[The] Power

Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.

- Lao Tzu -

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I've not said much on my posts about what's going on around me lately, a few know parts of it, those I communicate with outside of the Hive community, however on my posts I've said next to nothing at all, on purpose. I figure it's no one's business until I choose to make it so and, in truth, I don't think many people really care. I'm not saying they don't care about other people, just that people have their own things happening and don't have the time to spend getting enmeshed in other people's affairs and issues. I get it, I understand.

I've tried to keep things looking and feeling pretty normal on my posts - as normal as things can be when it comes to my posts anyway, and have certainly tried to keep things light, entertaining an upbeat; that is to say, not miserable, depressing and boring.

The main reason I've not said much about my real-world life is that I'm living it. Sure, writing things out has a positive effect on me but continually thinking, talking and writing about the aspects in life that are weighing upon me, whilst important, isn't always a positive.

I'm not saying that I'm depressed or suffering mental health issues, I am not; I have a really nice life in fact. However, pressure builds at times and if not released it can weigh on a person, and that's where I think I'm headed...or have arrived.

I need a holiday, of that there is no doubt. My work-life is very demanding and with other things combined...a holiday will be a good thing. I have a few weeks off over the Christmas/New Year period which should work well, but that's not enough, I need to manage the situation without having to take time off work. I need something on a daily basis, something that helps prop me up a little bit and helps me move through life a little better.

I'm of the belief that we all have the power to command ourselves, to orchestrate and create the thoughts and attitudes that keep us ticking over and moving forward.

I don't mean momentous and complicated strategies, I mean small things like, hmm gratitude for one. It's those small things, sort of like stepping stones in a fast-moving river, that help us make our way forward with a little more ease, comfort or in a more productive way.

With this in mind I've been moving from stepping stone to stepping stone lately, feeding in the good stuff and putting the rest in a box and locking it away, just for a while; it'll be there when I get back to it, and I'll resume the process of dealing with it, but taking a breath helps me be more effective at that.

One of the things I've been doing is making a call each morning, to a friend or acquaintance, for a quick chat; it allows me to start the day on a positive note, and allows me to say thanks for being a good friend or whatever small show of gratitude I offer them. That, added to the few moments I leave aside when I wake up to think of what I'm grateful about in my life, helps kickstart the day in a positive way.

I've also been starting my workday at a café each morning, I wrote about that last week - it's a soft start to the day, a little me time.

Throughout my day I use the count-to-ten process my dad taught me when I was a kid. It allows time to think clearly rather then reacting too quickly or rashly to things that arise and, in my job, things arise all the time. This process has meant I am able to deal with issues more rationally or efficiently, delegate more effectively and prioritise the important things pushing those of lesser importance aside for later.

I've been taking lunch breaks and turning my phones off throughout, both personal and work phone, and have been eating lunch off-site - it's a gap in which I can self-manage my thoughts and attitudes away from the pressures of the job. It's all been working really nicely.

We all have the power to make positive impacts on our days, weeks and life and through seemingly small things big results are possible.

Filling life with a bunch of small things like the above, and others, will eventually cause them to touch at the sides, to become bigger, and whilst it won't make problems go away altogether, it'll help put those things into perspective and the individual in a better space to deal with them, effectively and positively, and that can't be a bad thing.

Do you have methods that help support your thoughts, attitudes and overall wellbeing? If so, and you want to share some in the comments below, please feel free.