It’s the wee hours of Wednesday. As I look out of my window for the first rays of light of the approaching dawn, I let the peace that the moment was offering, enter me. I open my laptop to work on my first post of the month, hoping that I’d be able to harness enough concentration. I have a few things in mind to write about, including the latest movies I watched, the recent books I read, the new recipes I’ve been trying, or the fascinating travel plans I’ve been making in my head. (You know, the usual listicles that I do.) But I can’t get myself to write about any of these things. As a cuckoo bird starts chirping in my front yard, my heart melts the same way ice does when sunlight falls on it. I swear it looked at me before flying away into the grey sky. And told me a thing or two about living better. I say “it told me” because those “certain thoughts” crossed my mind as I observed the bird.
And since I agree with most of those things, I guess I should share them with you. So, here are the ten vital traits for living better that might come in handy when we are in the soup.
Be compassionate to yourself and others. Always be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. I’ve read it somewhere, that you might regret being angry, revengeful or acerbic, but you’ll never regret being kind, esp. in the longer run. Empathize when you can.
Forgive. Don’t hold grudges. To err is human. No one is perfect. You aren’t, for sure. So, just let it be. Do away with investing time, effort, money on them, if that’s what you want. Move on without them, if need be. But just forgive. It’s good for your mental health. People do what they do. Bottom line, we are all trying to live better.
Hold your Ground. Don’t try to fit in or mould yourself into a person you are not. It doesn’t matter how other people want you to be or how they treat you. Focus on your dreams, and not everyone else’s vision for you. Stay true to yourself and your needs.
Believe in yourself. Hold your dreams close to your heart and nurture them. DO NOT think that it is other people’s responsibility to do so. For the most part they’ll not understand your dreams, like you wouldn’t understand their’s.
Don’t try to rationalize your bad behavior. Often times we try to find reasons for our bad behavior and try to justify it in our minds. But it is black and white. What’s wrong is wrong. Being mindful of behavior and choosing the right words signifies how much self control you are capable of. And anyway bad behavior rarely solves anything and instead leads to unnecessary stress.
Live in the present. Do your best in this moment, for this moment. It requires a lot of practice but this is the best way to derive happiness from life. All the “material” differentiators that seem important right now and for which we are striving hard, will become immaterial and a part of rut once we have them. So, it’s important that while we are working on our dreams, we don’t forget to live. Haven’t we all heard that journey is more beautiful than destination.
Keep track of your feelings and emotions. Keep revisiting your habits and routines. Revamp your life when your mental state is not how you want it to be. At times we get so occupied in our lives and routines, that we miss out on checking up on ourselves. We shouldn’t lose touch with ourselves. Because when we do that, situations seem to get out of hand, as a result of which, we become restless and anxious.
Respect yourself and everyone around you. Know your boundaries while dealing with situations and people. Don’t de-prioritise your own needs. Instead de-prioritise people that belittle your needs and feelings, if that is what it takes to salvage your mental peace. On the other hand, treat people the way you want to be treated. Not based on your need of them or their stature. Don’t diminish other people’s needs and expect them to accept things the way you like and reject ideas that you don’t support.
Whatever the problem, there’s always a way out. And there might be certain situations and problems where the only way out is moving on, so be it. In the end, every difficult situation is just one of the phases. Try focusing your attention on solutions instead of setbacks and difficulties. There is nothing and no one in life that is more important than your sanity. So, if the solution demands separating from a few people or losing something material be it a job or a house, just do it. You can re-build a house, find a better job and meet people that are actually good for your soul.
Be there for people. Be honest and genuine with people. Our lives are intertwined with each others’. We may be rich, successful and accomplished but there is no way we can survive without others. It looks like there is a competition going on for the “limited” resources that our planet can offer, but in the end, the result of the competition isn’t as important as how we play this game of life. Being supportive and helpful has it’s own rewards.
Too many realizations. All hail the Cuckoo Bird!
If you liked this post on living better, please like, share and subscribe. Do comment if you agree with these pointers on living better. In case you have any additional suggestions on how to make living better esp. during these times, the cuckoo bird and I would love to know.
Happy Reading. And Living Better. Chao!
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