#wakemyselfup

Removing expectations with people, events, and life will help you to appreciate all the good when it happens. Because, you ultimately free up your mind.

We’ve all been there.

Let’s say, for example, your birthday is coming up. You get so excited, because you just know your boyfriend is going to take you out to eat, get you a great present, and perhaps take you away for the weekend.

The day gets closer and you haven’t heard about any upcoming plans from your boyfriend, yet. You think – maybe he’s going to surprise me? Or, perhaps he’s letting it go until the last minute (like last year). So, you wait and hope you won’t be disappointed. Again.

Except, you ARE disappointed. AGAIN.

Want to know why? Because you had EXPECTATIONS. You had expectations about your boyfriend, about the present, the plans, and for the day in general. Since the day and your boyfriend didn’t live up to your expectations, you were disappointed. Because you EXPECTED something to happen a certain way.

Another example might be going on vacation. You plan months in advance. You prepay. Any and every option you could plan for was taken care of. This vacation is going to be the BEST vacation you’ve ever had. You tell yourself this. Because, you have EXPECTATIONS regarding the vacation and how everything is supposed to go.

And GUESS WHAT happens?

You were disappointed and upset when your plans and vacation didn’t go as expected. The plane was delayed. Your reservation got mixed up. You didn’t get to go to that perfect restaurant you had your mind set on. Your EXPECTATIONS and reality didn’t align, so you got upset and disappointed.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could REMOVE EXPECTATIONS?

Just imagine a life FREE from EXPECTATIONS. Que sara sara type of stuff…leaving one’s life to the hands of fate. Whatever will be, will be. By removing expectations, you FREE your mind and soul to the beauty of what WILL BE. Life will have more surprises, more pleasure. And, ultimately, more happiness.

Now, imagine your birthday WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS. You look forward to your birthday, of course, but you keep the day open and exciting and surprising. Allowing whatever to be, to be. You might be pleasantly surprised by something unexpected…and it turned out to be the BEST birthday EVER. Your boyfriend DID forget…BUT it made the day spontaneous. You had so much fun doing things spur of the moment that YOU forgot HE forgot. The day ended up being wonderful, anyway. You were happy as you laid your head down to sleep that night.

Imagine that vacation WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS, too. You made the plans, but kept the options open to fate. You knew where you were going and where you were staying, however, the mix up turned into a blessing. Your room was upgraded. That delayed plane allowed you to talk to another passenger that let you know of some really cool places to see at your destination. Places you didn’t know about before. You ended up eating at the BEST local restaurant that had the MOST amazing food. Your vacation was breezy, and fun, and one of the BEST you ever had.

Because you REMOVED your EXPECTATIONS.

Our health matters a great deal to us.

At a certain point in our lives, our bodily health also becomes more important to us. When starting to notice the signs of aging or being overweight is when the focus tends to turn towards the body. What can be done to fix things? What can be done to create longevity and weight loss? Also, what can be done to feel better? After all, the body is our soul vessel.

It doesn’t matter if you are just now noticing these things and wanting to change. It matters that you are willing to.

Our body is our vessel.

Our energetic soul is residing in our body. We need to take good care of it.

I’ve been noticing some changes with my body. Since starting to ‘wake up‘, I’ve noticed that certain foods don’t appeal to me. I don’t care to eat as much, and I have wanted to get more physical exercise into my routine. (Something that I really didn’t have a desire to do in the past.) I’ve been listening to my body…changing the foods I eat and desire. Eating less, getting more or less sleep, and introducing some cardio and weight lifting into my days. Small changes. Changes that come when the time is right and feel good for my body.

The key is to listen.

Try adopting more of a holistic approach to treating our body as a whole. Not just the symptoms when they arise, which can be more beneficial than you may think. You can contribute to your own health and well-being through a variety of things. Exercises, movements, breathing practices, meditations, visualizations, posture, music, healthy eating and uplifting of the spirit are some examples.

These are ways we can all introduce being healthier and more mindful of our body:

Get moving – walking, stretching, dancing, yoga, bicycling, climbing stairs, lifting weights, resistance bands, swimming, hiking – whatever gets you motivated and excited to move

Eat healthier – eat more fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins, less meat, more organic and fresh, eat less, drink more water – just implementing some of these changes can make all the difference in your health and healthy weight

Stand and sit straight – don’t slouch, relax your shoulders, stretch your body throughout the day – these little things can prevent headaches, body fatigue and pain, and improve digestion

Listen to music – whatever makes you happy, calm, stress-free, energetic – music can work wonders on our mood and perceptions of life

Meditate – take some time each day to enjoy the quiet, find a solitary place to just relax…even if it’s just for 10 minutes

Breath deeply and mindfully – long focused breathing can help improve our thoughts, moods and energy levels

Sleep – if your body feels tired or you want to take a nap…then DO IT – on the flipside…if you can’t sleep then GET UP and get moving, read a book, enjoy the sunrise – listen to your body

Daydream – let your mind wander down the path of visualizations, good memories, a place you’d rather be (like on a beach somewhere), doodle or draw, think of new ideas, journal – these are all releases of stress on our brains…because, sometimes we need a break, even if it’s only in our mind