It is said that “happiness is an inside job”—and it’s absolutely spot-on.

Because in our current post-pandemic world, our species is still suffering, and I’m certainly not putting that lightly.

I wrote a piece recently about bolstering one’s self-esteem and taking care of one’s spiritual, mental, and physical well-being during the winter months—and this article will aim to highlight some of the behaviors/attitudes that our species tends to take on when feeling uninspired, deflated, or otherwise beaten to a pulp.

Here’s a list of six ways to avoid feeling like crap and instead elevate your soul so you can continue to evolve and blossom:

1. Only congregate/communicate/fraternize with people who truly inspire you, not deplete you. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. The world takes on an entirely different existence when you are surrounded by the right personalities.

2. Be so comfortable in your own skin that when people look at you, they feel just as comfortable to show you how vulnerable and comfortable they are too. Here’s an example…(I can just hear Billy Crystal saying, “When you look good, you feel good.”) Whenever I get all dressed up, I tend to put on lipstick and I’m also making sure that I’m “put-together”; this immediately makes me feel comfortable. I tend to gravitate toward other men and women who also take care of themselves and make an obvious effort to put their “best face forward.”

There will be days where you feel completely uninspired to do anything but stay in your sleepwear and avoid showering. But try to turn this around every chance you get, especially when you don’t feel like it. Watch how your mood shifts as a result.

3. Mindfully move your body by doing more mobility and flexibility exercises instead of hours of cardio or heavy weightlifting. As a fitness professional who has been “in the biz” for over three decades, I have shifted to more yoga, stretching, and mobility work/calisthenics (bodyweight training), instead of pushing my body hard with excessive cardiovascular work or pumping iron. Don’t get me wrong: I still lift heavy weights and completely love heart-healthy cardio (in the form of brisk walking and enthusiastic dancing) for the adrenaline rush and dopamine effects, but I prefer a more gentle, realistic approach to staying fit these days. See what combination works for you.

4. Become friends with people who are older than you, as well as younger than you. The variance in personalities, interests, and intellects contributes to a fruitful and fabulous life. Life is full of characters, and I am proud to boast that I have many pals who are younger than me (by 20 years, in fact), as well as those who are in their mid to late 70s and 80s. Inspiration? Check. I am so blessed to know so many wonderful folks who all add to my “glow” and most assuredly make me grow in more ways than I can describe.

5. If you believe in something/someone, fight for it. You deserve it. And do not capitulate. I am taking a cue from my late father, Peter, here; he uttered these words to me just days before he passed on January 1, 2022, and it’s forever etched in my mind. If there is something or someone that you can’t stop thinking about, don’t stop working for whatever/whomever it is that makes your heart leap with contentment and peace.

6. Relieve boredom forever. Be brave enough to admit that you don’t know it all, and start to become curious about topics that you know nothing about. I promise you this: you will become a changed human being simply by going “outside the box” and getting comfortable being uncomfortable.

Whenever I hear anyone say this, “I’m so bored…” I wanna “b*tch-slap” them.

Boredom is a word that I’m proud to say I’ve rarely used in my vernacular. In our vast and magnificent world that is ours for the taking, one will never live long enough to do it all. So in that realm…do it now. And the glow that you emanate will be evident to everyone around you, including you.

There you are, my readers. Let’s get inspired together.

No more frustration or capitulation.

Make yourself glow and grow!

~

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