Tools for staying motivated - getting past the baggage

Have you had those times where it feels as if nothing will change?  Well that's how some people feel at the start of the year feeling stuck before they have even had a chance to draw breath and think of the direction they want to go in.     

 

Things are changing all the time, you have to remind yourself that this is only a temporary feeling.  What we need to focus on is that the way we respond to the situation/s.  Different responses can often give us very different results, ie: we walk around with a scowl and we get back a scowl or worse, or if we put a smile on our faces we can get a smile back. 

We often talk about baggage that we can carry that weighs us down with the regrets of the past,  the bag in a different light can also symbolise all the equipment and tools we need to help us in any given situation.  If you imagine life like an adventure and along your path you get to pick up tools/lessons that will assist you in the different challenges that you may face along the way. You have to learn which tool will fit your situation and use it correctly.

Our bag contains lessons from life, that you have picked up along the course of your existence.  Lessons learnt the hard way and some though making good decisions.  The lessons where you took the risk and it worked out or it came crashing down but you were able to learn valuable lessons about yourself.  Some of the equipment in our bag take the form of advice and fears that have been inherited, and some you need to let go off as they were the fears and doubts that others have in their own lives and serve no purpose in yours.   

There are so many lessons that we already know ourselves but we never put them into practice. When we think of the advice we can give others to support and cheer them up about their situation, telling them about their talents and gifts, we often forget that these words of wisdom can be used on ourselves as a 'pick me up'.  So where do we begin?

Think about all the things you take for granted.  I started making a weekly list of all the things that I am grateful for in my Friday Gratitudes posts after seeing a video by Ann Voskamp as a reminder to myself that what ever the circumstances - its only temporary, here are some that I have posted:

Laughter

Flowers

Jacket Potatoes

My Son

My mothers joy 

God - my faith 

Mixed media 

Keep going with your own list, and see how many you can come up with.  If we remind ourselves how much we take for granted and start appreciating more, we begin to look at our situation differently and will even see ways in which we can make changes.  Begin to look deeper, see which things that you can work on in your life..

Think about how you become de-motivated,  what are the triggers, and then put in place a couple of the ideas that can stop those feelings in their tracks.  These become your resources, so next time you think about your baggage make sure you identify the tools and lessons you've learnt along the way that can make a positive impact on your life. Blessings for the week! 

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