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- You don’t need to know who you are right away. It’s okay. Take time to do things slowly, investigate what things mean to you and what is important to you. What many people don’t understand is that you don’t have to be exact replicas of your friends, being yourself is the only way to go about life. Don’t be afraid to do things that challenge you, as these things will define you. Only then will you know who you are, realize this is okay.
- Stop putting off an egotistical persona. Society today forces us to be self-centered. All we see on television and advertisements is the idea that everything is all about you. The fastest delivery service so you don’t have to be hungry long, the quickest check out line so you can get on with your day, the most comfortable seats for the best flight for you. This is a completely unhealthy way to live, both for ourselves and for the earth. Think about those around you and think about the effect of that decision on the planet in the long run.
- Stop doing things that are easy, things that you know you can do. You’re limiting yourself. It’s time to expand what you can do and try things that scare you. I’m not saying to jump out of airplanes if you’re afraid of heights, I’m saying take a local cooking class if you like to cook but don’t know how to expand. Take an art class if you don’t know how to finish your painting. Push yourself past the comfort limits you set up for yourself god knows how long ago. These limits hold us back to our lesser selves and do nothing to improve society. Take a risk and you will be genuinely surprised with what you can do.
- Do everything with an open mind. By thinking that everything is going to suck, everything will suck. I used to think I could never do a handstand, never do crow pose, never do a lot of things – but that was me telling myself what I couldn’t do. My mind was closed to the possibility of trusting my body. Open the door to all of your possibilities. Human beings are unique and wonderful creatures and we can do anything if we truly set our minds to do it. Open your mind to differences, too. Nothing will be “standard throughout” because no one is built and made the same way. Everyone’s standards for perfection will be different, so open your mind to these differences. You might learn something!
- The body bashing needs to stop. This goes for everyone of all body types. This really relates back to number 3, but is so important it had to be its own point. I’ve said it before: nothing will be standard throughout. This applies to our bodies. There is no standard. Basing your body off of somebody else’s standard is a sure shot way to become a more unhealthy version of yourself. Push yourself to be healthy, not to be someone else – which is why I love Tara Stile’s new book, Make Your Own Rules Diet. It’s NOT a diet, it’s a cheat sheet to making healthier changes. It’s about being in tune with yourself and that theme is so central to society right now. We aren’t being in tune with ourselves enough and it’s causing us to make unhealthy decisions with our bodies. This isn’t rocket science, it just takes a bit of help.
