Dear Friend,
So, as many of you already know, my book is coming out this November
and it is titled Love Your Body, Love Your Life. I originally came
up with a different title - Love Your Body, Live Your Dreams. But the
publisher preferred Love Your Body, Love Your Life. I thought it had a nice
ring to it, and everyone I spoke with preferred the publisher's title, so we
went with that. (Also per the terms of my contract, the publisher had the
final say...) Upon reflection I realized this new title has presented me with a
bit of a challenge, and therefore, as I like to say, an opportunity.
This week's article is the result of examining the true meaning behind
what it means to love your body and love your life.
Peace, Love, and Beauty,
Sarah Maria
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The Key to Creating a Life You Love
I knew how to love my body and live my dreams - doing that was
the impetus for writing the book. But what about loving my body, and
loving my life? This was a slightly different claim. For me to be authentic,
to practice what I preach as they say, I need to love my body AND love
my life. Living my dreams was much easier than loving my life. Living my
dreams was something I could DO, and I am quite good at doing.
But loving my life? In order to love my life, I had to BE, and to BE
required a whole different tool kit from DOING. For me to truly be authentic,
I had to learn how to be happy, be peaceful, be grateful, and simply BE so
that I could truly love my life. This doesn't mean that I stopped doing
things, but it does mean that I have become much more strategic in what I
choose to do and why I choose to do it.
Here are a few things I have learned to help me create a life that I love:
DO NOTHING
Yes for all your overachievers out there, I am serious. Do nothing. We are all
so busy doing all the time. Somehow we have come to value ourselves based
on the amount that we accomplish in a day, or the number of things we cross
off of a list. Whether you are goal driven, or tend to take it easy, we all seem
to be rushing around more and more, keeping ourselves busy, in an attempt to
get somewhere other than where we are.
Schedule some time to actually do nothing. In a time of Blackberry's and
overbooked calendars, it can help to put it on the schedule. Example: Saturday
from 1-4 - DO NOTHING. Just sit, lie down, do whatever is comfortable, close
your eyes, or keep them open, and just BE. Your body and mind will be infinitely
grateful. Simply notice any judgments that come up - check to see if you have been
valuing yourself based on what you do...remember - you are a human being,
not a human doing. :)
DO WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY
Numerous studies have been done on happiness. Maybe I'll write about them in
some coming editions. But here is the most important thing - we can make little
choices every day, every moment, that can help us feel happier and increase our sense
of well-being. So often, it is not the grand or the grandiose that brings us that wonderful
feeling of well-being, it is the little things that we do each day.
And these little things
end up creating the big results.
Here are some ideas for what you can do:
Whenever you find yourself rushing around in a doing frenzy, simply stop,
close your eyes, and breath. I know it sounds simple, but it really works. It doesn't
need to be a long ordeal, just a few moments can suffice. Simply stop and breath - you
will notice your stress levels begin to drop and you can re-engage from a more
peaceful place.
Focus on creating friendships in your life. Human beings are social animals, and
numerous studies have shown that simply talking will raise your levels of positive
neurotransmitters such as serotonin. If you are feeling down from busyness or from
boredom, feeling lonely, or trying to break an unwanted habit, simply talking to a friend
can make you feel so much better.
Take pleasure in the simple things. I know, this is all stuff we have heard before,
but sometimes it helps to be reminded. Every day we are bombarded with opportunities
for ecstasy. (Yes, I am serious.) When you wake up in the morning, can you enjoy the
smell of your favorite coffee or tea, or perhaps of the flowers blooming nearby? Maybe
your child's laughter? When you eat, can you enjoy the beautiful colors, smells, and textures
of the food? When you talk with a friend, can you notice how simply talking makes
you feel better?
When we are stuck in our minds, we often miss the very pleasures that we are craving.
We push ourselves to get something that will make us feel better, when in fact whatever
will make us feel better is right in front of us.
SIMPLY LET GO
The more we hold onto something, the more suffering it creates. When we cling to
a specific outcome, we worry. When we hold onto a positive experience, we worry.
When we focus on avoiding pain, we suffer. Holding onto to anything and everything
creates turbulence in the mind. If you want to live at peace, the key is to let go.
This is one of the most important practices to help you create what you want in your
life. Set an intention, and let it go. Create a goal, and let it go. Focus on something,
and let it go. Experience pleasure - let it go. Notice the pain - let it go.
Creating a life you love means being in dialogue with the universe, and you can only
have this dialogue when you let go. Whenever you are holding on, it is a monologue.
And monologues rarely create the magic, the mystery, the joy, and the ecstasy that will
fulfill our deepest desires.
Do these simple things. Or rather, BE these simple things. As you establish yourself
more fully in being, you will be amazed how much effortless it is to create a life you love.
The better you feel, the more joy, love, and well-being you experience, the more centered
and grounded you feel, the easier it is to avoid unhealthy behaviors such as overeating,
over-drinking, over-spending, over-worrying, and over-doing. And the easier it is to make
life-affirming choices that will help you to feel more happiness,
peace, joy, and love.
Have you found this article helpful? If so, please forward it along to three of your friends
or family who you think might also enjoy. Life can get rough, and, in my opinion, the more sources of inspiration the better.
Thank you to all of you for your loving and gracious comments about how this e-zine
has helped you.
Please feel free to visit my blog and post your comments there
as well: www.breakfreebeauty.com/blog - I read them all.
To your limitless well-being.
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Sarah Maria is a body-image expert and teacher who can help you
discover the beauty that you already are so that you can create a
body and a life that you truly love. Her first book, Love Your
Body, Love Your Life, is being published by Adams Media and
will be available for purchase in November '09. She combines ancient
spiritual wisdom with modern science and shows you, step-by-step,
how to pacify your mind, heal your heart, befriend your body, and
transform your life.
She has studied with the leading experts in health, spirituality,
personal development, and success, including Deepak Chopra,
physician Dr. David Simon (co-founder of the Chopra Center for
Well-being in Carlsbad, CA), Dr. Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, renowned
Ayurvedic physician Vasant Lad, and many others. She is a lover of
eastern philosophy and spiritual wisdom and passionately shares
these teachings that have so transformed her own life.
Before founding Break Free Beauty, Sarah Maria received her law
degree from Stanford University and her Master's in International
Affairs from Columbia University in NYC. She has lived and traveled
throughout Latin America, and has also visited many countries around
the world. Her greatest passion is helping people discover the
beauty and the greatness that resides inside so they can live from
this place of grandeur, transforming themselves and the world.
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