Your life is a work in progress.
A series of experimentation with what works, what doesn’t work, and “I’ll never do that again.”
On your way to creating a joyful life, keep these four qualities in mind.
Practice them. Nourish them. Nurture them.
Cultivate Patience
Immediate gratification is the sticky ball of goo that attracts us like flies. It’s the dopamine hit we get addicted to.
It’s human nature to buy the car you can’t afford, eat the second donut because you ate the first one too fast, and stuff your closet full of clothes you’ll never wear.
Press pause. Practice patience.
Patience is a virtue worth your time and effort.
It’s the space in between your wallet and an impulse purchase on Amazon
It’s the space in between your inhale and exhale.
It’s the space between starting something new and seeing it all the way through to the end.
Be patient. Trust that the universe is unfolding exactly as it should.
Cultivate Persistence
You know the old saying, “if at first you don’t succeed…try, try again.”
That great idea you have won’t see the light of day until you breathe life into it.
And keep breathing life into it…day after day after day.
Like a seedling underneath the dirt, you won’t see immediate results. Your persistence is the activity that your idea needs to flourish above the dirt.
Cultivate Consistency
It takes guts to show up. And it’s scary the first time you step foot into the arena where you’re breathing life into your idea or your practice or your art.
To get better at anything you need to be consistent. (And please note, I’m writing this for me to remember as well because dang if I had a dollar for every time I stopped being consistent…)
You only get better at your art, your writing, your yoga, your meditation, or your business, by consistently showing up and practicing.
Cultivate Resilience
How many times have you stopped doing something because someone made a snarky comment about your project?
How many times have you not started something because you’re afraid of what someone might think?
When I left my corporate job the one person I didn’t want to tell was my father. I told him after I resigned. Why? Because he would have made me feel like I was making a baaaaaaaad decision.
A long time ago I used to sell my photography and I did pretty well for a side gig. I remember getting ready for a craft fair and there was one particular image that I needed back and asked my former husband to get the roll of film developed with one hour express.
Well….he dropped the film off to get developed but not with one hour express. I was in a hurry and really wanted that image available. His snarky comment to me was “what for? you’re not that good anyway.”
I didn’t pick up my camera for seven years. SEVEN YEARS.
By the time I did pick up my camera, everything was digital and I didn’t need to worry about anything on film or snarky comments from an ex-husband.
When you’re in the arena, fighting to breathe life into your art, your book, your craft, and or your new business, you’ve got to develop a thick skin. The worst opinions come from people in the cheap seats who are too scared to join you in the arena.
Patience, Persistence, Consistency, and Resilience
Which one will you work on today, tomorrow, and every day that ends in Y?