“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” ~ Ruth Reichl
Life doesn’t always come to us the way we want. We get jammed in traffic, have a fight with our partner, get stuck in the longest line when we have just one item to purchase (have you been there?). And yet there are simple practices and daily habits that can help us shift from angst to peace at a moment’s notice.
10 Rules to Living an Endlessly Delicious Life
Today I’m sharing 10 rules to living an endlessly delicious life. Enjoy 🙂
1. Embrace acceptance
Have you ever resisted against the moment? When you resist against what is, it strengthens that moment. For example, if you are feeling angry at somebody, or something, and you start resisting that feeling, you actually keep that negative feeling around longer! The magical tool to help you dissolve those icky times is to practice accepting it. If you are angry at someone and you allow yourself to feel the anger, the anger will dissolve itself. What keeps the anger around is a resistance to the moment and thinking “I shouldn’t feel this way”. Through allowing the moment to be as it is, the moment will naturally complete itself. Instead of the moment overtaking you—overtake the moment simply by being present.
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~ Lao Tzu
2. Be thankful
When life feels challenging, it is way too easy to get stuck in feeling bad, helpless, or lost. When something goes wrong in life, it has a potential to dampen our mood and shift our focus to the negative. This magnifies what’s wrong and how bad life is. The easiest dose of medicine you can give yourself to get out of a funky mood is to give thanks! The moment you think about that which you are grateful for, that is the moment you shift your perspective from darkness to light. Through the practice of gratitude, your focus will shift to the good in your life. You can brighten the dark into lightness by focusing your mind on gratitude.
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” ~ Cicero
3. Apply the brakes
When something goes wrong there is often an immediate reaction. However, within a few seconds, you can choose to consciously apply the brakes. For example if a car cuts you off in traffic and you get really mad—the moment you become aware of that anger you can choose to apply the brakes and release the anger. Decide to let it go. That moment is over, that speed-racer is long gone, and you are only hurting yourself by keeping your mind and emotions in the anger. The next time you catch yourself re-hashing a fight in your mind, or remaining angry over an incident that’s long over, remind yourself that you can apply the brakes to the negative thoughts and move on. And the moment you catch yourself thinking about it again, just remind yourself “Oh yeah….brake time.” With continued practice this will become your new habit—your empowered way of releasing the past.
4. Pause frequently
As you go about your day, it is all too common for life to pass us by. As we run from one thing to the next, we miss out on so much of the beauty staring us in the face. Throughout your day, begin to practice pausing. This means as you are sitting at work and finding yourself distracted, take a moment to pause, take a deep breath, and become fully present by noticing how your body feels, what the room looks like, and what is happening in the moment. This simple practice is an easy way to ignite your energy and focus.
5. Add a dose of daily adventure
Adventure is the spice of life. Now you might be lucky enough to book a one-way ticket and head on an adventure to the jungles of Peru. But, you don’t need to wait, or take such a radical trip to live with adventure in your life. Make adventure happen every-day. It can be as simple as going to a new coffee shop and taking the risk of trying a new spot for your morning coffee. It could be walking a different route to work. Taking little detours along your regular route adds adventure, joy, and helps your mind think more creatively.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” ~ Helen Keller
6. Spend time in nature
Nature has a naturally calming effect. Whether you live near a body of water, a park, or even your own backyard, going out to nature is an opportunity to put everything on hold, and receive the soothing effects nature offers. Nature is naturally healing, inspiring and empowering. Nature is a wise teacher and helps fill our spirits with peace, creativity, and vitality. The next time that you feel tired, confused, or seeking inspiration—go to nature and empower your spirit.
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. The 5-minute miracle
Taking 5 minutes every morning to sit up in bed and follow the rhythm of your breath is a life changing practice. Some people call this meditation; I like to call it Daily Connection. Through spending the time every morning to start your day cultivating awareness and setting a foundation for clarity through taking time to practice stillness, is one of the fastest ways to live a more joyful and centered life.
Taking 5-minutes to focus on your breath, which helps to quiet your mind, is one of the most powerful ways to relieve stress and create clarity in your life.
8. Be compassionate towards yourself
Sometimes life events can trigger us so badly that in the moment we are not able to shift our focus as quickly as we would like. We may feel unable to apply the brakes as fast as our mind desires. Our emotions can take longer to resolve themselves than our mind, or intellect desires. These are the times to practice having compassion for yourself, and your experience. To know that it is OK when something really bothers you that it might take a little longer to resolve it. Practice compassion for yourself. Rather than say “Come on, you know better than this! Get out of your funk!” Remember, instead of reprimanding yourself for being in a bad mood—practice having compassion for yourself. Through the practice of compassion, your emotions and focus will shift to a more peaceful state. You cannot “trick” your mind into being compassionate just so that you will get over your upset state of mind faster. You need to earnestly send yourself some love and kindness, and through this, the situation turns around, and you find yourself moving into a more joyful and energized state.
9. Move your body
Movement is powerful. It is good for our health, mind, self-esteem, and elevates our energy. Create a plan that will get you moving every-day. You do not have to embark on an intense heart pounding workout every-day. But every-day you should integrate some movement. I suggest a few workouts that DO get your heart pumping and a few workouts that help you stretch and release tension. And remember to incorporate fun. That means if you love to dance—get shaking! And if you love sports or walking outdoors, these are the exact activities you should integrate. When you mix it up, you keep it fresh, creating more enjoyment. Plus, you will find that your workout gives you a break from your problems, sparks creativity and clarity. Even research has proven how exercise enhances our brain power! So get moving and enjoy all the benefits today.
“If you don’t move your body, your brain thinks you’re dead. Movement of the body will not only clear out the “sludge,” but will also give you more energy” ~ Sylvia Brown
10. Eat fresh
What you feed your body impacts your energy and mood. When you increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in your body, you substantially increase the amount of vitamins and minerals your cells receive. This helps you shine from the inside out. Your complexion will brighten, your organs will be thankful, and your mood will be brighter. In turn, you will feel more inspired, creative, and probably be more fun to hang out with! Seriously—if you don’t feel good physically, if you are full of toxins, or constantly on a teeter totter of sugar highs and lows, this will impact your mood and how you treat people. Food is powerful and it impacts our life on so many levels.
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Tova Payne
Tova Payne is an Author and Coach. She writes, speaks, and coaches others to live exceptional and freedom-filled lives. To learn more about Tova, visit www.tovapayne.com or connect with her on her Facebook Page.
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