OBSERVATION
We all have pursuits. Some pursue money and fame, others pursue athletic or artistic ability. Some pursue friendships and serving others. And still others pursue life’s deep questions by spirituality.
What are you pursuing for your life? Do you want to look better, feel better, or do better? Any of these are possible, . . . but they must be pursued. The journey involves physical, mental, and spiritual health. There are no shortcuts. Just as professionals pursue their craft, you can pursue your life.
What Does That Mean for You?
There may be areas of your life where you mostly do well. You may be the person whose relational skills come naturally. Or it could be that you have a deep and unwavering faith which helps you through life. Or, you could be the person who loves to eat right, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. When these come easily, that part of your life is healthy and working well.
But there are other areas that may not be so easy. You want to be physically healthy, so you buy new exercise equipment and decide you’ll be using it 5 times a week. Although your intention is good, the follow through is difficult. You may be the person who decides to always be kind to others. After setting your intention, you get cut off in traffic and end up swearing like a sailor. Or you want to live in a state of gratitude and peace. These beautiful places crumble when you are met with difficult circumstances.
REASON
Why do our intentions, decisions, and desires fail to carry us through to our pursuits?
Because it will take more than that.
Going after our pursuits (and a good life) takes work. It’s time consuming and necessitates difficulty. There is no shortcut to training the body, mind, and spirit to become healthy.
Our muscles do not get stronger when they are stagnant. Our minds will not be clear if we allow them to simply react to the circumstances around them. And our spirit will be agitated if we do not intentionally pursue spiritual practices. Like an athlete honing their craft, we can hone the skills we need to have a successful life. These skills will not come automatically nor stay sharp unless we put them to use.
Think about your emotions. Are they working well in your life? Are they helping to improve your relationships? Do you control them, or do they control you? Often, people believe their emotions cannot be controlled.
This is not true.
Emotions can be felt and then managed by having the right skills. It takes awareness, understanding, and practice.
Think about relationships. You are one half of each encounter with another person. If you allow others to control you, or you try to control others, things go awry. The interaction is out of balance. How can you improve that? Skills! Just as a batter can improve their average by improving their ability, you too can learn how to interact better with people by improving your relationship skills.
It’s important to understand, you don’t have to get it right all the time. Learn the skills and them put them into practice. James Clear insists that consistency is so much better than intensity.
Success is the product of daily habits – not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.
James Clear
WHAT WILL MAKE IT BETTER?
Practice, practice, practice
Athletes need practice to be good at their sport. People need practice to be good at their life.
What will it take?
Physical Health – What does it mean to ‘practice’ being physically healthy? First, you will need an awareness of how your body responds to various foods, movement, and sleep. An example is finding that 8 hours of sleep allows you to think more clearly. Practice getting 8 hours of sleep each night. Make it a priority. Do it routinely. Build the skill.
Mental – What does it mean to ‘practice’ being mentally healthy? First, find a place where you’re not mentally healthy. An example might be that you may have negative thoughts running through your mind which brings your mood down. An awareness of this is the first and most crucial step. Now you can practice capturing those thoughts and replacing them with truthful and compassionate thoughts. Make it a priority. Build the skill.
Spiritual – What does it mean to ‘practice being spiritually healthy? First, what does it mean to you to be spiritual? This is not necessarily a religious quest. Start with one of my practices of; faith, gratitude, hope, joy, love, meaning, or purpose. You could practice gratitude by writing one thing you are grateful for each day. You could practice love by sending a card, making a phone call to check in with a friend, or making someone a meal. You could practice hope by meditating on how wonderful things will be if all your dreams come true.
Can you see how these simple things are simply ways to practice having a great life? Being healthy and successful is a lifelong pursuit. You can look, feel, and do better.
