We most often live our lives with daily habits and rituals, doing the same things on repeat, over and over. We get up, go to the toilet, clean our teeth, exercise (for those that do), shower (for those that do), and generally function on automatic pilot. The vast majority of people start their days robotically, without a second thought about how they clean their teeth, check social media, or flip the kettle on for that morning dose of caffeine to wake them up and start their repetitive motions, like the film Groundhog Day.
We then proceed to continue on, in much the same way….. Go to work the same route, see the same faces on the commute, find other peoples habits annoying and grumble to ourselves about how they annoy us but not actually speaking our minds, or even question why they bother us. Could it be that we are actually in a grump with ourselves and our lives? Could it be that we aren’t genuinely happy with ourselves and look for an external reason to stay in our grumpy bump?!
Lunchtime hits and we have the same, if not similar food as the day before. At this point, have probably checked social media a few more (hundred) times to distract us from our repetitive tasks that we are doing, because it’s what we are paid to do but have no interest in really. We want to escape the monotony of the daily grind and look for new adventures, see what fun others are having and then be jealous that our lives aren’t as happy and smiley as theirs. It must be true, you can see it with your own eyes. Is seeing really believing? Of course not, but we carry on checking our social media anyway in addictive and habitual ways.
Have you ever tried to shake up your daily habits, or even drop them all together? Or challenge homeostasis and leave your comfort zone? If not, why not? The reason you may stay living in the same way, everyday, is the fear of change. The fear of what might happen if something goes wrong, or heaven forbid we fail. Fear of failure is a huge driving force in keeping us trapped in the rat race of life. Fear of change is a falsehood, change and death are the only constants in life. Change is inevitable!
What would actually happen if we gave up our morning coffee, would we just not wake up and stay like a grumpy zombie all day? Of course not, we would wake up naturally, without the stimulant and carry on with our day regardless. Would our life end if we gave up sugar or sweetners on a daily basis, no! We might actually break an addiction if we just give it a go.
Having lived a life through looking through the lenses of fear and doubt, I understand how it can shape our reality, I get how it seems easier to live life on repeat. I also know what it feels like to challenge my beliefs and habits and try new things. I can easily jump in with both feet, feeling the fear but doing it anyway.
I am currently three weeks in to a detox (for the first time in my life). I joined in with a group of friends to see if I could shift a few pounds and lift my energy levels. The results are surprising! Having been addicted to chocolate and diet drinks all my life, it was never something I had thought about giving up. It’s what I loved and felt it was doing me no harm. If I’m honest, I didn’t realise I would be giving up my beloved treats and if I’d know before, I may have just said no. But I like a challenge and thought I’d give it a go. Guess what, I’m still alive, kicking and actually enjoying it!
Starting my day drinking warm lemon water and a smoothie is changing what I thought I perceived to be my routine. My skin is glowing and I’m radiating from the inside out.
The detox isn’t the only change I’ve made in my life either. Instead of waking and checking my social media before anything else, I’ve introduced meditation and a practice called Quantum Flow (I love Quantum Flow so much I’m certifying to teach it). Before my day starts, I get up a bit earlier than I used to and give myself time to get in the right frame of mind to tackle anything that comes my way, with a smile on my face, love in my heart and a skip in my step. I get the blood pumping and oxygen flowing through my body, which in turn kicks off the natural endorphins and serotonin. I begin my day naturally now rather than chemically and it’s making a huge difference in my life.
Are you genuinely happy with yourself, with the habits and beliefs you have today about how you live on a daily basis? Is fear holding you back from achieving something you have always dreamt of doing but never got round to actually starting? I say, feel the fear and do it anyway. You may just achieve the success you desire, you might actually become happy with the direction you are heading, find more purpose in life and live in a more fulfilling way. Give it a go, I dare you.