Is this the year of you?
If so, what does that mean?
What does it mean in relation to yourself, to others, and to the world as a whole?
If you are wanting to better yourself and your connection with others, this may just be the year of love.
At CNMA, we work with many clients who are in the process of redefining who they are and what they want from their lives. This can include both mental and physical work and much of it revolves around the love they hold for themselves and for others.
However, when it comes to opening our hearts to new ideas, goals, and perspectives, it’s important to make space for them.
What do we mean by that?
Whether mental or physical, clearing your mind can allow you to create space for more love – for yourself and for others.
Following we take a more in-depth look at creating mental space for love…
Responding Vs. Reacting
Do you find yourself constantly reacting rather than responding to life?
As we go through our daily lives in a fast-paced, stress-filled culture, it can be difficult to find time and space to make heart-centered choices. Often times, we can find ourselves producing a knee-jerk reaction that hasn’t been fully thought out because we are too busy or our minds are too full.
So how do you stop reacting?
Give yourself space to take care of yourself!
Making time for yourself helps you create space in your mind.
In what ways are you able to create space for your thoughts and emotions? Some common ones may be:
– alone time
– yoga
– spending time with friends
– reading
– taking a bath
– meditation
– walking
– hiking
For some people, being social helps clear their minds and get out of their thoughts, while for others, it may mean retreating for personal time to think and reflect.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s enjoyable – the process of finding how to create space can be fun in itself!
Assuming Vs. Seeking
One of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People involves the concept of “Seeking to Understand and Then Be Understood.” It’s quite a powerful idea that can change the way you react (or respond!) to others.
Assuming what someone else is thinking, or believing that they already know what you need or want, can fill our minds with unnecessary and many times, untruthful, narratives.
From this point forward, try to “seek to understand” where someone else is coming from, why they think a certain way, made a specific decision, or said what they did before making an assumption.
For example, the coworker next to you may have been short with you today because of an issue going on at home and not because he or she is upset with you personally. If that is really the case (in which sometimes you may find out and other times you may not), how does that affect your response?
Many times, opening our hearts and minds to other possibilities can bring us emotional freedom and…you guessed it, space to welcome and share more love.
Relating Vs. Judging
Negativity can fill our minds in which we can find ourselves caught in a cycle of pain that involves our relationships with others. And with so much negativity, there can be little room for love.
Getting out of a negative cycle can be hard, but both emotional and physical work can help.
Working through pessimistic thoughts can involve:
– acupuncture to balance energy and clear the mind
– yoga and/or meditation for mindfulness and reflection
– journaling thoughts and feelings
– talking to a holistic counselor to process past trauma or old wounds
– daily affirmations and positivity quotes
– volunteering your time in the community to help others
– finding enjoyable physical movement, sport, or exercise that releases endorphins
It can take a lot of courage to look inside oneself and recognize negative talk. The next time you find yourself judging someone else, think about how you can relate to them instead. What do you have in common and how can you learn from them and grow? If all else fails, you can relate to the fact that you are both human – with needs of peace, happiness, and love!
Are you ready to make space in your life for more love – in relation to yourself and others?
If you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, or the greater Denver metro area and would like to learn how naturopathic medicine can help you achieve this, please call our office at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves.
Let us help you make this the year of you.
REFERENCES:
https://www.franklincovey.com/the-7-habits/habit-5.html
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