3 minute read
Simple things you can do to lead a life of meaning and purpose
from Balance 1-21
PETRIS LAPIS B COM LLB LLM FIPA FFA
AUTHOR PRESENTER DIRECTOR PETRIS LAPIS PTY LTD
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Have you ever thought about the purpose you want your life to have? Have you ever wanted your life to have meaning (or more than it has at the moment)? These are the simple things that have helped me on this journey called life to find purpose and meaning …
Always be ruthlessly honest with yourself… always. Denying what is, has never been a great strategy for improving yourself or the world around you.
Find the courage to step beyond fear. I find it better to take the initiative to confront the things I fear before life puts me in front of them anyway. A smarter person than me once told me that your greatest growth comes from confronting the thing you fear most. After you make it to the other side of that fear, you realise just how little energy some of the things you fear deserve. Understand that nothing
you learn about yourself
can hurt you. Maybe I should rephrase that … you will feel uncomfortable, but you will survive facing the truth about yourself. And life from that point forward will start to improve. Once I acknowledged that I found some social situations difficult, I could use strategies to make it easier for myself. Until I acknowledged it, I would not accept help.
Be prepared to change. The constant in our lives is change. I suspect that you will never again be in a moment with as little change as there is now. Embrace it, thrive on it and enjoy it for what it is … something different.
Take the high road. If the low road works for you, I would love to know your secret. Every time I have attempted to do something I knew was not right for me or to take a short cut, it all went pear shaped. Now I take the right road at the right >
time, do the right thing and treat people and the planet the right way and my life is so much easier.
Create the community you
want to live in. Be the friend you want to have. Be the community member you want to have in your community. Be the work colleague you wish your workplace had more of. The only person we can ever change is ourselves and by making that change, we might inspire others to walk with us.
Look for the gift in every
adversity. Every tough thing that has happened in my life has left me with a character trait and a strength that I am grateful for. Instead of focusing on the rotten things that have happened, focus on the gift (strength, character trait or learning) you got from them.
Stop self-pity. When you feel sorry yourself, you stay stuck in victim. The things that happen to you need not define you. We all have a story to tell and we can choose from those stories to take the lessons or the wounds. The wounds, like baggage, are very heavy to carry around.
Accept responsibility for your
life. If you believe someone else is responsible for the life you are living, you have just handed over your power. If you accept responsibility for your life, you give yourself permission and freedom to make changes.
Cultivate an attitude of
gratitude. I start every morning with gratitude for 3 things in my life. It can be anything … my wonderful partner, my beautiful children, the forest behind my home, the internet is working, there was a parking spot at the supermarket, the plant in my office is thriving, I did not miss the chair when I sat down … It doesn’t matter what you are grateful for, what matters is entering the energetic space of gratitude.
Stop judging. There is a freedom and joy that comes from not judging yourself, others or situations. Things just are as they are and all that judging them does is trigger emotions in you. Instead of judging, ask yourself what you will do next given what has happened.
Seek opportunities to serve. When we focus on acts of kindness or service to others, we get out of our own way and live improves. These things can be done in small ways such as a compliment or helping someone with their groceries.
I would love to hear if you have others that have helped you. Journey well.
petris@petrislapis.com www.petrislapis.com 0419 334 204
