When you spend any time out in nature, really out in nature, you see just how predictable nature is. When a landscape is deprived of what it needs to thrive -- be it rain or not enough sunlight -- that landscape begins to wither; it cannot survive and the landscape begins to take on a different form. On the flip-side, when a landscape has what it needs to flourish, it is a beautiful and pristine place without blemish and in the state it is intended to be. People are a lot like nature.
Like nature, people are predictable. When we are unhappy and un-centered we get itchy-scratchy; we tend to do, say and be things that are out of character. When we don't nourish our bodies, it changes shape and we don't have the energy we need to be who we are meant to be. Yet, when we are tearing it up at the gym, nourishing our bodies, having fun, and know who we are and where we are going, we become serenely centered in what we do, what we say, and who we "be." The best news of all is that unlike nature, we are not at the mercy of the heavens or mankind to nourish and care for us. We have a choice to be happy or not; to take care of ourselves or not; to let other people under our skin or not and to be who we are meant to be, or not!!
How do we get rid of the weeds in our life's garden and get re-centered in who we are?
First, you have to get clear about what not taking care of you is costing you.
Envision for a moment the seeds of your life (your efforts, your dreams, your relationships, who you are and what you do) playing out in a garden. The first garden is well tended, fertilized, weed free, hydrated, and in beautiful, full bloom. The second garden is parched, overgrown with weeds, and the few seeds that landed there are struggling to become what they were meant to be! If you are a gardener, which garden would you choose to plant your seeds in? The point is that the fundamental foundation of our lives is built out of the way we care for ourselves, and if you want your life to be the best that it can be, you will choose to take care of your soil first; you will choose to take care of you so that the seeds you plant in your life (the things you choose to take on, the relationships you have, etc.) can fully bloom!
Second, you have to be committed to you.
Just like a garden, your life requires maintenance. You can't take great care one week preparing your garden's soil and planting seeds, and then not hydrate and weed your garden the next. Having a great life requires you to be vigilant. You've got to take care of you consistently, not just when time allows. Otherwise, taking care of you will become one of those things you have every intention of getting to, but don't ever do!
Third, have a plan for taking care of you.
Create a written plan for taking care of you that says what you are going to do and when. Include only things that you love to do and have dates by-when you are going to do them. For instance, do you love to fish? Pick up your calendar and schedule a day to go. Do you love dates nights with your spouse or family movie nights? Schedule the time to actually do it!! When you make the time to do what you love to do, you will find that you are more energetic and productive doing the things you must do. (For instance, cleaning out the cat box or finishing a project for work!)
Fourth, you have to ask for help and accountability.
Keeping our lives weed free isn't always an easy task. If it were, we'd all be bouncing off the walls happy! So, the best way to stay on track with regard to your commitment to you is to ask for help and accountability to do so. Ask a trusted friend, a co-worker, or even your children to hold you accountable for doing what your written plan, for taking care of you, says you are going to do. There are people in your life just waiting for you to ask for the help you need; to support you in having a happy and centered life!
Finally, teach others the value of taking care of themselves too.
When we nurture nature, it gives back to us in the beauty it provides, the recreation we enjoy, the water that hydrates us, and the food we eat. And in nurturing ourselves, we need to give back to others as well! We need to teach those around us the value of taking care of them. Now we don't do that by giving up a piece of ourselves or time with our families to teach. Instead, we teach by being an example of what "taking care of you" can do to brighten and energize ones life! Not only will you help those around you transform their lives, but it will allow you to constantly sharpen your own "taking care of you" edge!
You are the only person who has a say in how your life turns out. If you want to be energetic, passionate, and happy you've got to take you on. There isn't another person, job, house, car, or electronic gizmo that can make you happy. Only you can do that, but you have to choose to! So, what do you choose?
Clay Nelson is a business coach, experienced talk show host, author, former "nail belt wearing" contractor, and speaker at numerous trade show and corporate events including: International Builders Show, Remodeling Show, International Pool Spa Patio Expo, International Roofing Expo, and many others. Backed by 30-years of experience and leadership in the building industry and as a business coach, Clay uses his innate intuition and people skills to help his clients take a look at what's stopping them from achieving their goals. He then helps them create plans and build teams for getting what they say they want and by-when they say they want it! He is the founder of Consulting Services Network LLC, Clay Nelson Life Balance, and a non profit organization called Transforming America's Youth that makes a difference for troubled youth throughout the United States. For more information, go to http://www.claynelsonlifebalance.com |
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