It makes getting out of bed in the morning easy, but every other part of the day extremely tedious and exhausting. The need to be and do my very best in even the smallest activities I attempt can quickly make life feel more like a chore than an adventure.
When I succeed I thrive, and quickly move on to the next goal or project- when I fail I'm often left ruminating over what I could have done to make things go differently.
My mother once told me, "You're never going to please everyone, so you might as well please yourself."
Those who are driven to succeed are often successful, but are also not very good at handling failure. We tend to judge ourselves far more harshly than those on the outside looking in at us, and frequently experience anxiety over topics and decisions an ordinary person would otherwise not think twice on.
But the only person you can guarantee to please is yourself- so in truth, you are the one person you should never disappoint!
I know you, because you're like me.
You're sitting, standing, squatting, lying there thinking, "But Jenna, I'm not perfect. That's impossible. I'm bound to fail at something, somewhere."
This is true, and the first thing you can do to please yourself if to accept this. Failure is a fact of life- but failure is also defined by you. Sure there are pass/fail markers and measurements on many aspects of life- but the simple act of you writing something off as a failure is entirely in your own mindset.
It sounds simple, but you and I know it's a hard concept to put into action.
On the same note, pleasing yourself begins much deeper with small steps you can take to help improve your self, and world perception, one shift (or as the author would say sh*t) at a time.
I recently stumbled across a delightfully tongue-in-cheek, quite literal bathroom book, on Amazon called The WOO of POO: Change Your Life In The Time You Take a Sh*t by Suzy Batiz and The Poo Crew. It's a fabulously illustrated inspirational/self help read designed with short, easy to read, chapters intended to be consumed on the toilet (or anywhere else you have a few stolen moments of peace and quiet in your life).
What makes Suzy Batiz and her Poo Crew worthy of your golden throne moments, or experienced enough to tell you how to shift your life one squat at a time? Well, Suzy is the inventory of a very popular and innovative bathroom aid, Poo~Pourri- the Before-You-Go® Toilet Spray. She not only innovated a convenient, great smelling, product users could spray on their toilet water's surface before going to mask offending smells, she pioneered the discussion of poo in a shame free environment. You may have seen her viral video "Girl's Don't Poop" on YouTube (if not, you should go now, it's well worth the 2 minutes of your life), and you may recognize the witty redhead in a blue dress with punny sentiments on the art of pooing.
Yes, Suzy has built an empire on poo, well, the WOO of POO to be exact; but there's a very deliberate method to the madness of her entrepre-manuerial success. See what I did there?
The WOO of POO: Change Your Life In The Time You Take a Sh*t shares the uniquely positive and moving outlet of every stage of Suzy's success, and how you can use these lessons and tricks as tools in your own everyday life. It's a delightfully punny read that seamlessly weaves in real-world advice and actual practices you can begin implementing immediately to help change your universe.
It's like they say, what's good for the goose, is good for the gander- Don't expect your universe to rock your socks unless you show up just as open-minded, and prepared inside and out, yourself.
2. Embrace yourself.
I don't mean a literal hug- though, studies have shown quite literally wrapping one's arms around themselves for 30 seconds a day might be quite beneficial. I mean really having a deep conversation with yourself about what makes you you.
As yourself what it is you love about yourself. When those inevitable faults and criticisms sneak in during this internal conversation tell them to take a rain check. It's important you identify what you are genuinely proud of. What is it that you do better than anyone else you know. What is your favorite feature about yourself? What brings you pure joy- I don't mean fresh baked cookies joy, I mean something that satisfies your soul so much not a single negative criticism, worry, or thought ever dared sneak in while you were doing that one thing.
Identify these things and do them often. If it's your bright green eyes you love most, buy a new top that brings them out even more. If you have the best recipe for apple pie cookies in the state make them more often- don't only make them, make them and share that pride and joy with others. Your pride and good vibes are definitely contagious!
Once you've identified what it is about you that makes you the awesomest version of you its time to step out of that comfort zone and accept that fear as a badge, rather than a roadblock!
In a particularly inspiring chapter, early on in Suzy's book she encourages her readers to "Let It Flow", in a punny analogy intended to inspire both on the toilet and in real life.
Coming off of Tip #2, above, she notes that we as humans often lose track of who we are in an attempt to live someone else's life. Take a look around. Are you where you want to be? Is your home filled with items you can't recall the importance of, your closet full of things you rarely wear and bought for the expensive labels, or your work a simple means to an end of an income?
Suzy sites Wu Wei Wu (action without action) as the state of finding your own path when you put the least effort into guiding it. Sometimes, in life, we are so focused on where we are going that we entirely skip the journey. As a result our minds appear closed off to new opportunities and paths that the universe is subtly making for us.
The more you work on embracing your true self, and the positive, real, you, the more your mind's eye will perceive these open doorways and the path the universe has laid out for you.
This one is a no-brainer, far from ground-breaking, concept that you have undoubtedly heard echoed since childhood.
You are what you eat.
Much like the mental status of generating positive thoughts and imagery regarding yourself, inside your own head, the food and fuel you put into your physical body impacts how successfully you can tackle the day ahead.
Whether it's choosing to eat a well rounded, protein-packed, breakfast to jump-start your day, or cutting back on added sugars and eating one dessert a week to lower your overall blood sugar. Each of these smart dietary decisions really add up towards a healthier, fueled, you.
Taking even 30 seconds out of your day to stop and do something unexpected for another person, particularly a relative stranger, is the surest way to immediately brighten up your universe. For me ROAKs (random act of kindness) are kind of like a drug. Whether I do them in a moment for someone directly in front of me, or I leave a little bit of kindness behind for an undetermined person to discover, the knowledge that I have done something nice to improve someone else's day is in a sense even better than having someone do something kind for me.
You never know, your little act of kindness just might be the shift someone needs to succeed that particular day, or even a much greater inspiration to pass on the kindness to someone else.
One of my favorite Take A Shift exercises from the book is one in which Suzy and The Poo Crew list 10 life hacks to 'be a secret agent on behalf of the universe'. There are 5 of my favorite quick hacks, taken from the exercise, above but you'll find all 10, and many more fun tips and tricks in the easy to digest (pun intended) book, for sale on Amazon, now.
It's not always struggling with those internal whispers when going through each day, but, as Momma indicates, you are your biggest champion. What small steps have you been taking to improve your personal universe? Grab your copy of The WOO of POO: Change Your Life In The Time You Take a Sh*t book, by clicking the button below!
