When was the last time you gave something good to yourself?
As Givers, we often don’t know when to stop. We give and give and give, right? This often leads to burning out or getting cynical. Replenish your ability to give love and attention by focusing it inwards, just for a little bit. You can always go back to giving out all that energy, just as soon as you give the following things to yourself!
#4 – The SPACE to match your SPIRIT
Whether you work from home or from an office, take a look around. Does the space reflect your spirit? I know this might sound a bit new-agey, but hear me out. You can create change in your life by either going from the outside in, or the inside out. Going from the OUTSIDE-IN is rearranging your work space to be beautiful, efficient and inspiring. Gift yourself the permission to take charge of how your space supports you. (Send me pictures of your before and after!)
#3 – The STRENGTH to set boundaries on your ATTENTION
Do you find yourself lost inside Pinterest or Facebook for hours? Do you stay up WAY past your bedtime just scanning through those sites looking for….. something…. to fill a void you feel inside? Do you find yourself consuming instead of creating? I have an exercise for you to do everyday so you become a “Baker” instead of an “Eater.” (see #32 in Erik Qualman’s new Book).
Here’s how it goes:
- Close your eyes.
- Do you feel the energy flowing IN to you or flowing OUT through you?
- If you feel it flowing IN to you take a moment and locate your belly.
- Inside your belly flip the energy around so it starts to flow OUT from you.
- You might need to do this several times to really feel the FLIP.
- Anchor the flip of energy by any visual way you want (lock it in, tighten the mechanism, tie it down – whatever seems to work for you.)
- Every chance you get for the next few days close your eyes and notice the energy flow again. Which way is it flowing? If IN, flip and anchor it.
#2 – FORGIVENESS
Gift yourself FORGIVENESS for not reaching some self-imposed goal. I have opted out of the pressure that some consultants put out there to inspire their students, and I think you also deserve some of that peace.
Take a step back and see your life from a larger perspective. The pressure to meet these goals seem silly when compared to the love you could be feeling right now. Let go of the pressure. This doesn’t mean you don’t set goals or have a schedule or block out time to work — it just means relaxing and enjoying more!
And the TOP GIFT to give yourself is….
#1 – CONNECTION
Human beings are social animals – having strong connections to other people is vital for our well-being. Do you have a space offline where you can go to feel that connection to other people? Do you have a connection to a higher purpose by giving your gifts to others? Are you part of a larger conversation about important things in the world? If not, here are a few suggested online communities to join – they may lead to some amazing real-world connections!
- Nerdfighteria
- kiva Communities
- G+ Communities in the field of your passion
This #1 GIFT to yourself is something that has become extremely important to me of late. I have some GREAT plans to make some excellent connections in 2014 – more on that soon. 🙂
I hope you gift yourself at least a few of these and see how it works out for you. As always, you are welcome to reach out and comment through any of my social sites linked up below.
Stay tuned for my Annual Prediction Post going out next week!