Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to focus on me.
I’m focusing on myself to find my normal. The normal that I define for MYSELF. Not your normal. Not his normal. My normal.
Now, I am not talking about being selfish, just setting new baselines. Is that really a bad thing? Is it selfish to take a ME FIRST stance?
The airlines have been showing us the importance of being selfish for decades. Everyone who has ever flown has been shown this bit of truth, and many have not taken the time to gain the deeper meaning.
They tell us that when the mask drops, you must first secure your own mask before helping someone else.
What’s the meaning I see? If you can’t save yourself, how can you save others? Focusing on you means you will be able to achieve your best and, therefore, you will be able to do more.
So, how do we focus on ourselves? Here are a few ideas:
Have Passion for YOU.
Today, I was in a networking event and someone brought up a TV show that I love. I erupted with comments, and the rest of the group was taken aback with my show of passion for a TV show!
I talked about all the good things I saw, and how I interpreted what happened. I might have even convinced one or two people to see this show in a new light.
What if we showed that same intensity about ourselves?
No show and no person is perfect, but I stay focused on what I love and don’t fill my head with the negatives.
Self-Evaluate!
We do this with work, hobbies, and family by identifying areas that need improvement and recognizing areas of success, knowing that this attention will be beneficial when done positively. So should we not take the same approach to our own well-being?
Growth and positivity are things that we aspire to. Self-loathing and dissatisfaction are things we forbid because we know they do not help us reach a solution, yet these are the things we might tend to focus on the most when thinking about ourselves and our actions.
Treating ourselves the way we treat our passions does not mean we are only thinking about ourselves and denying everyone else. It means we want the best for that which we have passion for, which translates to wanting the best for ourselves.
Exercise.
I know. I’m not suggesting we all need to become fitness freaks, but I do mean we need to be actionable beings. Resistance builds. Nothing is learned without it.
So, exercise your mind, your body, and your soul. Trying new things will allow us to avoid the rut! And this will keep us from our self-loathing thoughts.
Spending time with those who are passionate about you will help your inner language.
Spending time with those you are passionate about will help rejuvenate your soul.
Filling your time and thoughts with things that create a healthier you will create the healthier you that you seek.
I’m not talking about complete abandonment of your life as you know it. Focusing on you can mean Taking a Break and calling someone or reading this uplifting article. 😁
Or finding the time to not just eat your lunch or snack, but actually focusing on the moment and ENJOYING your lunch or snack. Savor the taste, the textures. Indulge!
Go For It!
Read that book, take that class, sing that song, write that novel, or stop doing anything for 10 minutes and fantasize about that person, place, or hobby. Switching gears allows you to grow.
Gain a better understanding of who you are today to help you fall in love with yourself again. Or maybe fall in love with yourself for the first time ever.
And, hopefully, you can do this with the knowledge that who you are today is not who you will be in the future.
Allowing yourself to grow will allow you to accept YOUR normal, which, in turn, will allow others to see your normal and add their own. The only way to be passionate about something is to embrace it and allow yourself to be in the moment with it.
Take a Break.
Allow it to get in. Let it tear down the walls. And then, get to truly know yourself.
The moments can be the Breaks in the day that will allow you to build.
