Sometimes I think that I am not qualified to give personal development tips and advice, I mean I haven’t broken any world record neither have I fed 5 thousand people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

However, I have benefited greatly from my moments of self awareness and reflection. They have helped me ace exams, execute projects successfully and make better/ more rewarding decisions in life.

As such I have come to convince myself: Even if you do not become the richest or the most successful woman in the world, by sharing your stories and positive thoughts, you can support and encourage others in their own journey through life; You can help someone else achieve much more.

And from my experience in writing so far, I have come to discover the truth in this quote:

“Form the habit of encouraging others, and you will find it a wonderful tonic for both those encouraged and yourself, for you will get back encouraging and uplifting thoughts.”

– Theron Dumont (Author: The Power of Concentration)

It is with this uplifting thought that I write this post. I sincerely hope that you’re able to tap into the positive energy and then let it flow graciously to those around you.

 

THE EASY WAY TO LIVE…

– Life is lived bits by bits. You will never cross the ocean if you do not lose sight of the shore:

This is something I remind myself of all the time especially when I find myself getting overwhelmed by some demanding project or task but really, it applies to all areas of life.

We tend to get carried away by the size of our dreams and aspirations, our goals and ambitions and as such get easily overwhelmed and discouraged.

We forget that the little steps taken daily by us are what leads to the final picture: The series of assignments, tests and exams that form your BSc. or MSc. certificates/ qualifications; the daily bathing, feeding, clothing, and caring for the little child till his/ her maturity (I have been guilty of always imagining how much work it’s going to take for a nursing mother to grow her child), It’s all about the little steps and tasks well executed on a daily basis.

So next time you find yourself procrastinating or losing hope over the magnitude of work you have to do to succeed at anything, remind yourself that you do not have to do it all at once. Take your time to properly breakdown your goals/ tasks into executable SMART chunks and then remember to…

– Appreciate the little wins:

This is something I used to ignore as well. We’re always looking forward to the next task, assignment or project and then it becomes so easy to get stressed.

Appreciating and showing gratitude for the little successes we achieve in our daily tasks enables us to maintain the needed motivation to achieve our goals.

While it is great to appreciate little wins, it is also important to remember your past glories and blessings. Not to find reasons to be proud and arrogant but rather to find inspiration/ motivation in yourself- your journey so far – and not elsewhere.

If you could score a C in that subject you found really difficult back then, then believe that you can totally ace this new challenge. And why would that be? Because what you had to do to get that C has made you stronger, sharper, smarter and more qualified. You are not the same person that you were before then. You have grown tremendously. Acknowledge that growth and build your next aspiration on it. Let it propel you to aim higher and raise your stakes.

Building momentum on your past wins however little, will go a long way in providing the needed self confidence and optimism to conquer your next challenge.

– Surround Yourself with Positive People:

When you spend time with great personalities who exude positive energy and character, it makes life way easier and enjoyable to live. You are always fired up for new challenges and new successes.

Dissociate from people who make you feel bad about yourself, people who hardly encourage you to be better, also people who make you feel like giving up on your personal growth.

Having people who believe in you and support you is not commonplace and is therefore a blessing to those who do have them. However, we should make effort to reach out to these kinds of personalities wherever we find them (on social media or elsewhere) and be willing to also make as much impact because really it takes two (or more) to tango. Do not expect to always be at the receiving end, go out and give something of yourself too.

– Take Time to Unplug:

Life can be really “noisy” sometimes; So much is happening in the news, in your environment, your work place, and sometimes even in your immediate/ extended family.

Well, guess what?

You really do not have to be a part of the noise all the time. Take some time to disconnect from unnecessary activities and just focus on you: your well being. As we grow older in life, we’ll get to find more sense in this act. A lot of people are unnecessarily busy with nothing great to show for it. There’s always an event, or an activity to be involved in.

The earlier you realize that the rate of your personal growth is dependent on how much time you spend with yourself and your loved ones, how much you really invest into meaningful relationships and engagements, the easier it becomes to live and truly enjoy life.

And when all else fails…

Remember that you didn’t “fall from heaven”. There is a God that is still there.

Take your relationship with God a lot more seriously because whether you believe it or not, things can get out of your control, sometimes even your loved ones cannot help you as much as they’d love to, they cannot ease your pain and make you feel better.

Certain aspects of life still lie way beyond your control or imagination and really there’s no point in trying to force it. It only makes sense to submit totally to the one who created you and all other beings in order to have life submit to you as well.

Irrespective of whatever challenges you face, always remember these little tips and you will find things way easier than ever as you paddle enthusiastically through your own sea of life.