A New 20/20 Vision
With 2020 being a rough year on so many of us, most people couldn’t wait for 2021 to start… One of my personal goals for the new year has been to find joy on the regular so I can live a more happy, fulfilled life. But happiness can sometimes feel like a trivial word. What is happiness anyway? The definition is the state of being happy (showing or feeling pleasure or contentment and having a sense of confidence or satisfaction). What makes me happy may not necessarily bring you joy and vice versa. It all comes down to the eye of the beholder, which is why I read Taylor Rochestie‘s A New 20/20 Vision: Cultivate Joy, Reprogram Your Mind, and Define Life Through an Authentic Lens.
Like Gabby Bernstein says, “subtle shifts equal radical change” and since I know that to be true in my own life, it goes hand in hand with what Taylor speaks about and lives out every single day.
In such a beautiful metaphor, A New 20/20 Vision, Rochestie shares about searching for happiness daily. Check out his excerpt from Chapter 5:
FINDING DAILY HAPPINESS
Start small:
Changing your life does not always mean big, radical changes. Small, simple, incremental changes can be just as impactful. For many, the global pandemic was a massive external change, but on an individual level, many of us took the opportunity of our time in quarantine to make small positive changes. Many of my friends started walking outside and getting to know their neighbors like never before. Others began individual self-improvement, nourishing themselves with a new skill. Many of us became more patient, developing an understanding that kindness toward others can go a long way. These small changes have lasting effects, and give focus to how we create energy. New positive habits may take time to build, but never underestimate the power of your daily efforts when your goal is positive change and building positive addictions.
Positive daily addictions:
The word “addiction” has a negative connotation of losing control to something that is bad for you. But, not all addictions are harmful.
I’m addicted to feeling good.
I’m addicted to living out my change.
I’m addicted to the smile I have on my face and the one that I can create for others.
What do these addictions look like in my daily life?
One of my positive daily addictions is eating healthy foods. While many people choose their diet in order to attain a certain shape or look, I choose what I eat based on how it makes me feel. I’m addicted to the way my body functions when I do eat well.
The truth is, we can celebrate being an addict when we’re using all of that focus and determination to bring positivity into our lives. Be addicted to making people smile or laugh. Be addicted to loving those around you, constantly finding new ways to share affection and love within your community. Be addicted to being courageous, fighting for what you believe in. Be addicted to living out your desired change on a daily basis.
Be courageous today:
The typical Hollywood blockbuster takes place in a fictional world filled with fabricated truths, layered with plot twists and obstacles, challenging the main character to overcome tremendous adversity. As viewers, we cheer on the main characters, believing they will overcome overwhelming odds just in time to give us our Hollywood ending. We aspire to be as strong as a Marvel superhero, as clever as James Bond, and/or as loving as the lead role in a romantic comedy. More than anything else, we’re inspired by the courage these characters exhibit—courage to do what’s right, courage to say what needs to be said, courage to help others.
Why do we find it easy to cheer on movie figures for their displays of courage, yet fail to see the courage within ourselves?
If someone was watching a movie about your life, where would they notice displays of courage? I hope it’s every day, because, every day you have the opportunity to acknowledge the immense courage you have inside, and be a beacon for others to see their courage through you.
Add time to your day:
Mantras, meditation, yoga, journaling—whatever your morning rituals include, take the time to check in with how you feel and what you want your day to look like.
Live in constant awareness of the moments that each day presents, and use each moment wisely. If you feel anxiety that there simply aren’t enough hours, you need to add more time to your day. Reduce your ten-minute shower down to five. Pick your outfit for tomorrow before you go to sleep tonight. Wake up twenty minutes earlier to give yourself the extra time in the morning that usually seems so rushed and programmed. Use the time you lay awake at night before falling asleep to envision the day to come.
Live in authenticity. The less time you spend trying to be something you’re not, the more time you spend being the real version of yourself. Everyone wishes they could add time to their lives. This is the closest thing to it. Add time to your day and to your life, by living as many days as you can, in your authentic skin.
Excerpt used in permission from Taylor Rochestie publish date 2.22.21
So if you feel like seeing the world through a new lens filled with optimism and joy, I recommend reading Taylor’s new book.
ABOUT TAYLOR:
As seen in Forbes, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and more, Taylor Rochestie is a professional athlete who’s traveled the world playing basketball for over 11 years. Having lived in 12 countries, immersing himself in local cultures and learning about the diversity of life’s “truths.” He offers a unique perspective, by sharing his new 20/20 Vision for the future. Using a positive filter to all that he encounters, Taylor is unwavering in optimism and powered with a purposeful voice to inspire positivity and happiness. Taylor is also an author, speaker, husband, and father who is currently overseas playing professional basketball.
A New 20/20 Vision is available on Amazon or your local Barnes and Noble.
You can read more about the book and purchase your copy here.
Follow Taylor on instagram.
