 All of us will experience significant change in our life at some point. There may be triggers as a result of a change in a relationship, loss of a job, the death of someone close to us, an illness or significant injury, or an impactful event that’s occurred in our personal life. The change may have been anticipated, or it may have occurred suddenly and unexpectedly. Either way, it's human nature for change to feel incredibly uncomfortable and disconcerting, usually because what was previously recognisable as our personal reality has now changed permanently. With the start of a new year, are you experiencing the onset of significant change? Has it sparked in you a desire to question if you are doing what you love and whether you need to re-evaluate your choices ? A few years ago, I remember reading a quote by Rumi: “Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do”. Rumi’s words resonate at the core of my being and remind me that life is too precious to live stressed out every day because I am not doing what I love or I am not being the ‘real’ me. So what does Rumi mean by these profound words? When we are doing what we love in life, we are in alignment with our true self. This means we are doing what’s of most value to ourself and what makes us feel at ease in our core being. When we do what we love we can expect to experience good health, enjoyable relationships, and a sense of purpose and fulfilment in our life. Sadly many people fill their life with doing things they don’t love. The pressures and demands of life drive people to make choices based on economics, social expectations and cultural norms, rather than on what fills them with passion and joy. How many people do you know who talk about how unhappy they are in their job or in their life in general? In Japan, ‘karoshi’ refers to a very real condition where people die from overwork. When our life is out of balance to the point where we are no longer doing what we enjoy, the negative consequences can be huge. Over 10,000 people per year die from this condition, brought on by stress and overwork. Statistics are even higher in the U.S. Lissa Rankin MD, author of “Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself” (Hay House, 2013), found scientific and medical proof that doing work you don’t enjoy will actually shorten your lifespan. However, spending time with close friends, enjoying laughter, investing in your relationships and generally doing what you really love are key factors that make a difference to a person’s health and level of joy and fulfilment in life. When we are stressed, our “fight or flight” physiological stress response is triggered in the body by the sympathetic nervous system, which then produces large amounts of adrenaline, cortisol and epinephrine in the body. These stress hormones elevate the heart rate and blood pressure, and de-activate the body’s natural healing and self-repair system. As a result, it leads to poor health and dis-ease in the mind and body. However, when we are doing what we love, the ‘relaxation response’ is activated and the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in, releasing ‘feel-good’ hormones, enabling the body to relax and do what is does best, heal itself. So the question is, if we are not living our life doing what we love, then why not? Doing what we love can be as simple as laughing, dancing, listening to uplifting music, meditation, singing, playing with animals, taking a vacation, sleeping, doing our favourite hobby, exercising or pursuing a creative activity. Or it can be choosing a career or vocation that gives us great satisfaction because it matches our values and is moving us towards fulfilling our goals and dreams. When we consciously choose to do what we most love in life, we live in a way that fosters a spirit of gratitude and love for the person we are. We are then better able to attract abundance in our life, such as good health for our mind and body, loving relationships, and a life that is enriching and fulfilling. What matters most is that we make ‘doing what we love’ a priority and not something we do if we have time. It also means to live life consciously and on purpose. If you are feeling drained, unmotivated or stressed, it could mean that you are not doing what you truly love in life. Now is the time to check in wth yourself, not tomorrow. If you are not loving your life, then it’s time to find out why and make some necessary changes. Rebecca Gabrielle Soul Coaching & Spiritual Healing https://www.livingwithspice.com/#/ ~~~~~~ If you would like some guidance around how to create change in your life, please visit my website for more information on the following:
“The Power of Soul Loving - A Spiritual Guide to Love and Freedom” By Rebecca Gabrielle (Balboa Press, 2019, Ch 8) https://www.thepowerofsoulloving.com/ Photo by Rakicevic Nenad from Pexels #change #theshift #selflove #2020preparation #newbeginnings #soulpurpose #dowhatyoulove #thepowerofsoulloving #livingwithspice
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