In the game of life, we’re faced with new decisions, new routes, and new situations all the time. It can be easy to decide we’re going to sit back and let life happen to us. But what if we decided on letting life happen for us? This simple shift by replacing one word does so much for us but let’s not discount that showing up is hard work. Continue reading to learn more about how to show up for yourself.
Showing up for life
Every day we are faced with new decisions to make. We are always one decision away from a completely different life at any moment. Often times, we don’t understand the weight this holds for us. Showing up for life is a unique opportunity we are granted each and every day.Ā
This is why it’s important to take a step back and evaluate the options you have before reacting on impulse.
When life gives you lemons
When life gives you lemons, you have two choices; show up or sit back. If you choose the option to sit back, you’re accepting letting go of the ropes while seeing what happens to you. Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing, this means you are willing to see how the picture unfolds even if it means you suffer the consequences.Ā
Lemons can look a lot of different ways and show up in all different shapes and sizes. They can be big or small, be perfectly round, or mishaped. Much like what life has in store for us. There is no one size fits all.Ā
Showing up is hard work
According to Healthy Brains by Cleveland Clinic, “Your brain is a three pound universe thatĀ processes 70,000 thoughts each day using 100 billion neurons that connect at more than 500 trillion points through synapses that travel 300 miles/hour.” Woah! Let that sink in for a moment.Ā
On top of that, in her book Manifest; 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life, Roxie Nafousi talks about how 95% of your thoughts are subconcious, leaving only 5% to be concious. Say what? What’s even more, our subconcious doesn’t know the difference between a truth and a lie so it’ll believe whatever we conciously tell it. Are you communicating thoughts that serve the life you want to lead?
With an average of that many thoughts per day, no wonder showing up is hard work. It always amazes me what our minds are capable of.Ā
Tips for showing up in life
So, you’re at the point now where you might be thinking “yes, showing up is hard work so, how do I do it?” Well, I wouldn’t leave you hanging. It’s always my goal to meet you where you are with compassion and empathy and serve you with goodness to improve your mental, physical, and emotional wellness.Ā
As a certified Enneagram coach, it’s my job to type others based on the 9 Enneagram types and then help them approach life in a way that makes it more digestible based on their type. If you’re curious about your specific type and targeted ways to show up based on your type, reach out and I’ll be happy to help.
Here are some tips for showing up in life regardless of your Enneagram type:
Start your day with meditation
If you need some guidance, I like an app called Insight Timer, it’s full of 130,000 guided meditations and talks you can easily filter many different ways. While I sometimes meditate on my own, I still actively use Insight Timer more often than not. This calms your nervous system and allows you to really focus on what’s important to be in a position to make better decisions.
Limit distractionsĀ
It’s no secret we live in a world where distractions surround us at any given moment. We literally have access to the whole world at our fingertips through our phones. The more you can limit distractions, the more you limit inputs that may cause you to stray from showing up.
As an example, it can be way easier to scroll social media than take action on something that we need to do to align our behavior with the life we want.Ā While this may seem harmless at first, it’s easy for it to torpedo into extended screen time of chasing the white rabbit down a hole.Ā
Another tool I love that helps limit distractions is called Unroll.me. It’s a tool that scans your inbox for every subscription you have. It then provides you with the list and allows you to unsubscribe to whatever you want all at once instead of having to go through one email at a time clicking unsubscribe. Your email is not your job and there is no reason it should take up countless hours throughout each day. I had no idea how many things I was subscribed to when I ran it the first time.Ā
By limiting distractions, you free up precious space you can dedicate towards showing up for the things that truly matter vs distracting inputs that have no place in your life.Ā
Take a step back, pause, and question
With every new input or decision at hand, it’s important to take a step back and question if it has a place in your life. Ask yourself if it serves your goals and where you want to be or if it isn’t going to move your life in that direction. Anything that doesn’t get you closer to your goals is merely a distraction. I mentioned in one of my recent posts that my dad always said to me “if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”Ā
Summary – Showing Up is Hard Work
Showing up is hard work, I get it. But you always have choices, always. You have the power to choose the life you were made for or sit back and accept letting life happen to you. Which will you choose? I believe in you, I know you are capable of so much and are so strong and brave. You.can.do.it.
If you found this post helpful,Ā please let me know!
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