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– By Diana Robinson
Sometimes the changes we would like to make in our lives are so far-reaching that the mere thought of them overwhelms us. We become frozen with fear and are unable to make a start. Remember, though, that one thing leads to another. If you start to change just one area of your life, the next will be easier, and then the next and the next. Here are ten possible places to start:
1. You as a person.
What do you like about yourself? Not like? How can you change it? (Hint, if you're not sure what needs to be changed, take a look at what you try to keep hidden from others.)
2. Your thinking.
Your unconscious takes orders from the programming you give it. Do you limit yourself? Talk negatively to yourself? Find all the reasons why not? Instead, become self-aware so that you catch your negative self-messages and refuse them. Then turn them around and make them into positives.
3. Attitude.
This is often an outward manifestation of our thinking. It is what others see. Would you want to be on the receiving end of what you offer to the rest of the world? If not, why should other people? Perhaps, instead of waiting for the world to change, you could try making the first move.
4. Associates.
Who do you spend your time with? Are they people you are proud to know? Do you justify your choice of friends by praising how non-judgmental they are, when actually they just have no standards? Are they people you would be glad to see your family or your work associates spend time with? If not, what are you getting out of the relationships? Is it time for a change?
5. Spare time.
How do you spend it? Does it enrich you or numb you? Do you use it to contribute or to consume? When did you last do something just because doing it made you feel joyous, proud, excited, and just plain GOOD?
6. Work.
Are you proud of what you do? Do you enjoy it? Or do you dread going to work and spend the weekdays counting the time to the next weekend?
7. Surroundings.
Do your surroundings make you smile when you walk into a room? Do they reflect how good you feel about yourself? Have you added flowers, frills, colors, or whatever lifts your spirit when you look at it? Or are you surrounded by piles and stacks of stuff just waiting to be sorted, folded or put away? How much energy does just thinking about this stuff take from you every day?
8. Eating habits.
Do you use food to contribute to your health and wellness or to numb yourself? Have you tried keeping a food diary for just one week? Anyone who reads, or watches TV has to know by now what is good for us. How can we disrespect ourselves by not making good use of that knowledge?
9. Exercise.
Ditto. Do you put more effort into maintaining your car or other transportation than into maintaining your body? We don't have to run a marathon or win an Olympic gold in order to work at maintaining the machine that we expect to carry us throughout our lives. There are so many ways to keep fit today that anyone can find something they can do, even if it is just(!) running up and down stairs instead of using the elevator.
10. Consumption.
As we look at the fragility of the earth, and the limited sources of what we consume, are we doing the best we can for what our grandchildren will inherit? Or are we selfishly choosing to make our own temporary convenience more important than the quality of future lives?
This piece was originally submitted by Diana Robinson, Ph.D., Personal & Career Coach, who can be reached at Diana@ChoiceCoach.com, or visited on the Web at http://www.choicecoach.com/
About the Author:
Diana Robinson wants you to know: As a Coach, I work with clients who are ready to grow and change, who know that there is more to life than they are presently experiencing, and who are eager to reach out for it. I offer a free e-mail newsletter, Work in Progress, and a free half-hour phone coaching session. I'd love to hear from you.
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