4 Ways To Reclaim Your Life

If you are to reclaim your life, you need to take the time to ask yourself a few questions.

Are you living your life the way you want to live it? Do you think you’re going through your day as your true self? Are you speaking with your authentic voice, or are you holding back out of fear of not being accepted? Stop holding back so you can reclaim your life.

Don’t Hold Back!

Many of us struggle with the split between who we are and who we present to the world. We do this in order to fit in. We fear that our loved ones or peers will judge us for the things that we do or the ways that we want to be. So instead of being ourselves, we spend so much energy trying to fit into this mold of what everyone else expects of us. In this article, I will list four ways to reclaim your life. This will help you to approach everyday with the authenticity that you were born with.

Be Your Authentic Self

Seriously think about how you were when you were a small child. Weren’t you adventurous, tried new things and did whatever you wanted? You were fearless in your pursuits and it was amazing. You learned right from wrong and lessons, like, don’t put your hand on the stove, don’t pull a dog’s tail, and learn how to share.

Once you learned the basics of survival, you began to discover your voice and acted as your authentic self. You may not have always fit in or were even considered a little “different.” But this didn’t stop you. You were unapologetically you.

What has happened to some of us since then? Well, “status” happened. Think about it… we say and do things based on how others will perceive us. Maybe you no longer talk about that dream of what you really want to do. You don’t think about how you will do it because you are afraid of disappointing someone or not living up to their standards. Many successful people might annoy others around them because they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals for success. These are the people who have maintained or learned a tremendous amount of self-acceptance so they can reclaim their lives.

Do not hold yourself back because you are afraid of what others may think. Truly finding success in life begins with knowing that you are enough, and harnessing that same courage from when you were a child to be your authentic self.

“Authentic empowerment is the knowing that you are on purpose, doing God’s work, peacefully and harmoniously.” -Wayne Dyer

Limit Social Media

Everyone is fighting for your attention. In our social settings, whether formal or digital, we are being bombarded with thoughts, ideas, products, services, etc… It can get very overwhelming and what’s worse, we become conditioned and it goes unnoticed.

Imagine walking the Las Vegas Strip for an hour. For some, its tiring. It is not the walking, it is the flashing lights, the sidewalk performers, and the noise. It is all fighting for your attention and that can weigh on you. The same comparison can be made with social media.

Find balance in your social media use. I urge you to take inventory of what you use and where you use it (desktop computer, tablet, mobile device). Personally, I found that I didn’t need Facebook on my mobile device so I removed it (including Facebook Messenger). I found pretty quickly that this freed up a lot of my time to accomplish other things. The lack of social media exposure forced me to have more intentional conversations with people when I would see them in real life.

I also recommend removing or deleting a person or account that doesn’t make you feel happy or is a source of negativity in your life. Let social media work for you, not drain you or make you feel insecure about your life. Everyone and everything is in process, remember that.

One final point to quickly touch on is to take a look at your email. Start to unsubscribe from things that no longer serve you or you simply no longer use so you can reclaim your life. For instance, I was getting emails from an airline that I no longer used. Once I unsubscribed, I had a more manageable inbox and no longer had to waste any time opening or deleting them.

Travel

There is a big world out there with new possibilities at every turn and it is waiting for you to venture out! Experiencing people, places, and different cultures can provide you with new perspective and growth in your own life.

Traveling has a way of forcing you outside of your comfort zone, and brings with it a special kind of awareness to connect more with yourself and with others. There can be some down time, and no better time to think and reflect than on an airplane or looking out the window of a train. This is a great opportunity to put yourself out there more and strike up a conversation with fellow travelers or locals.

You also become aware of your schedule, your surroundings, and your personal well being. Most of us tend to make plans while traveling and if something is not for you, you adjust and move on. For some reason, when we are in our hometowns we can get complacent and continue to stay in places and situations that do not necessarily benefit us. Be a tourist in your own town, do something different or more of the things that you enjoy – visit a museum, go on a hike, look at architecture, take a day trip, etc. I realize there can be responsibilities and budgets to adhere to. Cut unnecessary costs out, start a travel fund and stick to it. It’s going to either be “one day” or “day one.”

Exercise

Exercise is rewarding not only physically, but mentally as well. I always say that nothing feels better than a finished workout. The only problem is that you have to endure the workout. Haha. I choose to go to group classes lead by a trainer, as I am not the type to go into a gym and know what to do in order to achieve the best results. Being a business owner, I am in a leadership role and delegate tasks so much in my day-to-day, that I enjoy just showing up and being directed in the gym. It’s a nice change of pace.

I find that it’s a great way to start the morning, it gives me more energy throughout the day and helps me make healthy food choices. When I exercise and eat better, I feel better.

Exercise can help you to reclaim your life because it is a great way to take time to care for yourself, to clear your mind and feel mentally and physically strong. We tend to focus on everything we have going on all the time. However, we fail to pay attention to our own well-being. If you can’t seem to stay committed, I recommend finding a friend or fitness partner to keep you accountable. Or try joining a fitness challenge so you have a program to follow and a goal to work towards. If you’re feeling your best, you can give your best to everyone and everything in your life.

Action Steps:

I know these four ways to reclaim your life will come in handy for you if you implement them. You can not do them all at once. However, the addition of one of these items at a time can dramatically change your life. Choose one this week and decide to give it a try. At any moment, you have a choice that either leads you closer to your authentic self or further away. The worst that can happen is you might just end up reclaiming your life. Take action.