A Series of Observations

Our mind is the most powerful thing we possess. It keeps us safe in times of stress, it allows us to comprehend the world around us, and interpret every little detail that we share and take in.

Within the science space, a mindset is considered to be something that can grow and change through our actions, habits and lifestyles. Every time we think, or engage with the world around us, our neural connections flare and send signals throughout the body, guiding not only what we do physically, but the outcomes of our interactions by influencing our feelings, emotions and thought processes. It’s a natural process for these neural pathways to change as we get older, through natural development but also by what or who we love, are motivated by, and everything else that makes us who we are.

We have no idea how much we can impact our reality with our very thoughts. We aren’t taught to live outside of or question the cultural norms of our society. Some people believe we have become “sheeple” or human robots because of it. That’s a debate for another time, but I believe that outside of those boundaries is where magic and a whole new (or maybe ancient) way of living waits for us.

Over my life, I have learned how to become a person that is welcoming of life, more willing to take risks, and doesn’t see themselves as the victim but rather the creator of their own story. Fate and destiny may have a play in that too, but again, so many topics to explore another time!

Today I am focusing only on the mindsets I have adopted that made a difference in how I interacted with myself, my experiences and those around me. The difference has been fulfilling, and makes me feel so much lighter and less stressed than I might be otherwise. Truthfully, it happened slowly as I worked through each experience in life, and is by no means the end of this journey.

Here are some mantras I believe in that compose my most influential mindsets.

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Everything happens exactly as and when it’s meant to.

Have you ever sat at a redlight, frustrated beyond belief you’re running late to the next thing? Maybe you have kids in the back seat, demanding snacks and wondering when you’ll get home, or are just feeling impatient, only to get down the road and find a bad car wreck?

Or maybe you were on the phone for longer than you wanted and didn’t leave for work on time, but realized that phone call or your burnt toast might have saved you or a loved ones life.

It is in these moments that require our most patience, because the “set backs” in our life, are always, and I do mean always, protecting us or redirecting us onto a better path.

So I whole-heartedly believe that everything in my life is unfolding in the ways it’s meant to, at the exact time it’s meant to.

We are meant to let go of the things that leave us, we are meant to leave that job because another is a better fit for us, and even when I feel angry in those moments, I stop and assess the situation. I force myself to see all the ways that it could be helping me, and I show gratitude for no longer being with someone, or in a situation where I simply did not fit or benefit from.

I encourage you to look at your roadblocks, whether literal or otherwise, and train your mind to explore how much potential they may hold for you.

Get your daily D.O.S.E.

This is not an original idea, but an idea I love to share. I don’t even know where it came from, so I can’t give credit.

DOSE, stands for Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. The Four Horsemen of Happiness, so to speak. Each day, to live a better life and have a happier mindset, it’s important to get your daily DOSE. Over time, your daily DOSE will become your lifestyle, and you’ll no doubt be a different person for it.

Gratitude is the best attitude

Each of these mindsets can be interwoven with another, but expressing gratitude at as many moments as possible, both good and bad can greatly change your daily perspective.

Receive a compliment? Express sincere gratitude. Got the wrong coffee order? Express gratitude for them making that coffee and politely request the right one. Friend or romantic breakup? Be grateful for the part they played in your story and let them go.

The list can go on and on.

When we continuously express gratitude, not only are we more focused on the positive outcomes of life, but we pull ourselves out of victim mentalities that might poison our life experiences.

Make time for your wellness, or you’ll have to make time for your illness.

Sometimes nutrition and physical movement is made difficult from any number of things, after all, life is unpredictable and usually gets quite busy. For the ways in which nutrition and exercise isn’t impacted from a medical condition, motivation and discipline can be the most difficult parts of wellness.

However when I face these challenges in taking care of myself, I remind myself at every point that I would rather make time for my wellness than make time for the negative effects not doing those things would inevitably cause.

Wellness looks different for everyone. We all aren’t going to be able to lift three times our weight. We might not be master chefs either, but with one step after another, you can create a full and well-balanced life of good nutrition and healthy exercise. Your body and mind will thank you everyday for it!

Comparison can kill or it can motivate.

We’ve all done it. Opened Instagram and saw a beautiful person, wearing beautiful clothes, in a probably equally if not more beautiful place, maybe doing something “cool,” and wanted so badly to switch lives.

There’s nothing wrong with you if you do! But I encourage you to shift your mindset when this happens by asking yourself why?

Why do I think they are beautiful? Maybe you reflect just as many of those qualities, or can now identify things within your lifestyle or routines you’d like to improve on.

Why do you like their clothes? You’d probably look just as good in them too, or you can use their style as inspiration for your own.

Why do you want to go to that place? Maybe you can let it be the motivation you need to start travelling, or to prioritize making your personal spaces feel better.

Why do you think what they are doing is cool? How can you incorporate more activities that you love into your life. Or what activities would you like to start doing, and how can you make that happen?

We consistently place power in others hands, especially people we are so far removed from, like a celebrity, and forget that they are humans living their own unique experience, and with it its own unique challenges.

I think in asking why, and asking it as many times as you need to get to the heart of your desire will actually open our minds to all that we can explore and attract in our lives. No matter our abilities, orientation or tax-bracket.

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I understand that perspective shifts can take time, and might be painful in their own way, but I truly believe that I am happier and more at peace in life because of it. I still have my bad days, where I compare or spiral or feel sorry for myself, and you will too. In those moments we need to be compassionate and recognize our need for connection and belonging, using those opportunities to greater connect with ourselves and those around us.

Not to tear us down, but to build a more beautiful life.

Have a great weekend!