but you can improve your life, and the lives of your loved ones, a tiny bit, every day.
A New Beginning for a New You
Be a bit more mindful today than you were yesterday. You can control your mindset more than believe.
In this way, you can earn more benefits and achieve a small degree of progress over time. You will be amazed at how much this adds up over time. In a year, you will not recognize the old you.
Mindfulness will help you unwind and wash away the petty things that trouble your days. It will give you more time and the space to grow into a more satisfied person. It will not bring immediate total bliss, but it will bring the beginning of a calmer existence.
There will still be moments when you get flustered and are unsure about how to deal with your day to day challenges.
You will not attain the mindfulness of a monk overnight, but slowly you will gain greater mastery over your life, and experience the present moment more fully. A new glow will shine in your eyes and the wonder of life will enter your soul.