These Habits Are Keeping Me Grounded

Posted on April 24, 2022April 25, 2022 by Sabrina Renee

There’s been a good amount of change over the past couple of months that has thrown me off kilter a few times. Locating to a different town in a different part of the state has something to do with that. You know that feeling of staying at a hotel? It feels like nothing is yours so you tend to keep everything in its place. Or at least I do.

Now that I’m entering the fourth week of living here this place feels like our home. One of the things I noticed that makes that possible is blocking out time for whatever needs my attention. It’s so freakin simple but when I don’t do it everything gets complicated.

Time blocking my responsibilities and disciplines helps ground me into my purpose each day, especially because these days have been filled with time. For the past 6 months I’ve taken time away from my business to focus on my values, truths, and the conscious lifestyle I’m building. When there are classes, meditations, and programs on your task list it can be easy to know what to do next because it’s reliant on someone or something outside of me.

In my opinion, it’s easier to show up for outer accountability than it is when I’m doing it for myself. Without having a job outside the house rather than taking care of my home and family, I’m literally flailing with no guidance. Enter time management.

If you’re like me, then from time to time you suffer from time blindness a.k.a. having no concept of the hours in the day and how much you can realistically get done. That shows up for me on the days I think I can get food shopping done, clean the kitchen and bathroom, cook lunch, wash the produce and marinate dinner all within 3 hours.

It’s crazy when I type it out but honestly, my brain thinks I’m the little engine that could, as long as I’m thinking it can be accomplished. Even if all of that is possible to get done in such a small time frame, there’s no need to rush juggling so many tasks.

So what’s the solution to time blindness, rushing, and pushing through your responsibilities?

Thanks to one of my best friends for pointing out this insanely obvious trick when planning your day: put it into zones! All of my daily and weekly to-dos are categorized by a zone for instance creativity, shopping and prepping, teaching, cleaning, etc.

Rather than thinking about how many hours I have left before, during, or after a task, I dedicate a specific amount of blocked-out time to each task. Following this routine makes sure my day is filled with realistic responsibilities, instead of building a wishlist of never-ending things.

One of my core time blocks is for contemplative and meditative moments. The minimum amount of time blocked off for this is an hour, this way there’s plenty of time for yoga and reading while ending with a nice seated meditation. If I have time on my side that day I’ll spend a little more time on the cushion before starting my day.

Also, out of behavioral habit, I take out the parts of my juicer and assemble them first thing in the morning. It technically falls under the block of food and prep, but over time it’s become a constant opportunity for a mindful practice, connecting me to the fruits and veggies.

For my mental health to reach or stay at an optimal level, my mind and body need my attention first thing in the morning. If my first precious moments are given away to the lives and desires of other people,It’s my way of setting a foundation of focus, discipline, and groundedness so that if/when the day gets away from me I’ve got a morning practice to remind myself of. This is also why I put my juicing or breakfast time in with morning rituals, mindful consumption is a great way to take care of yourself.

Next, I block time out for “homemaking duties” which change from day to day but for the most part have the same rotating responsibilities. Some days I’ll block out 9-11 so that I can shop, clean, prep, and then make lunch, while other days are chill when all I need to do is sweep the floors and wipe down counters. It’s not so much what has to get done that throws me off, I can deal with things changing day-to-day, it’s not blocking off time to do it.

Seriously if I know what to do but haven’t been given time restraints, well then nothing gets done or what could easily take me 20 minutes will now extend to four hours.

Another block I use is study and creativity, giving me ample time to write, record, edit, read, teach and do all of the fun little practices that help my creative mind expand. When it comes to studying or learning a new subject I like to give myself about 90 minutes otherwise, I’ll stop paying complete attention and start drifting into space.

But for creativity, I like giving myself a few hours because after years of creating content and shooting videos I’ve learned that the more warmed up you are the better the footage. Rather than being rigid while recording just to get it done sooner, I choose not to feel rushed in the creative process, nor do I want to hurry up and memorize meanings while learning whatever topic I’m currently studying.

I love learning, especially now that I design my own curriculum, so why would I want to rush into knowing what I could slowly be learning?

Feeling calm, grounded, and present are important intentions used when showing up for each block. Whether I’ve done it a hundred times or I’m doing it for the first time, each task deserves my undivided attention with a fresh pair of eyes. Unless there is a time to start and stop, my mind will be wandering into all of the other things that need my attention.

And you know what? That’s okay.

It’s taken a really long time to accept who I am and how I operate, instead of trying to fix it. It isn’t easy for me to remain disciplined on things, no matter how much I logically understand their significance and meaning. Making juice because it’s healthy or meditating for my mental health doesn’t happen without an immense amount of effort, will, and consistency.

Of course, there are days when I fall off track, and rather than beating myself up for falling short, I focus on not extending the days to weeks. Because at some point I have to stop beating myself up and start building myself up, it’s as simple as how to respond when things don’t unfold according to my plan. It’s in these moments that the practice of mindfulness is ready to help me ground, center, and begin again.

TLDR: Let’s recap

This is what’s currently working wonders in my life so I wanted to pass it on.

Time management hack: break it into zones and stick to timelines. If you know creativity takes more time than cleaning, schedule accordingly and give yourself a break. Just because there’s 24 hours in a day doesn’t mean each moment needs to be planned out.

Learning to factor in my challenges: Recently I’ve been accepting some of the neurodivergent challenges I’ve had all my life. It’s brought me to the empowering point where I accept what cannot be changed, focus most of my efforts on what I’m great at, and leaving room for where I tend to really struggle. Since building it into my routine I anticipate obstacles with a welcoming point of view: sure it sucks that I have a short attention span but that won’t stop me from honing in improving focus with daily zones.

Focus on the comeback, not on the fall-off: This piggy-backs off of factoring in my challenges. The more aware I become of my patterns the more accepting I am when I find myself playing them out. For instance, if I plan too many activities in a short span of time and completely overstimulate myself, I’ll focus less on why I did this for the millionth time and focus more on how to ground my mind-body back into the present moment.

And now it’s your turn for weekly insights:

What areas of your life could you block out more time for?

Maybe it’s something major like a deep cleaning or studying for an important test.

Maybe it’s something smaller but just as important, like a self-care day or making that hair/nail/massage appointment.

Whatever it is, there’s something about you that deserves your attention. So this week notice some of your habits, get curious about their level of effectiveness, and practice some self-compassion for just how much you’re getting done.

Until next week friends, enjoy your moments.

Mindfulness, Personal Growth

One door closes, another one opens

Posted on April 18, 2022May 5, 2022 by Sabrina Renee

It’s the Sunday after my 30th birthday.

As I write this I’m reminiscing about my homemade baked goods yesterday as I adjust the cheap tablecloth my laptop is sitting on. Right up until our first guest arrived I was baking my first attempt at a 2-layer cake which was a major highlight for me. Although the steps were simple it was the follow-through I was proud of, I have a tendency to get excited when making the fire but sustaining the flames proves difficult.

But there’s something about this place, my new home, that’s proving to be different altogether. And I think I’ve figured out why.

Yesterday I threw a 90s theme 30th with long-time friends at the brand new townhome I moved to at the beginning of the month. Add to that the confidence-boosting haircut I got the day before I moved, you could say I was vibing high.

My home and heart were filled with good vibes the day of the party. From the moment I woke up to the end of the day the energy was funny and loving. My friends got the most intentional and heartfelt gifts I could have received, right down to the wording in each card. At the end of the night, as Ivan and I were cleaning up all the food and saying our goodbyes, I paused to express gratitude for all that I’ve been blessed to receive. That’s when I realized something.

As everyone packed up food and headed to their cars, I realized the party wasn’t the only thing that had ended that night. The anticipation I’ve held for over a year in my heart has officially stopped because I got everything I asked for.

I baked a 2 layer funfetti cake, yellow cupcakes with chocolate icing and banana muffins.

Personal Growth

A Week of New Beginnings

Posted on April 11, 2022April 11, 2022 by Sabrina Renee

It’s the Sunday before my 30th birthday. As I slowly sip on my orange carrot juice, taking deep breaths of the cool breeze on the balcony, I allow myself to bask in the moments that are my life. Some things are perfect, other things aren’t the best, nonetheless I’m gleaming with gratitude and excitement for this current chapter.

With that said, I have nothing figured out and I think that’s an important piece to share. Lots of times people are grateful what what they already have, or what they know is coming. There is a giant question mark over one of the most important areas of my life, career, where a plan once lived but disintegrated once its false foundation was realized.

It’s all about how you perceive a situation that makes it catostrphic or right on track. If I focus on the plan I’m letting go of, life feels like a failure. So when my thoughts and beliefs are locked into what I wanted to happen, which is also what didn’t happen, I’ll never move forward. However, if I focus on what I’m receiving as a result of letting go of that plan, life feels like a blessing and I’m trusting in whatever lies ahead to be great for me.

I’m choosing blessings, over and over every day.

I know how easy it can be to let doubt creep in, urging the question of where I “should be” by “this particular time and this particular place in space.” I’ll admit it has stolen my attention quite a few times over the winter months. But as time goes on and I turn inward, I rediscover the truth which is I am always exactly where I need to be, even if it’s uncomfortable and unknown most of the time. Sure it’s not what I had planned or sometimes even wanted, but there are divine plans placed upon me that have proven time and time again it will always work out.

My intention for the year is to welcome my 30s with the theme of unbecoming anyone or anything I have space in my identity that isn’t aligned with my highest self. There’s SO MUCH to release and this season may last years because of all the facades accumulated in the past, ones I was once so proud of constructing now only remind me of how scared I was to be myself. As time ticks on the most important matters are always revealed and the act of stifling authenticity will begin to weigh heavy on the heart and soul. I’m continuously dropping dead weight.

I let go so I can leap.

The month of April holds incredibly palpable energy that pumps through me each year. It’s fierce, unfolding, full of wonder, and oftentimes chaos. Maybe it’s because of my birthday or maybe it’s because this is the true new year, springtime. This year is no different the air is brimming with potential, I have to work intentionally to slow myself down to see there’s more than just how I’m feeling right now. With the exception of some minor details in appearance and environment, this feeling is a familiar one I’ve been known to take great leaps from.

Okay so maybe the actual detail changes in my life aren’t minor at all, like getting a bomb-ass haircut and moving into a home with the kitchen of my dreams thanks to the love of my life. These all mean a great deal to me, so understand when I say minor I don’t mean to insult or diminish anything. These are all moments and experiences I’ve slowly cultivated through visualization, patience, and deliberate action.

Its details themselves, the microscopic vision of our lives, that must remain minor. If details are paid too close attention, they could cause you to forget the bigger picture unfolding. An example of details being minor is when you receive what you asked for but it didn’t show up the way you wanted it to. You can choose to either focus on how nothing went according to your plan or you can choose to focus on how everything unfolds in your favor.

By zooming out of the specifics you’re able to see the grand picture, and find gratitude in the how rather than frustration in it.

Letting go of your plans is a major part of unbecoming.

I believe that growth, true growth, is outgrowing molds you’ve made yourself stay in to play small, to stay safe, to please others, to keep quiet, to dull your own shine. Unbecoming is to delayer, to take off what wasn’t supposed to stay on too long, to strip away the traits and mechanisms that helped you while in survival mode, but now only hinder your progress. To grow is to practice unbecoming. Unbecoming is to let go of what is no longer working or serving you, even if it’s comfortable and familiar.

There is a balance that may not ever be achieved but can absolutely be practiced continuously. Have a plan and give it flexibility. Create visions for your life and be willing to receive the outcome in many other ways. Be determined in your pursuits and know when it’s time to pause for a while. Be willing to let go and be willing to receive, don’t stay stuck in either mode too long. Growth requires acceptance of what is before moving into what will be. Listen to your heart and learn to turn fear into excitement. Recognize when you are playing small so you can let go and learn to fly.

As with all adventures you embark on, it’s important to recommit to yourself on the journey of unbecoming. Be prepared to fall into familiar patterns and behavior traps of the past, and in the same breath be prepared to express loving compassion toward yourself for it. That’s how you practice balance; enjoy the journey rather than rushing toward the destination, while accepting the fact that you never truly arrive. They’ll always be another place, something more, something else, and so really the destination is always the present moment.

Enjoy the moments that find you and allow yourself to feel them.

MindBody

The MindBody Connection

Posted on June 8, 2020January 21, 2021 by Sabrina Renee

I taught a deeper lesson on mindbody wellness in this video!

white petaled lotus — Photo by Susanne Jutzeler on Pexels.com

Before you dive deep into this article, ask yourself “How am I feeling right now?” A common answer is “I’m fine” or “Doing alright, and yourself?” because it’s one of those questions asked without the intention of truly checking in with how we’re feeling.

Most people will ask this question to their mind, waiting for a cognitive answer to surface. This answer will be the sum of your thoughts on an experience, but not necessarily how you’re feeling. This is a true testament to just how powerful the mind truly is. Even though it’s not where feelings are experienced, this is where the question is answered.

Another way to check in with how you’re feeling is to ask yourself “what’s going on in my body right now?” Weird right? I bet you wouldn’t think to check in with how your body about how you’re feeling today.

The truth is that’s where the sensation of your feelings are being experienced. But before you understand the body, let’s venture into your mind.

Thoughts

Everything originates from a thought. Your beliefs, ideas, assumptions, and worries all begin in the mind. Therefore what you think you then become. But what if you’re not paying attention to what you think?

Well, your thoughts are creating the life unfolding before you, whether you are aware of that fact or not. Of course, the goal is not to suppress your thoughts or control them, but instead, learn to guide them in the direction that aligns best with your desire.

A good place to start practicing this is detaching yourself from thoughts, seeing yourself as the observer of the experience rather than the experience itself. By understanding the power held behind your thoughts, you’ll begin to appreciate the personal power of the mindbody connection.

Imagine your thoughts as cars speeding down a highway, while you, the observer, sits quietly on a bench watching them pass. Watching for the first time will absolutely be overwhelming. Your natural instinct is to jump in because you identify yourself with the mind and feel the urge to control these thoughts, their speed, and their intensity.

These thoughts surface within you but are separate from who you are because you are not your thoughts. You are the awareness of those thoughts. At first, it may feel extremely difficult to watch the speed and intensity that these thoughts are forming at, you may even feel compelled to attach yourself to one trying to stop it.

These thoughts have always been going at this speed, with this amount of intensity, the only difference is you are just now tuning into that experience. You have the opportunity to become the observer of your experience each time an intense emotion pops up, leaving you with two choices. Either reacting with emotion or responding with awareness.

An emotional reaction to something is a sign that you’ve been consumed by the emotion you are experiencing. That emotion decided to take the reins and decide the next best course of action.

This means if you were observing thoughts of anger you’d follow the urge to attach yourself to that thought, leading you into more anger. When you choose to respond, however, you recognize that emotion is a part of your experience, but you are not that emotion.

In other words, you are feeling anger but you are not anger. If you were observing thoughts of anger you would continue to until it dissipates or transcends to another emotion. To respond to a situation means to first become the awareness behind your experience so that you may decide what to do rather than be led by that emotion.

Practicing mindful awareness of your thought patterns and the ways you choose to handle them is a simple and challenging practice. Simple in its nature of just being with how you’re feeling rather than doing something about it.

Challenging because it’s the opposite of what you’ve trained yourself to do all these years. Each time you observe, detach and respond you are strengthening the mindbody connection by separating yourself from it.

Physical Sensations

Let’s revisit the question “how are you feeling today?” a question exchanged so often from person to person that you can answer on autopilot. The question itself asks you how you’re feeling yet people rarely take the time to check in with what they’re feeling.

Instead, they are likely to rely on what their mind tells them about how they’re feeling. Now that there is a separation from you and the mind, and you understand the difference between reaction and response, it’s time to move onto emotions in the body.

Emotions appear in the body as physical sensations, arousals, or reactions to what’s going on in the mind. These emotions show up differently and in many different forms, but the sensations are quite similar. Heart palpitations, dry mouth, tight chest, tingling sensations, and clenching just to name a few.

For instance, if you were to have a negative thought pop up you’d likely be fixated on the narrative in your mind and forgetting about the body you’re in. When you finally bring your awareness back to your body all of the sensations will overwhelmingly hit you at once. When you take the time to sit with each physical sensation as it arises you are awakening to how your body experiences your emotions.

This simple practice helps you gain clarity on your emotions, how you’re feeling, and the power of their presence. Without practicing awareness of how your mind and body are connected you may miss opportunities to get ahead of your emotion and you end up allowing them to dictate your day.

Identifying The Connection

Practicing mindful awareness with your thoughts and physical sensations takes patience and consistent practice. As you begin to identify the connection between your mind and body, you’ll also begin to identify who you truly are.

Because you are not the mind that creates the thoughts, nor are you the thoughts that you think. Just like you are not the body you have and the sensations you experience. The mind and body will always be a part of who you are, but it is not who you are.

Each time you choose to become the awareness behind your experience you create more space between what is happening and your response to what is happening.

MindBody Practice

Identifying the connection and separating yourself from the experience are both simple practices that can be very challenging. A great place to begin cultivating this practice is by identifying your dialogue separately from your bodily experience.

This is best practiced when an emotion is present but not too overwhelming, this will be the practice for the overwhelming moments. An emotion we are all familiar with is feeling anger, so let’s use anger as an example.

With most intense emotional states you will likely find yourself tangled up in the dialogue going on in your mind, so let’s begin by bringing attention into the body. Notice the sensations you are feeling in response to anger and where these sensations are showing up.

Once you’ve tuned your focus on the body use the tool of a deep inhale and a long exhale to relax into the moment. Repeat as many breath cycles as you need to before finding a sense of inner calm, even alongside your anger.

Now that you’ve brought down the intensity and separated yourself from the experience, turn your attention toward the mental chatter. If this too feels intense for you come back to the breath as your guiding tool of relaxation.

A helpful tip is to place your right hand on your belly as you witness the rise and fall of your breath. This can act as a tangible representation that there are constant fluctuations happening within you, the rise and fall of the belly, the ever-changing sensations in your body, the rapid moving thoughts in your mind.

Once you’ve invited an inner calm into the dialogue of your mind, you can begin asking yourself proactive questions. Rather than focusing on what you don’t want to feel, turn the focus toward how you would like to feel.

Start by asking these questions:

What am I thinking right now?
How am I feeling right now?
How is it appearing in my body?
Am I holding my breath or breathing deep?
How can I accept what has already happened?
What action can I take to create change?
What is the next best step for me to take?
How will this action bring me closer to how I want to feel?

Be patient with yourself as you ask questions with unpleasant answers and bring a genuine curiosity to this moment. This practice may seem simple, and possibly uncomfortable, but it is a very important step toward a happier and more aware version of self. The beauty of this practice is that it is always growing with you.

Be gentle as you begin to discover parts of yourself for the first time, show the compassion you would a friend going through a lifestyle change. Practicing mindful awareness is portable and the right time is always NOW.

Remember all change starts with becoming aware and they all begin with you.

Love Heal Grow

Growth, Personal Growth, Practices

How to Float and Sting: A Champion’s Guide

Posted on April 20, 2020May 13, 2022 by Sabrina Renee

Recently ESPN has been playing reruns of old sporting events, keeping their viewers nostalgic for the good ol’ days. Personally, I think that’s a genius idea, watching greatness in any form is the exact reminder people around the world need right now. My husband is a fan of boxing so he’s been tuning into the Muhammad Ali matches. Although growing up I heard his name all the time I never saw him in action until now.

So for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been able to witness him in his prime, strong, focused, confident, and a true champion. Although I’m not much of a boxing fan even I can appreciate his effort, his talent, and his overall greatness. It’s incredibly inspiring to get wrapped up in, truthfully. And that got me thinking about what it means to be a champion.

Sure maybe some people are born with an undeniable purpose to fill the shoes of greatness, but being a champion is also a set of qualities or traits one can adopt. While this historical 1st of 3 fights between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier played in the background all I could think was

“How does it look to be a champion outside of sports?

How does it feel to be a champion in your own life?

What’s it like to believe in yourself so devoutly that you don’t accept the possibility that anything could stop you?”

A few answers began to surface. Champions never quit because their mind doesn’t see that as an option. There are even some scenarios where an athlete’s body has suddenly quit on them and they somehow, miraculously push forward laser-focused on their mission to win. Champions are built to keep going so their mind is programmed to always find a way to the end goal, always adapting and improving.

Imagine the powerful shift this attitude would create for the pursuit of YOUR aspirations and desires, approaching the road ahead as a champion. Not ever thinking that it’s too late for anything, always giving everything you have inside, and keeping faith in the outcome even when your chances are slim.

How miraculous would your life be if you became the champion of it?

A Champion Lifestyle

All of the greats in sports like boxing, basketball, and football are known for their obsessive training. They view each day as the perfect opportunity to improve their skill set. They are excellent at prioritizing their time to hone in on their craft, reflecting on how they’ve improved, and setting high standards and even more scrupulous goals along the way.

A champion’s attention to detail is fine-tuned because it’s a mental muscle they use often, it’s their job to anticipate and prepare themselves for all scenarios without losing sight of the winning outcome.

Once becoming a recognized champion, each person receives an entire team of people to help them achieve their goals. A fitness trainer provides a wellness strategy, a specialized coach to build up their weaknesses, and a person scheduling their practices and real-life matches or games. Although champions naturally keep themselves accountable with their internal drive for more they still have someone nudging them along with wisdom and guidance.

All of these structures hold in place the intricacy of their routines, finding balance and coordination in their training and their life. But there once was a time when this individual had to show up and do that work on their own.

Champions are made, not born. Even if someone has breathtaking talent from the moment they arrive earth-side, mere talent alone doesn’t win championships. There are a myriad of habits that must be cultivated, discipline that must be learned, a passion that must be fueled, and, of course, the time to develop the talent to championship level. If every champion waited for the coach to show up and the trainer to push them, the world would have a shortage of clips recalling greatness.

Champions worked for it even when no one else could see the end goal. They fueled their faith muscles and shrunk their doubts, moving forward with the best plans they could create until they learned to improve. Champions worked hard when no one was watching so they could prevail for all to see.

So, what makes a champion?

Environment (what/who you surround yourself with, by)

The people and places you are surrounded by are going to have an incredible impact on the person you become. Circumstances shape a person, and even if you can’t cut certain people out of your life or move your location right now, you always have choices. Champions choose to practice over party, to work hard over being lazy, to get back up after the entire world knocks them down.

Vision (focus)

Having the ability to create a specific outcome in your mind’s eye is a significant part of training in a champion’s life. They have their eye on the prize even when the odds are stacked up against them and this comes with practice. Focus, in an instant gratification world, is a tall order but it’s just as possible for you as it is for a boxing champion. It’s all about what you continue putting your attention on.

Champions know the importance of cutting out distractions and being aware of when they’ve become distracted. Each time their mind wanders is another opportunity to train in focus, bringing themselves back to the vision they’ve painted of success, winning, and overcoming.

Persistence(never giving up)

Champions have any talents and traits that lead the way to their greatness, persistence may be the strongest one. To have a quality that doesn’t allow you to quit on yourself or your dreams means you will get there. It may look different from how you picture it, it may be harder than you planned, but as long as you never stop going after it there’s always a chance.

Persistence is so strong because it’s a combination of knowing who you are and what you’re capable of, mixed with your mindset and mind’s eye goals. If you can think it you can become it, champions know this at their core and will persist until the end of time.

Structure (prioritize your time and energy)

Having a solid structure throughout a champion’s life is the glue that holds the entire operation together. It may not be one of the more sexy traits but it’s absolutely essential to have a schedule. In an athlete’s season, and yours too, there are times for rest and time for work, times to refuel your energy and time’s to explode with it.

The conditions of your life will continue fluctuating, your structure while strong will also need to be flexible for the changes you find yourself facing. Extra time cannot be found so it’s important to use each moment appropriately and to plan ahead for things that may unfold. Energy is generated within you, so it can always be replenished but only when you’re away from depletion.

The structure is more than just setting goals and making them happen, it’s about tuning into what’s best for you right now and adjusting accordingly.

Attention to detail (caring about the big and small stuff alike)

Although some aspects of life may be seen as more significant than others, nothing is seen as unimportant in a champion’s lifestyle. From the way they eat and the clothes, they train in, to the music they listen to and the times they complete their routines. Each of these things serves a purpose and is chosen particularly with conscious attention and effort.

Champions leave nothing for chance, whether their decision comes from within or they seek outside counsel for insight because they know the importance of being decisive and attentive. Making their way to their desired outcome won’t happen if anything is left to probability or coincidence, they understand the importance of input and don’t hesitate to apply it.

Balance (enjoy and execute)

When Muhammad Ali said, “float like a butterfly sting like a bee” he simplified the beauty of balance, gentleness, and confidence, be light yet strong, smart yet forceful, knowing when to align and when to take action.

This way of living, fighting, playing, and being is cultivated over time and consistent practice. Learning when to push and when to pull, applying all of the traits and habits that make a champion, witnessing how they unfold, knowing when to go along for the ride and when to take the wheel.

Experiencing balance originates in the mind, being able to find a confident and calm stillness within you is the first step to allowing balance to surround you. You’ll know it when you feel it, and even more so when you don’t.

Be The Greatest

Whatever your calling in life or purpose on this planet, choose to be the greatest at it. Being the greatest in this case doesn’t mean comparing your success to the levels of anyone else, in fact, you are your only competition. The person you were at the beginning of this venture is who you’re competing with, proving it to, making you proud, and using as an example that anything is possible for you.

Showing up as your best self is going to look different for every person, in every changing season of life. Muhammad Ali as a 20-year-old is an incredible athletic machine, while years down the line his greatness took a different form. He grew mentally and physically, so it was important that his craft adapted to those changes. Whatever youth took from him physically he replaced with the wisdom and experience of being in the ring all these years.

Each of us has an innate wisdom that will help carry into our desired outcomes, along with a set of champion-lie traits. This means you have the capability to become the champion of your life today just by applying a champion mindset to your life. Become aware of your environment and how it’s shaping you, continue fueling your vision by practicing holding your focus on what matters most, and never ever quit on what you believe in because it’s always possible to achieve. I

t’s important to have a structure that holds all of this together, making sure you’re managing your time and energy efficiently, giving complete attention to detail, and never overlooking one bit of where your time goes. Finding balance will come in time, the more you practice tuning into your experiences, feelings, and results, the deeper you’ll get to know internal struggles. When peace is found within nothing outside can rock you.

Imagine how powerful the shift in your life would be if you decided to tackle all roads with the mindset and determination of a champion. All that’s left is to decide which part of your life have you not been showing up as the champion of.

Start taking stock of which traits have you been allowed to slip through the cracks over the years, or maybe always struggled with. Begin to visualize what being a champion looks like in your personal and professional life, think about who would benefit and the ripple effect of goodness shared. The best place to start is by dreaming big without limits, begin visualizing what greatness feels like to you, and never stop seeking clarity on it.

Remember all champions have to start somewhere, so start here, today.

Thanks for checking out this post! I think you may also like this podcast episode:

5 Questions to Get to Know Yourself