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20% of which have hit seven figures, who are already building a brighter financial future. Subscribe now. Sign up at readthejoe.com slash subscribe dash swap. That's readthejoe.com slash subscribe dash swap. Level up your money game. Subscribe to The Average Joe now. This is Optimal Living Daily. How to Be Your Best Self When Life Gets You Down by Ellen Bergen of ifitbringsyoujoy.com. And I'm Justin Malek, your personal narrator, reading to you every day, including holidays.
So for now, let's get right to our next article as we optimize your life. How to be your best self when life gets you down. by Ellen Bergen of ifitbringsyoujoy.com. Lately, I've found myself questioning so much in this world that currently looks strange and uncertain. Although, when is anything in life certain?
Many people are really hurting and it's easy to slip into a place of doom and gloom. Instead of focusing on things I can't control, I've been purposely thinking about how I can positively impact the world. I decided that looking at myself is the best first step. Without me being the best, beautiful person I can be, how can I have a positive effect on anyone or anything else?
Personally, I believe the world is in an incredible time of change. It may seem like it's not changing in the right direction, but I choose to believe it can and will. Is our world bouncing off its lowest low so it can strive for its highest high? Bounce into a more awakened, better world? Certainly possible. You might be thinking,
I'm just one little person on this planet. There's not much I can do. My beg to differ. What ripple effect are you creating? Just like a stone that's thrown into the water produces ripples. Each of us produces ripples based on how we show up in the world. I've written many times on how the ripples of kindness are a powerful way for one person to touch friends and strangers alike. You showing up as your best, beautiful self
will make a difference to the world. The ripples you create by showing up as your best self can have a huge impact on others in this world. What type of ripples are you sending into the universe? Are you showing up as your best? beautiful self so you can create ripples that have a positive, high-impact effect on other people. We all have our individual talents and desires, and we each get to decide how to use them.
Five self-reflection questions to lift you up when life gets you down. My gratitude goes to Jennifer Flynn, the Balance Maven. She facilitates her Monday afternoon club where we, quote, talk about... what is most pressing in our inner and outer worlds and commune with one another in the most meaningful ways, end quote. Yesterday, Jen posed five questions for us to think about during times in our lives when **** hits the fan.
I found them incredibly powerful as a way of looking at myself and deciding what I want to do. Number one, when and where today can I stop, pause, rest, and heal? Notice it says when, not if. Take care of yourself first and then go out into the world and be your best self. This is something I'm passionate about because you can't show up as your best self if you are depleted and not well.
If you take time for yourself, you'll be the happiest version of yourself. This may sound overly positive, but it really does have an impact on your life. It's important. When you feel your best, you can give your best. Look at it as a gift that you give not only to yourself, but also to those who you love. Even just a few minutes each day will help you to stop, pause, rest, and heal. Number two.
What do I need right now? If you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take the time to think about what will help you. Are you trying to control something over which you have no control? Are you feeling overwhelmed about a big project? Try breaking it down into smaller steps so it feels less big. Jen talked about how sometimes we condition ourselves to think that food and drink is a reward rather than a necessity. If you're hungry, then eat.
If you are thirsty, drink. Tired, take a nap. This question might take some time and practice to embrace. It sounds simple, yet I know for me, I sometimes ignore my basic needs. Sometimes I don't feel like getting up to fill my water bottle. Other times I'm too tired to make a decision and I just carry on rather than taking a nap. Number three, is there anything I'm avoiding or I need to deal with?
Take care of it. This question is great for shedding some light on something in the back of your mind or maybe something that you're unconsciously avoiding. If it's unconscious, you likely need support by a life coach or a therapist to shed light on it. If you're able to put your finger on it, great. What can you do to resolve it so you can move on and get back to being present in your life? Number four, with whom can it take some time to really connect with today?
This question really jumped out at me. Family is my top core value, and at the end of the day, all the people I care about are my family. How do you feel when someone randomly calls or messages you? It makes me feel loved and like my existence matters. My life has touched others and they are thinking about me. What a gift. Although I do have a fairly good habit of connecting with people, this is something I really want to improve upon.
There's nothing more important than the people in my life and having a tighter connection is a sure path to more joy. Do you have a daily or even weekly habit to reach out and connect with someone in your circle of friends? Number five. How can I slow down and let go even more? Again, notice the wording. The choice is how to do it, not if you do it. In Jen's words, doing it is non-negotiable. Do you need to let go of the little things?
No matter what has happened in the past, you have the power to change your experience from this point forward. Spend some time listening to your thoughts to become aware of what seeds are being planted. Make sure there are seeds that someday you'd like to harvest. Let go of the little things so you can cultivate a mindset that will grow inner joy. The world has a place for each of us. The purpose of those powerful questions is for self-reflection.
deciding how you wanna show up, and then acting on that commitment. The world needs you. The world needs you to be the best you can be. The world needs you to stop, reflect, and purposely decide how to bring your best self to everything you do. If you need a day or two or three to stop and do nothing, then do nothing. Do whatever you need to do to rejuvenate yourself. Inspired action.
is likely to follow. You have the freedom to make every decision about your life. Do you like how you're showing up in this world? Are you making sure your life is blossoming? No matter where you are in your life, Let it be a time of expansion that reflects growth in your life. As you change your life, the lives of others around you will be impacted by the ripples of your change.
You just listened to the post titled, How to Be Your Best Self When Life Gets You Down by Ellen Bergen of ifitbringsyoujoy.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Looking for a snack that works as hard as you do? Wonderful pistachios is one of the highest protein nuts. Each one ounce serving has six grams of protein, giving you over 10% of your daily value. Pistachios are known for their protein power, fiber, and better for you unsaturated fats for a combination.
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holds the salt, but definitely not the flavor. Whether you're powering through your day or unwinding in the evening, wonderful pistachios is your perfect snacking companion. Get snacking and get cracking with a snack that packs a protein punch. Visit wonderfulpistachios.com to learn more. Thank you to Ellen. I really liked when she was talking about how a little ripple of kindness that you share today can create a massive ripple effect.
that ends up touching so many people. And what's crazy is that usually we don't even know it. I think that's a bit of the issue here. We like to see how we're affecting people. So if we don't see it, we're not as motivated to keep doing it. Just thinking about this podcast, he might've been listening to this show passively for years and never emailed or messaged me in any way. And that's actually probably 95% of the listeners. That's totally fine.
It would be really difficult for me to answer so many emails. But at first, when this show began, it wasn't really fine to me. Because I was seeing the numbers like, wow, 10,000 people listened to that episode. That's so cool. but I get maybe a couple of emails at best. Most emails I get are pitches from people about advertising, collaborations, or business tools, wanting to be interviewed on the podcast even though we don't do interviews here, and the like.
But just, hey, I've listened to a bunch of episodes. Those emails are more rare than you'd think. Luckily, I just got one today. That was really nice, but... I had to learn to get that feeling of satisfaction and purpose and like I'm making a difference from inside rather than relying on it externally from other people.
And speaking of, this was not a big way of me asking for you to send me an email to let me know you exist. I promise that's not the intention. Actually, if you say nothing, but got someone else to listen to this show, that would mean even more. That's actually an amazing way to create a ripple effect. It's showing someone what a podcast is, even if it's not this show. I showed my mom what a podcast was a couple of years ago, and now she listens to a bunch of shows.
and then shares it with her friends, and they've now discovered the wonderful world of online audio in podcast form. So if you have a chance today to either show someone what a podcast is, or get them to subscribe to or follow this show, that'd be the best gift to me ever. So thank you for that. Thank you for listening. Have a great rest of your day, and I'll be back tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.