Life is more enjoyable when we actually appreciate (versus mindlessly consume) the luxuries to which we afford ourselves. Amidst the ups and downs of life and the challenges that we all inevitably face, little sparks of delight can buoy us and help us savor the goodness that does fill our days.
Categories can be a useful tool for understanding ourselves.
Getting clear about what we don’t value enough to spend time on helps us ensure that there is enough time to spend on the things that we do value. It can be easy to mindlessly waste time, and making a list of what we won’t do can help keep us from slipping into the time-waste vortex.
Our lives are saturated (with information, tasks and content to be processed), and we all have limitations (of time, mental space, enthusiasm, or any other number of things). Because we can’t read it all, learn it all, or do it all, it behooves us to devote our interior resources to the material that will have the greatest tangible outcomes.
It’s worth considering what alternative job descriptions we’d like to inhabit, because once identified, we can figure out how to incorporate aspects of those dreams into our ordinary lives, adding some fun and variety to the everyday, and also helping us claim a different side of our multifaceted identities.
There are many good reasons to practice mindfulness. But just because something is good doesn’t mean that the opposite of that thing isn’t also good.
I am gainfully employed in work that is meaningful and engaging, but I still find the question “what’s your dream job?” useful in orienting my short-term priorities and long-term goals. It helps me add zest to my work through tapping into my passions and dreams and it helps me determine how to most meaningfully spend my free time.
We all have various baselines throughout our everyday lives, including how much we exercise, how clean we keep our houses and the amount of social stimulation we need to feel happy. Knowing yours can help you on the path to self-knowledge, acceptance and growth.
The first step in solving problems is assessing the actual problem. Making this practice “step one” when encountering challenges will save time, mental energy and emotional stamina, better equipping me to solve the real issues at hand in any given situation.
The popular opinion might not work for us, and that’s okay.
Teresa Coda 