During the time of year that those of us who live in America celebrate our freedom, I want us to remember something that comes with that privilege. We are given choice.
We are free to choose a great deal of things in our lives. Where we go to school, what we want to study, where we want to work, and the type of work we do, to name a few.
What many of us end up forgetting is that we also have the ability to choose to participate in the things that bring us more harmony into our lives. We get to choose what activities we do and those we don’t do.
So it seems a little counter-intuitive to me that someone would choose to do something for their working lives that brings no peace or harmony whatsoever. If you are feeling that way today, there is hope and you can change things now.
If you are feeling like you don’t have a lot of harmony in your life, be it personal or professional, the first step is admitting that. The second step is accepting the current situation you find yourself in.
Without accepting the current situation it is quite difficult to make any changes to it. Any problem that needs solving, should first start with understanding the current situation. Then once you fully understand, you can make changes to see if it gets better or not.
When we choose harmony over chaos, we are giving a gift to ourselves. We are telling ourselves that we matter and that we value the life we are living. Harmony with oneself, and accepting our authentic selves is a key component of understanding our ikigai.
When we are able to live in such a way to nurture our ikigai, we will have a much easier time finding meaning in the life we are leading. I am not sure about you, but I have a really hard time finding joy and meaning when I am surrounded by chaos constantly.
So, if you are finding yourself feeling a little trapped and surrounded by chaos and want things to change:
- Step 1: Admit to yourself that you want more harmony & peace
- Step 2: Accept the situation for what it is
- Step 3: Do more of the things that bring small joys to your life
Follow these 3 steps every day for the next week and you’ll be surprised at how you look at the world, but also it may give you ideas on what you want to change.
#ikigai #acceptance #authenticself #worklifeharmony
Steve Beauchamp 