It’s
a rarity that we have time to sit down and reflect on our lives.
Self-reflection is considered a luxury instead of a necessity.
You
rush from pillar to post and the minutes tick by until the end of the day when
you literally fall into bed. There you drift into a stupor of dreams (or no
sleep at all) because the mind chatter won’t stop spinning.
Why
not take the time for yourself to meditate or simply reflect for 10 minutes a
day about the state of your being? Focus on how well you are living your life
in real time, or how you might slow down the mindless chatter in order to
increase peace, joy, and fulfillment.
There
is an adage stating that, as we age, it is easier to let things go. I know, too,
that I have held on to negative things occurring in my life.
One
of the most common distractions can be our adult children – perhaps, marriages that
are dissolving, grandchildren that need more care, friends who might not be
close anymore.
Boomers
live in a changing world, and the most important way to accept changes in a
timely fashion is to create some distance, step back, and assess the situation
with rational thought.
Your
intent should be to celebrate life instead of slogging through muddy waters of
confusion or negativity.
The
following are 5 lifestyle ideas for boomers that will give you a measure of how
well you are managing your expectations and how your mindset can be changed to
reflect more positive perceptions:
How Simply Do You
Live Your Life?
Are
you making your life more complicated than it needs to be? Are you collecting
stuff, things, and people that get in the way of living with clear intentions?
Living
lightly is the best revenge (not hair color) because it eliminates the superfluous
and re-frames your mindset to reflect purpose. Simplicity is the new luxury.
Why get weighed down by your own baggage?
Do You Have the
Ability to Say NO?
Do
you say yes to people, places, and things that don’t reflect your values,
beliefs, or desires? Crucial to being responsive to your amazing self is your
ability to discern and reflect on what adds value to your life.
Are You Going About
the Business of Being You Every Day?
Do you
bend to the reflections of those people who surround you, taking up their
opinions and observations as if they might be your own? Take note that other
people’s ideas may not really be compatible with your perceptions about life.
This
measurement questions how thoughtful you are being about your own authenticity.
Never let anyone else influence or tell you who you are. You are unique unto
yourself.
Are You Stretching
Your Mind Daily?
So, you
work out – that’s physical activity
and easily accessible. What about exercising your mind? If you grow
your mind, you definitely grow your life.
We
lose neurons in our lifetime, so we have to work hard to replenish them. That’s
a lifetime commitment. It’s like running a marathon to keep your brain
functioning.
Do You Make Good
Choices?
When
you decide your course of action, do you make the good kind of choices and not
the mindless kind; the happenstance decisions that come and go like the wind?
The
more mindful decisions you make for your life, the better your life gets, the
more freedom you have, the more effective you are becoming.
Making
a really good choice in life is a gift – a
blessing – because you (and you
alone) get to figure it out. That’s experiencing the joy of achievement. And it
doesn’t cost a penny.
Measuring
your life with great ideas is a very powerful form of personal achievement.
It’s a beautiful thing to make your own choices.
How
often do you make your own choices? Do you depend on others to decide what’s
best for you? What would it take for you to change your mindset to a more
positive one? Please share in the comments below.
