Mindfully managing the ups and downs of life means we need the mindset, skills and routines that allow us to go with the flow.
Here are 13 quotes that capture some guiding principles that will help you savour the day no matter what your day is like.
Savour the day
Your life isn’t just the happy-go-lucky days.
It’s all the messy ones too.
Managing the ups and downs of life means being fully present to enjoy the good days and skillful in handling the bad ones.
Up and down.
Ebb and flow.
“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.” Art Buchwald
Do what works.
That means not wasting your time on things that are not important.
How do you know what is truly important?
Let your heart be your guide.
“On this path let your heart be the guide.” Rumi
Pause & breathe
Your breath is a super power.
Yes really.
On good days it brings us back to the present moment so we can take it all in.
On challenging days, our breath can create a restorative pause that gives us the energy and focus to manage whatever life is throwing our way.
[Learn more about this principle]
“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” Etty Hillesum
Focus your attention
When we start the day with a moment of gratitude, we focus our attention on what a blessing it is to be alive – even on days when life seems to be too much to manage.
Where our attention goes, our thoughts, actions and energy follows.
Reset with a morning routine that includes the practice of gratitude.
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Marcus Aurelius
Release the unneeded
It’s hard managing life when we are weighed down with stuff we don’t need.
That means releasing the thoughts, relationships and clutter that no longer serve us.
In doing that, we free up time and energy that can be spent on savouring life or tackling challenges.
“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” Joshua Becker
Control what you can
The best use of our time and energy is to control what we can and leave the rest.
Too much attention on things that are out of our control leaves us tired and anxious.
Decide what is in your control and do something about that.
“The best thing one can do when it is raining is to let it rain.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Make conscious choices
There is enough chaos that happens randomly in life that we don’t need to create more it.
Making decisions on auto-pilot is a sure fire way to make more problems to manage.
Conscious and intentional choices get us closer to what we really want.
“Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” Robert Louis Stevenson
Hope audaciously
Hope is not wishful thinking or a Pollyanna outlook.
It’s an optimistic mindset that helps pull us forward.
If we look at tomorrow with a hopeful belief that things will get better, difficult times are a little more bearable.
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu
Build meaningful connections
We can’t do this wild ride of life alone.
We need other people to help keep us on the right track, call us on our bs, cheer us on, and hold our hand sometimes.
The good times are better and the bad times are more manageable when we have meaningful connections.
“Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.”
Brené Brown
Honour your body
If you don’t take care of your body, it can’t take care of you.
You can’t manage the messy stuff in life if you are running on empty.
Move, eat and sleep in a way that treats your body with reverence.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn
Shift to unstick
Feeling stuck just might mean that you need fresh eyes on the situation.
When we shift our perspective, we open ourselves to possibilities that we might not otherwise see.
A tiny pivot can make all the difference in managing life.
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer
Tackle your undones
A never-ending to-do list saps our mental, physical and emotional energy.
First release what’s not needed on that list, and then roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Important things you don’t do today, become urgent tomorrow.
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” Abraham Lincoln
Prioritize what matters
If everything is number 1, then nothing is really the priority.
We all have limited time – whether it’s 24 hours a day, or days in our lifetime.
Pick and choose where your time, energy and resources go if you want to truly savour the day.
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” Stephen Covey
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