I frequently browse the internet for self help ideas. Disappointingly, a lot seem to portray the concept that life is only truly great if you make squillions of dollars, have an enviable buffed body, drive a purring sports car and party a lot. I am none of those things and don't aspire to be that person. There is nothing inherently wrong with it all, but of greater importance to me is how much effort is required to get there and will I feel deliriously happy when I do?. How much will I have to sacrifice and what will it all do to the rest of my life. At the moment, I am doing what I can to stay mentally fit and look after the relationships that I have.
My current pleasures are:
- reading books
- watching television
- baking biscuits
- walking slowly around the shops
- my morning coffee machine coffee at home
- the security to moan to my family knowing that they won't judge and that they are doing all they can to help
- playing plants vs. zombies on my ageing iPad.
I have been following the posts of Robin Sharma for quite a time now but take it all with a grain of salt and feel his teachings are not quite for me for a range of reasons. They are interesting, not long and usually short. His websites and email deliveries are loaded with videos and recordings, usually made in an exotic hotel room.
Sharma, a Canadian is a lawyer who quit his job and self published a book with the help of his mother. He has since self-published, "The Monk who Sold his Ferrari," and others with equally interesting titles. He has become a renowned speaker on leadership and self-mastery and talks about scaling up results, being a light in the world and shifting from victimhood. All of these lead to increasing one's mindset and increasing performance.
Last week I stumbled upon a podcast titled, "Meditations for a World-Class Mentality," one of his personal mastery recordings. Being only 11 minutes long, I decided to listen to it. After listening to it a couple of times, realised that I could apply the principles to my life and view of the world. He describes four principles.
1. Messy is the price of legendary.
All change is hard at first; messy in the middle and beautiful at the end.
Being great is hard work; sacrifices are required when you are ridiculed, use it to develop 'mastery.'
I am not sure what all of that means but it can be applied to my current state. I have a need to maintain my independence and at times that is difficult. Messes mark where I have started something and not finished it because I got too tired; couldn't reach or it hurt too much. It is however, vital that I continue to do as much as I can. It is demoralising to be asking for help with activities that were previously simple and not requiring conscious thought. The beautiful part is the sense of satisfaction when I have done something on my own.
My message: Give it a go. You will never know if you don't.
2. Stay in your lane.
What do I want my life to stand for? Make your way to the top without losing yourself along the way. Clarify what your future vision is.
I am a creative person so I am using it to push me forward through the difficult times. Digging up garden beds is not really on the agenda so I have taken to rejuvenating my pot plants and creating succulent terrariums, which give me great satisfaction. Plants are my thing so it makes sense to stick with them. I have to continue with the things that give me pleasure.
My message: Find something you enjoy doing and explore what you can do with it.
3. Deal in your own craft.
Mastery lives in the details.
Do you always leave home with your clothes freshly pressed and hair clean and tidy? It would be very easy to do the groceries in scruffy clothes and messy hair but I don't. While the effort seems too much some days, it does a lot for my self-respect to put the effort in. I feel better afterwards.
I love photography and pictures. You will always find my blog posts filled with pictures, usually taken by other, but pictures that I like and seem to match the theme. Waterlillies by Claude Monet is a beautiful painting and I feel it makes my post more attractive and meaningful.
My message: Do something every day that boosts your feeling of self-respect.
4. Stay true to you.
Live life on your own terms. Measure life based on your own scorecard.
I continue to strive to do what is important to me. To treat others with cheerful respect.
My message: If it doesn't feel right, think twice about doing it. It may not be for you.
I suggest you listen to Sharma's recording for yourself. I have found it useful and you might too. Here is the link.
Meditations for a World-Class Mentality
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