“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” Jack London
Nobody is wasting his/her time deliberately, most of the time it is just simply happening. One way to avoid it, if one is living with a conscious mind-set. However, it is sometimes easier said than done.
In this post I am going to list six indicators. If one or more are true to you, then you are most probably wasting your precious lifetime, and some preventative actions should be done. Go through these statements and try to analyse them. Ask yourself, whether you are committing the same mistakes or not. If the answer is yes, do not panic! Be glad, that you have found out about it, and try to fix the problem by using effective methods of self-improvement.
1. Your soul, body and mind are not balanced
Meditation and relaxation are key elements for maintaining a healthy mental state. If you don’t spend enough time to care for your soul, it might result some malfunctions and illness in your body and overall physical well-being. According to the saying: “sound mind in a sound body”. But do not misunderstand this statement! If you are a sportsman it does not necessarily mean that you have a healthy mind and soul, but rather the opposite! A person with a healthy mind most probably has a healthy body as well. The two are dependent on each other. Therefore a wholesome lifestyle, proper nutrition, regular exercise and meditation are very important to keep up your overall health and well-being.
2. You are overly negative
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” This quote from William James indicates that happiness and stress-free living is nothing, but the outcome of choosing positive thoughts over destructive ones. We are all able to think and carefully select our thoughts. Living a happy life is a decision. Decide now, that you will think only positive thoughts and stop creating harmful ideas in your own head. Accept the fact that your thoughts are creating your life. Now, if it is true, what do you want your future to be like? Why not try to give it a shot? Quit thinking negative patterns for now and ever! Remember, it is a decision that needs to be taken by you. Nobody else can think with your head, only you. Optimistic attitude helps to overcome even the worst situations in life.
3. You avoid new challenges
If you never leave your comfort zone, you will hardly experience spiritual and physical growth. Do the things you always wanted to try. Do not wait until it will be too late. The universe is a great place and it is only waiting for you to take on everything that it has to offer. Do not waste your time by waiting for the right moment. The right moment is now! You are never too old to try new sports, master a new language, finish your degree, learn to dance Tango or travel to far away, exotic countries. Set yourself constantly new goals to reach, and always raise the bar higher and higher. This will increase your motivation, and keep you going. There are so many great and challenging things to explore, do not be afraid to leave your comfort zone and realize your dreams. They will only contribute to your personal growth and development.
4. You let others to tell you what to do
There is nothing wrong with a friendly suggestion or advice. But before yielding to it ask yourself if it is really the best for you. After all, the only person knows you best is you! Nobody feels your feelings and nobody else lived through your experiences. Always be true to yourself and do not let others to tell you what to do! Follow your heart and mind when you are making decisions, and take responsibility for your actions. The leading force in your life should be you, and only you!
5. You do not value yourself enough
Each and every human being is unique and precious. Unfortunately, not all of us realize this. Take a moment to find your qualities, and value them. What are the characteristics, virtues and talents that differentiate you from others? Do not take everything granted, work for your best qualities and emphasize and embrace them every day. Think positive about yourself, and love yourself! That is essential to build up a healthy self-esteem and self-value system. Building a strong self-esteem -just like positive thinking- is a decision. Practising self-acceptance daily can lead to a stable self-assessment creation.
6. You worry too much about your finances
If you think that work and making money are the most important activities in life, you might also worry too much about your financial situation. So many of us believe, that money makes us happy and everything will be better once we got enough of it. Unfortunately, it is wrong. Our society fundamentally tells us that buying staff will make us happy. This belief system does no good for us, and only results a high level of greed. They want to keep you busy going to work, and pile up cash, so you would not see the real values of life. Money is a tool to enhance the quality of life, but it is not the explicit meaning of happiness.
It is our responsibility to read between the lines, and stop being the tool of money creation. So do not sacrifice yourself for money, as it should be the complete opposite. Money is there to serve us, not the other way around.