Life is a collection of moments; the idea is to have many good ones.   how many more good moments we would have if only we were not fussing so much. By nature, I am a hotheaded female who’s always fussing about one thing or the other a trait; I dislike a lot about myself. I have huge admiration for people who always cool, calm and collected.At the beginning of the year, I was curious on how I can be the best version of myself. I invested time in finding resources to help throughout this journey. One of the books that transformed my mindset is Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. I was surprised how much small stuff I was allowing ruin my day and life in the long run.

• Road abusers; I had allowed them to steal my joy every day. The truth is Taxi drivers are always going to make sudden stops, bodaboda riders are always going to be willing to risk it all to fit in the thinnest of spaces.  The only thing I have control over is my reactions towards these activities. Imagining the pain of being in an enormous hurry makes me more compassionate and ease out. This way, I can maintain my own sense of well-being and avoid taking other people’s problems personally.  
• Letting people finish their sentences without interruption is something I still learning to do, but whenever I recall, pressure is cut off instantly. I feel relaxed and the person talking to me in turn feels more heard and understood.
• Create patience periods. Patience equals huge bouts of peace. The more patient you are, the more accepting you will be of what is, rather than insisting that life be exactly as you would like it to be. This book taught me that it is something that can be enhanced with intention. You can start with as little as five minutes and build up your capacity for patience, over time. Start by saying to yourself, “Okay, for the next five minutes I won’t allow myself to be bothered by anything. I’ll be patient.” What you’ll discover is truly amazing. Your intention to be patient, especially if you know it’s only for a short while, immediately strengthens your capacity for patience.
• Will this matter a year from now? I try to remember this question whenever I am worked up about a situation. Richard Carlson has a name for it -“time warp.” I imagine as though the situation is happening a year from now and most times, I am humbled at how insignificant the situation is and drop it.
• What do I want people to say at my funeral, why wouldn’t they say those things? These questions have enabled me constantly remember the person I want to be and the priorities that are most important to me.
• Quiet time every day. I have come up with a ritual to help me with this one. I sit on my favorite corner of bed with a cup of tea (my favorite thing to do) and for 5 minutes, every morning I let it sink in that I woke up with breath in my lungs, then I taste my tea which not only wakes me but calms me and then set my intentions for the day. I repeat the same ritual just before I go to bed, I evaluate my day, write down the things that made the day special in my gratitude journal, take tea and set an intention to be a better person tomorrow.

 I could go on and on but I got a free version online here, so dig in and learn a thing or two yourself. Please write back and let me know how it is taking effect in your life.  

Thank you for stopping by, warm hugs, Rebecca.

Photograhy by Zahara Abdul

Makeup by Your Face By Hannah

Location Olive Gardens Hotel