Keep Your Eyes On The Road

The world is apt and quick to judge you for what you have or have not done.  It is also very easy to focus your own thoughts and energy on what you have or have not done.  Focusing on the past can lead to guilt if you are not proud of your track record.  It can lead to complacency if you are busy patting yourself on the back for things you have accomplished.  You can be left feeling wounded or cheated if you live in remorse about what you could once do that you no longer can.  You could have become bitter if living with resentment about what you lost or what was taken from you.  In any scenario, living in the past can cause weeds to grow on your heart and soul.  Weeds will choke out the sun and air and leave you feeling low on energy and empty. 

Instead, focus on what you can do.  Focus on what you are going to do.  Look to the future and watch the weeds of discontent die away.  Open your mind to the idea that your greatest gifts to the world and/or yourself are still ahead of you.  Your soul and heart will grow strong and fill fuller with this renewed view of your path.

Strengthen Your Self Esteem…TODAY

Strengthen Your Self Esteem…TODAY

            You can potentially improve your self esteem almost immediately without doing anything physically different.  A first step is to recognize and properly credit yourself for some things you are already doing.  There may be tens, if not hundreds of decisions you’re making in a day’s time that you don’t even realize you’re making.  For example, choosing your route to work is a decision.  Choosing whether or not you walk through the produce section or the deli first when entering the grocery store is a decision.  Deciding whether to turn on the television or music is a decision.  Deciding when and what to say to your significant other or children…all decisions you make.

            The key is to recognize that these decisions are pending BEFORE you make them and to give yourself credit AFTER you make them.  A good way to start is to begin the day by setting a goal.  Try to set a goal of making ten to twenty conscious and purposeful decisions.  Keep it simple to start.  Which way to turn when driving, what’s for lunch and a few things you think of in advance that you would like to say to people you know.  By the time you go to bed that same night, you will have consciously and subconsciously acknowledged that you exerted some control or influence over your life that day.  A greater sense of influence over what happens to you in life can bolster your self esteem and confidence.

            If you repeat this simple exercise for a week, you will have thought through and acknowledged fifty to a hundred decisions.   As you begin to recognize more opportunities for daily decision making, it will become easier for you to make and take credit for decisions that you are proud of or make you feel good about yourself…and maybe rethink some that do the opposite.  Making decisions you feel good about can be huge boosts to your self esteem and confidence.  Forming a daily habit of being more conscious in your decision making is not only a great form of strengthening your self esteem but can also help you see more ways to have a greater sense of purpose in your daily living.