When we recognize the talents and the stronger attributes we’ve acquired, often times, we tend to direct more attention to these areas in our lives and allow other areas to be neglected. Too often we overcompensate in what we’re good at, thinking it will make up for the time we don’t give to other areas in which we are lacking. But in order to create a balance in our lives where we continuously grow in every way, we must work on each area of our lives to include the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. 

Taking the time to work on our bodies is absolutely necessary, especially as we get older. There are those who love to work out and love the results of working out even more. Some put a lot of time into working out, even up to seven days a week. Such hard work would deem that one has mastered the task of taking care of their physical being. Another important aspect of working on our physical being is watching what we eat, what we take in.  Although we are to enjoy the food we eat, we must also learn to respect our physical being with what we consume on a consistent basis. A way to master the ability of being mindful of what we eat, is to understand the difference between living to eat and eating to live. It is much more beneficial when we simply eat to live and only enjoy some of the less healthy consumptions from time to time. But once we actually master the ability to take care of ourselves physically, no matter how much we love to work out, groom ourselves, and look good, we must also give time to other areas of our lives, such as our mental being.

The position of our mental being has a tremendous effect on our daily existence, every single day, and on how we manage our day. The mind being one of the most important functions of the human being, is often times one function that is taken for granted the most. Often times, we give our thinking power to others and we discount our own in order to conform. We spend more time satisfying what others think, rather than respecting and grooming our own thoughts. In order to take care of our mental being, we must make it a habit to fill our minds with productive forces. We must read, read, read, not a bunch of junk, but information that enlightens, encourages, and expands the mind. We must practice critical thinking in the decisions we make everyday, think things through, especially identifying the long-term effects each decision will have on our lives and the lives around us. Many have succumbed to the habit of making feel-of-the-moment decisions in life, yet find themselves perplexed about their current situation and circumstances.  Until we consistently feed our minds with information filled with substance, our mental capacity will continue to reap the consequences of not doing so.

Even as we try to stay on top of continuously nurturing our physical and mental being, another important area of our lives is spiritual nutrition. It is much more likely that the spiritual aspect of our lives will flourish when we have a genuine concern for our physical and mental state of being. Having any level of spirituality requires quite a bit of thinking and understanding about our own personal lives. It also requires us to be acceptable of who we are which will at some point refer to our physical being and what we think of ourselves. Our spirituality will most importantly involve our relationship with God, a superior and supreme being who expects nothing but our best. When we include this belief in our daily spiritual life, we will automatically desire to examine ourselves in every aspect of our being. A spiritual life requires reading about and learning what is expected of us to maintain and also strengthen our relationship with God. In doing so, He will equip us with the desire to respect ourselves physically, mentally, and indeed spiritually.

Working on the whole self is imperative if we are to see any real and lasting growth in our lives. Continue to strengthen the areas in life that bring joy, success, and financial rewards, but also find a balance where other important areas in life are also being nurtured. True success is when we learn to have a productive balance between each area, the physical, the mental, and the spiritual.

 

Regards,

Tawana R. Powell

(Author of Life Fulfilled, The Ultimate Goal)

Yes, yesterday is gone, tomorrow’s not promised, and all we have is today. But do we know how to appreciate this reality or do we use it as an excuse?

It is often said that we should always live for today and enjoy life. Why? Because tomorrow is not promised. But depending on where we are mentally, these words of wisdom can have different meanings from one individual to another. Depending on how much thought we put into this doctrine, such words will lead some of us into doing much of nothing and for others, these words could mean doing all that can be done. Live for today. Enjoy life. What do these words really mean to you?

When you hear someone say, ‘live for today’, yet you suffer from the danger of short-term thinking, you will allow yourself to believe there’s no need to plan for the future. You will make daily decisions as if  they will have no bearing on the days ahead if you should perhaps live another day; and likely, you will. It can become the strong-hold habit of looking for the perfect excuse to refrain from any planning for the days, weeks, months and years ahead. Your idea of ‘living for today’ is geared more towards letting yourself off the hook of anything meaningful or anything productive. Your idea is wrapped around the things you don’t have to do as opposed to seeking opportunities that will allow you to make progress in life.

For those who have been plagued with the ability to only think short-term, to ‘enjoy life’ will also find its meaning on the less productive side of life. Some will find it to mean to only do what’s easy and fun. Enjoying life will always be equated only to having fun and to anything that doesn’t require the need for any critical thinking or serious decision-making. It will mean to put off thinking about the future at all. Why? Because tomorrow’s not promised. With this way of thinking and the all-around danger of short-term thinking, you will always be deceived into believing so many things don’t matter and will continuously find yourself in the same place, mentally, year after year after year. This inhibited mentality will be the true reflection of your progress in life, or lack thereof.

But for those who know how to control the deceit of short-term thinking, ‘living for today and enjoying life’ both take on entirely different meanings. To ‘live for today’ will mean making valuable use of every single day. You will know the importance of taking the necessary steps in life that will prepare you for whatever  is to come in the days and even years to come. The wisdom of enjoying life will unfold as the opportunity to use what God has already given you instead of praying for Him to do every single thing. To ‘enjoy life’ will mean to have the courage to share with the world, the talents and gifts God has bestowed upon you. And when these meanings take place in your life, such thinking will carry you when times get tough. Such thinking will allow you to prepare for a rainy day, whether it be financially, mentally, or emotionally.

The greatest detriment to those who suffer from the dangers of short-term thinking, is that their decisions will always be made based only on the outcome they can see.  Short-term thinkers only react based on what they know for sure will happen, therefore, a true sense of preparation for the future will never take place in their lives. The life of a short-term thinker will likely never change because it lacks the wisdom to plan ahead, think ahead, and prepare. These are the steps it will take to ever see any transformation for the better. Only when we begin to make better decisions simply because it’s the right thing to do and not just when we think we know what the outcome will be, is when the better decisions will pay off in our lives.

Better decisions always pay off in the long run when you truly understand and live by the most powerful and effective meanings behind the wisdom to ‘live for today’ and ‘enjoy life’. What do these words mean to you? If you dare to reflect on the meanings by which you choose to live, within your interpretation, you will see a true reflection of the life you’re living today.

Regards,

Tawana R. Powell

Author of “Life Fulfilled, The Ultimate Goal” (Amazon.com)