5 Thought Friday
This week’s 5 Thoughts focus on being at ease with yourself because each one of us IS ENOUGH. Just believe in yourself!
1. What I am currently reading, viewing, or listening to:
Rereading Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations for the third time
As humans, we all have our ups and downs both physically and mentally. For example, I have not seen my three children and mother for several years in what seems an eternity due to the pandemic. To manage my thoughts and to be at ease with myself, I often turn to Stoicism. There is no better book for us Stoics than Meditations. Let me share a few very deep yet poignant quotes:
“Never value anything as profitable that compels you to break your promise, to lose your self-respect, to hate any man, to suspect, to curse, to act the hypocrite, to desire anything that needs walls and curtains.”
“Failure to observe what is in the mind of another has seldom made a man unhappy; but those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy.”
“Do not waste the remainder of your life in thoughts about others….for you lose the opportunity of doing something else when you have such thoughts as these.”
2. Gratitude Practice (for improved happiness):
Grateful for my current life coach that has worked with me for 8 sessions already. She has assisted me to unwind some limiting beliefs, structure my thought process and ultimately elevate my self-confidence/energy levels.
3. Wellness ideas to consider:
“Fermented Foods May Alter Your Microbiome and Improve Your Health”. Foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha increased the diversity of gut microbes and led to lower levels of inflammation based on recent studies.
Want to be at ease day after day physically? I recommend fixing your “gut” by eating fermented foods and learning more about foods to avoid that YOU SPECIFICALLY are intolerant to. Here is a quick read on the data I used to identify my specific food intolerances.
If you want more details, here is a book I recommended several years back, The Mind Gut Connection.
4. What I’m eating, drinking, buying, or whatever else is on my mind:
Spa and massage therapy treatment! As the name says, treating myself to some muscle, tension, and stress relief.
Thank you to a few of the Sleep Minder community that set me up for this upcoming massage pampering. I cannot think of a better way to be at ease with my body physically when minor tensions/stresses arise!
5. Quote(s) I am Pondering:
“Nothing is a greater impediment to being on good terms with others than being ill at ease with yourself.” Honoré de Balzac, French novelist/playwright.
This quote resonates with me because it is the foundation of how I personally foster deeper relationships with my wife and children…..by reflecting internally and understanding myself first!
Happy Friday!
Mike
