Uplift Your Life

momma had sent me this link a while back and it got lost in my inbox.... lately a lot of things have gotten lost in there.... anyways, i found this very appropriate considering what i just blogged....

Uplift Your Life:
Seven Strategies to Break Through Burnout, Boredom, and Blues
By Lauren E. Sullivan

www.InspiredLifeDesign.com

If you are suffering from burnout or feeling disappointment with how your life has turned out, take heart! These seven strategies will guide you step-by-step along an empowering path to renew your energy and zest for life.

1. Shore up your energy for change. When you are feeling defeated, resist the urge to push yourself into action to fix your life. Instead, slow down and recharge your batteries.
Acknowledge that your resources have been drained by the stress of a life chronically out of whack. Give yourself a nurturing gift by making a conscious choice to rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit. Embarking on a big change when you are depleted of energy and enthusiasm may get you somewhere, but probably not where you really want to go. Here are some things you can do to refuel your tank and renew your spirit:
• Start a personal journal for self-exploration
• Engage in nurturing activities for self-care
• Schedule time off just for you
• Practice saying “no” to create more personal time
• Find ways to play
• Engage in a pleasant hobby
• Exercise in ways that are fun for you
• Relax in a hammock
• Take walks in nature
• Work in the garden
• Join a meditation class
• Read an engaging book
• Do something creative or artistic

2. Resurrect the dreams you left behind. Spend some quality time alone with your thoughts and a journal. Write about your needs, your desires and your dreams. Take a trip down memory lane and remember the things that used to bring a smile to your face, the things you enjoyed when you were younger and life was simpler. What were your hopes for the future? What is your highest aspiration for your life now? If there were no obstacles, what would you be doing with your life? Here are some things to do and think about to help you get in touch with your deepest desires:
• Go on a mental treasure hunt to rediscover the things you love.
• Think about what you loved as a child and as a younger adult.
• What kinds of books are you drawn to and why?
• What do you like to do with your free time?
• Do you have a thirst for learning about a particular subject?
• In what ways do you expect yourself to be “practical”?
• How do you protect yourself from disappointment?
• What’s missing from your life?
• What do you long for?
• What legacy would you like to leave?
• If you found out you had only a few months to live, how would you spend your time?
• What do you value the most in life?
• Complete this sentence, “I feel joyful when_______.”
• If I could be, do or have anything I wanted, what would it be?

3. Conquer your inner critic and limiting beliefs. Beware of the ugly inner critic that wants to nip this “flight of fantasy” thing in the bud. Pay attention to the negative, critical messages that stop you from taking steps in a new direction. Become an observer of your inner dialog and decide who you want in charge of your life: your inner critic or your inner coach? Allow your inner coach to expand your belief in what is possible. Here are things you can do and questions you can ponder that will help you strengthen your belief that you can have what you want.
• Examine the ways you tell yourself, “I can’t”. Separate fact from fiction.
• Practice shifting your inner dialog to say, “I can” or “Oh, YES I can!”
• What other negative messages do you hear from your inner critic?
• How does your inner critic fill in the blank when you say the words, “I am______”?
• What would a kind and gentle inner coach say instead?
• Write down these positive messages as statements of affirmation, “I am _____” and repeat them often.
• Be compassionate with yourself. Let go of judgment about past choices.
• Commit to making new choices in support of your new desired outcomes.
• Practice forgiveness of yourself and others.
• Avoid “black and white” thinking. Look for shades of gray (find the middle ground).
• Be willing to ask for help and support more often.


4. Find joy in the journey. Short-circuit the “I’ll be happy when…” syndrome by choosing to consciously dwell in positive thought and feeling. Make a choice to spend more time noticing what is right with your life and what is right with you rather than feeding the cycle of negativity by magnifying what seems to be wrong or missing from your life. Positive feelings such as gratitude, appreciation, love, and compassion for yourself and others will energize you and propel you toward a brighter future. Here are some things you can do to feel your way to a better life right now, without any significant change in your circumstances!
• Focus on what is working in your life rather than what is not working.
• Start a gratitude journal and write about what you appreciate about your life.
• Express your appreciation to the people around you for the things you love and respect.
• Think about all the things you appreciate about yourself and write them down.
• Bask in the joy of acknowledging yourself in this way.
• With difficult people and situations, shift your focus to look for any positive aspects or gifts, i.e., how this circumstance may enable you to grow and learn.
• Remember a time you felt happy. Imagine it in detail and use your senses to relive the memory and recreate that happy feeling.
• Clear out your negativity. Write down all the negative feelings that have been draining your energy. Set an intention to let these feelings go. Tear up the paper and throw it away.
• Consciously choose positive feelings. Fill at least one page in your journal with all the wonderful positive feelings you’d like to experience in your life. Read this often!

5. Imagine you are already where you want to be. Spend time playing in your imagination. Not only is it okay to daydream, it’s a vital step in redesigning your life. Allow yourself to vividly imagine the life that would bring you the greatest joy and satisfaction. Then write about what you envision in clear, concise, emphatic, and energizing words. An empowering vision for your future will lift you out of the doldrums and into action! Here are some things to do to help you create a compelling personal vision.
• Spend some time daydreaming about the new life you want to create!
• Record your thoughts, ideas, and dreams in your journal.
• Look through magazines for pictures that represent the life you desire.
• Cut out pictures and words that you find inspiring.
• Create a picture collage using poster board, a scrapbook or colorful paper.
• Continue to use your journal to create word pictures that express your dreams and desires for your future.
• Be conscious about thinking and writing about what you want, not what you don’t want.
• Try a creative writing approach: be the star in your own movie script or write a story called, “A Day in the Life.”
• Declare your desires out loud in front of a mirror, to a trusted, supportive friend, or to a life coach. Don’t share your vision with anyone you know to be a doubter or critic!
• Gather your insights from all of your journaling work and self-discovery to create a powerful vision statement that starts with the words, I AM. You’ll know you have it right for you when you feel the urge to shout, “YES!”

6. Create an inspiring life plan. Support your vision with a detailed plan for your new life. What needs to change in order for you to experience a rich and robust quality of life? Look at each aspect of your life that is important to you and make a conscious decision to fill in those missing pieces. Declare your intentions in writing, and then make a commitment to take action to carry out your plan. Here are some tips for how to harness the power of intention to propel you to an empowering new life!
• Draw a picture of a pie with eight segments.
• Label each pie segment with an aspect of your life that is important to you and needs your attention in order to create a quality of life that pleases you.
• To be sure you have identified the eight areas that are most important, ask yourself, “If all these aspects of my life are working, will I have a satisfying life?” If not, keep revising your pie until the picture of your life is complete.
• For each area you identified in your pie of life, create an intention statement: “My intention for my _______ is to_____________.” Use feeling words to give your words positive energy.
• For each intention statement you create, ask yourself, “Now that I am clear about my intention for _______, what choices will I make in order to carry out this intention?”
• Now get very specific about actions you are committed to taking that are measurable. This will not be your average “To Do” list, because each action is now tied to your choices, your intentions and your broader vision for your life, which have all come from your heart!
• Use your life plan to evaluate new opportunities and requests for your time.
• Does this decision fit with the vision and intentions I hold for my life?
• If I make this choice, will it further my progress toward the future I envision?
Review your life plan on a regular basis to keep your focus clear and your energy charged.

7. Navigate the bumps in the road. Allow for imperfections! If things do not go as planned, or if something comes out of left field to knock you off track, let it be. Tend to the crisis or detour, but hold onto your vision. The path between where you are and where you want to be may not unfold in a straight line. Look for the gift in the situation and get back on track as soon as you can. Persistence and patience are important keys to transforming your life. Here are some helpful ways to ensure you stay true to your vision.
• Treat your life plan as a living document, one to update as you move through life.
• Acknowledge your progress and be gentle with yourself as you begin to implement change.
• Focus on creating one new habit at a time. Experience some success with one new habit, and then begin to implement another.
• Give yourself status reports.
• Schedule time with yourself (ideally at the same time and on the same day each week) to review your progress and reaffirm your vision.
• Consider daily status reports if you have difficulty maintaining focus.
• Celebrate every baby step along the way, because in time, each step will add up to a giant leap. And before you know it, burnout, boredom and blues will become a distant memory as you find yourself reawakening to joy and passion in your life!