What’s the use in making plans

It always feels good to start projects and make plans (at least it does for me anyway).

But what’s the use in making plans if you don’t follow through.

That really good idea you have could actually be something in the physical reality if you’re willing to bring it to life.

To want and do nothing is of no real use.

It creates a cycle of excitement at the possibility and disappointment at the outcome of nothingness.

Everyone has plans whether its passing thoughts or things you dedicate your daydreams to but if you really want the plan to become part of your reality then you kinda have to do something about it.

The blame game

You don’t have to play, you can always opt out.

I used to be the sort of person who would blame other people for the misfortunes of my life. Not in an explicit way but I felt that I needed certain people in my life to change in order for me to feel better in life.

At the time I truly believed that it was because of ‘them’ that my life had gotten to be so dreadful .

It didn’t even occur to me back then that I was giving my power away, that by blaming others for the state of my life I was declaring that I was not in control.

But after doing some reading, reflecting and ruminating I realised that I’m the one in control of my life.

I also realised that sometimes we subconsciously reject the responsibility over ourselves and our lives and look to other people as ‘the bad guys’ who’ve ruined things for us.

It takes courage to decide to take responsibility and stop playing the blame game.

The problem with relying on someone else to change in order for you to be feel good is that the person may never change. By playing the blame game you just end up missing out and that’s no fun.

What do you need?

In moments of stress and panic it’s important to know what it is that you need.

It could be a drink of water, to take a walk, to stretch your body, deep breaths or even someone to talk to.

The great thing about knowing what you need is that when these moments come up they become easier.

Instead of your body getting worked up, your chest getting tight and your breaths shallow you can instead just go for a walk.

I find EFT to be incredibly useful in situation of overwhelm. The combination of repetitive tapping and comforting words can totally shift my physiology.

I love that it’s free, almost anyone can do it and it can be done anywhere.

Boy dreamer

When our dreams are greater than our present circumstances it can be easy to feel like it’s us against life as though we’re pushing back.

You might think you’re the only one with big dreams as everyone else just seems to get on with things without dragging their heels.

But if you take the time to speak to the people around you, you might find that they have dreams too. Talking to the right people will always be helpful and realising you’re not alone is a bonus.

Finding out that someone else in a similar position to you has dreams too is something you might not have even considered. That’s just one of many reasons to not make assumptions.

The feeling is not the problem

I think this is what they call a break through.

Perhaps we should look at situations from a neutral perspective.

The feeling you have towards any situation is not the problem and that is the mistake that is so often made.

We get so carries away by how dreadful it feels and sometimes that can spur us on but other times its just a hindrance. How are you supposed to go out into the world and thrive when you’re caught up in emotions.

Take unemployment for example. If you’re focused on how blah it feels to not have a job then every rejection email will be more likely to feel like a knock physically and mentally. Then before you know it you’ll be declaring that the job market is impossible and that you’re without a hope in the world.

The feeling is not the problem.

If you’re instead focused on the act of applying for jobs and improving your CV you’ll undoubtedly have a very different experience.

And the thing with a job is if there’s only vacancy and 50 people apply even if they’re all perfect applicants 49 people will still ‘lose’.

But that doesn’t make them losers it just means they have to keep playing that game.

Maybe writers should try painting

For about a decade I’ve written almost daily and in the past 7 months I don’t think a day has gone by that I haven’t written.

But I recently started to wonder if I should stop writing. Not altogether but to simply take a break. I’m not sure what the benefits would be but it would definitely be a challenge.

Writing is embedded in me, it’s part of who I am. It’s the thing I do when I’m bored, inspired, overwhelmed, thinking, planning or looking to capture a moment or feeling.

I suppose like with any creative thing it’s good to take breaks and refresh your mind. Or even try creating in a new medium, painting for example.

How strange it would feel to pick up a brush instead of pen. It would be like flexing a new muscle or an old one in a new way.

But perhaps in that space of strangeness, newness and unfamiliarity there’s something worth exploring.

Stop complaining and do something

Everybody complains every now and then but if that’s all you do people will soon get bored.

When you complain, you’re identifying a problem and so the next step is finding the solution.

Everyone goes through stages of wanting to change an element of their life but if you’re not willing to do anything about it, you might want to stop talking about it.

If you’re still complaining about the same thing months or years later maybe try asking yourself how can I change this?

You really can change your life, if you want to.