7 Ways to Be a Better You in 2018

Hi there,

Thank you for stopping by DO (delightfully Unorthodox). Happy to host. The next few minutes will offer an escape from brainless routines. Pay close attention to each point for it’s significance is inevitable.

Realizing that I was nothing sort of the norm at a young age wasn’t easy to accept. Mostly because normal beings feel the need to ‘fit it’, not question what had already been presented as the reality. But this only led to insecurities that run as deep as the Mariana trench and unhappiness coupled with a great sense of lacking. Sad, you think? Well not quite, this state is exactly what was needed to force me into undertaking a clear path of self-discovery, in the hope that this would help with self-acceptance. Why am I telling you all this? Well it’s because this explains not just the name selected for the blog but also the diversity that this blog offers.

A subscription to this blog promises endless discovery experienced first hand, as I invite you to join me in the beautiful world of learning to improve one self and encourage diversity. Of course, entertaining because well what fun would it be if we made this into a boring class session right? Enough said. Let’s get into it.

Please read to the End.

 

1. Stop Apologizing For who you Are

One thing I wish I’d learned a lot earlier is no matter what you do, what you try to change, some people will just never like you. Truth is, they probably don’t even know why they don’t like you. So why waste your energy on such nonsense!

You are only as valuable as you see yourself to be. That’s right, what matters most is what you see staring back in the mirror. The kind of vibe you feed your mind. Now don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to lock out others’ suggestions. Remember, ‘if you ignore all feedback you will learn nothing new if you listen to all feedback you will do nothing new ‘

2. Spend your resources on what really matters

A lot of people only view resources to mean money. In economics, resources are defined as labour, land, finances… Here at DO we are focusing on your fundamental resources as an individual. What does that mean?! (You ask) let me go a bit further to ensure we are on the same page;

• Time – you might not realize it but you are not present enough in your own life to spend time on what matters. You’ll play your favorite playlist but won’t even pay attention enough to actually listen to it. You’ll go out on a date but will spend an unhealthy amount of time talking about yourself and or keeping up with your social media ‘family’ and picking out the perfect filter. You’ll retire to bed early but spend hours tossing and turning because you’re worrying about an issue you cannot change.

Are you seeing the pattern here? 1^st of all if it’s beyond you, it does not serve any purpose worrying about it.

I realise that this is a broad point so I promise to dedicate an article on the topic… Be sure to look out for it.

3. Take the best care of yourself

You are your biggest cheerleader / hater! You will never be that ridiculously hot IG model so just stop trying. In fact, it’s pathetic.

Your skin isn’t glowing as bright as you’d like it to? Take time to educate yourself on detoxing your body and or using remedies that help brighten your complexion. And because I love my readers that much, I will soon dedicate an article on this.

Can’t hold a decent conversation at a work dinner? Get off your crush’s timeline and open an article that will contribute to your awareness on current important business trends. Wanna live to meet your offspring? Put down that shot glass & shisha pipe, start hydrating and getting the much needed sleep.  You wanna preserve your ability to walk right all your life? Then for gods-sake stop crossing the road like damn lunatic!

 

4. Communicate Clearly

Are you tired of people at work or home taking you for granted? Are the many expensive dates in your quest to please the ‘one’ becoming a burden? Are you at a point where you get so irritated the minute you see delivery of that text asking to borrow something they are too lazy to earn themselves – car, clothes, shoes even make up but mostly money? Communicate this clearly.

They take you for granted because you let them. They’ll always pick an expensive place to go on a date because it’s none of their business whether mere drinking water is costly. They almost always come to borrow from you since they are certain they won’t be held accountable to return any of it at its previous or better state. So communicate clearly about your intentions and expectations to ensure both sides are clear on T&Cs.

5. Have a strong family/ support group

Man was not created to be an island so it is not in your nature to be alone. Despite the media trying to put out the notion that you don’t need family and there are no real friends…

Even though most family units are really fu*ked up and friends will fall short of your needs they are super important to your growth and happiness. Ever been so eager to share the amazing news you just got but you have no one, because you decided your family is not good enough and you do not need friends? Yup. That reality sucks.

Family has been with you since you were born so they will always remind you of who you are. Why you are the way you are. True friends will remind you of why you started when you started. They’ll support and love you even when you don’t deserve it. If you are lucky enough to have a true friend who just happens to be family, that’s priceless. If everyone around you seems to not meet your expectations then I dare say it. Get off your high horse cz your expectations are too damn high. You need to adjust them. Because happiness is experienced when your expectations meet your reality.

6. Watch less TV

Your mind just probably went wtf! Reading this point. Yes, you read it right. Here’s why.

TV news are now meant to scare you. Scared people are easy to control and so media will exaggerate a mere situation into a terror attack that may lead to world war 3. This will in turn cause panic and a state of emergency that will only mean you stayed glued to the feed.

As much as tv series are a good way to unwind and get your mind off reality, too much of it is harmful. It will contribute to your laziness and missing out on your actual life. TV reduces your productivity by a half and in severe cases above 50%. You’re missing out on what’s outside! If you are here in Africa you’re blessed with amazing scenery, beautiful wildlife and mouth-watering delicacies rich in natural flavors harvested straight from mother earth… stuff that the western world pay a fortune to experience. Now these guys colonized us for years and brought us to civilization so they can’t be that dumb. They’re on to something.

7. Meditate

No, I don’t mean the yoga posing with your legs folded and both arms raised with deep chanting…Well if you can do that, that’s great too. Meditation can be defined as a state of focusing your mind on a particular thought or activity to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. Most successful people practice meditation as a way of life. And here’s why; it’s not only cheaper than seeing a psychologist to get your thoughts in order, but it’s also super convenient. You can do it from just about anywhere, all you need is about 15-20 minutes.

Meditation also comes with multiple benefits. Top of the list are;

• Improves mental health
• Reduces stress, anxiety and depression levels
• Boosts immune system
• Increased happiness and greater compassion resulting in better relationships with those around you.
• Improves self-confidence by raising self-awareness
• Improves concentration
• Better memory

How do I practice meditation?

-Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit. Maintain an upright position. Clear your minds clutter and focus on one issue. Practice breathing in and out short breaths repeatedly. You will start to feel calm. Keep focus on that one thing. This is a place free of judgement so whatever you think about the issue, goes. Keep this up for about 15-20 minutes before returning back to your previous routine.

 

 

Thank you for reading this far, I sincerely hope that this was educative and fun. If you have points that you feel should have made the list, pop them down below on the comment section and keep the conversation going!

Don’t forget to share with that person you know needs to see this!

 

Sincerely,

DO,

Delightfully Unorthodox