The "Post" has even become an essential widget on my iGoogle homepage. This morning groggy eyed and un-caffeinated I opened my browser and this little inpiration piece was waiting for me. It resonated so deeply with me I decided there must be someone else who would benefit from reading it.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life... Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. -Steve Jobs
3 Simple Steps to Find the Courage to be Yourself:
1) Knowledge Is Power
Socrates said it best: "Know Thyself." This includes understanding what makes you feel alive, what captures your imagination, and also what comes naturally to you. Knowing your strengths is a huge advantage. If you have a great sense of humor, creativity or an ability to communicate easily with people, then you can build on those qualities to create your best life. By focusing on enhancing your strengths rather than trying to make up for your weaknesses, you can move more quickly in your desired direction and have fun in the process.
2) Get Into The Flow
Have you ever been so caught up in an activity that the hours fly by in what seemed like minutes? This is called being in a flow state. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow can happen when you're totally immersed in what you are doing and feeling both serene and connected. This buoyant state can happen many ways, including when deeply focusing on a sport, writing a paper or even playing music. Yoga and mindfulness are reported to increase flow, but it can occur anywhere your skill level is equal to your challenge and you get totally absorbed in the activity. Think of times when you were engrossed in something: your attention was heightened and you felt that everything was aligned.
3) Embody What You Believe In
Once you know your strengths and where you experience flow, you can consciously tweak your life to include more of that. By stepping into your authenticity, you automatically come into greater alignment and a peace that serves not only yourself but others, as well. Gandhi stated that "happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." Don't underestimate the importance of your own fulfillment and happiness; it ripples out farther than you may know. Rather than rocking the boat by being who you are, you actually give other people permission to do the same.
Follow this link to the entire post: Authentic Happiness
Author Randy Taran
And don't forget to smile.
Great article and wise advice.
ReplyDelete