Your Mental Wellbeing

 YOU CAN DO IT ALL...

As long as you take mental breaks

Who wants to lye on their death bed with regrets? Wishing they would've done more but didn't find the time to? Whether we work too hard while neglecting family & friends, or spend too much time with family & friends while neglecting our life-long dreams & goals, people tend to wish that there were more hours in the day to do it all. 

Now... I may not know everything, but I do think that I'm pretty correct when I say that sleep is important for our health. If you've ever been awake for more than 3 days in a row, then you'd know! (The body begins to slow down like an outdated machine.) With that, how do we prioritize our waking hours?

Speaking for myself, I've learned how essential it is to give myself a mental & emotional rest. That's right! Haven't you ever been haunted by mind chatter? Or been surrounded by a group of people stressed out about coordinating a major function such as a wedding, an awards show or a gala, and before you know it, you're ready to pull your hair out of your head because their nervous energy is so contagious? Well, check out my little story... (It's all relevant to how this post started)

This week I performed at the KatWalk Katerers fashion show in Manhattan, making my entrance through a second floor fire escape where I walked up & down steps from building to building with a wireless microphone. Prepping for it was fun, but it took long hours getting ready for hair & make-up, plus rehearsing with 3 other models who accompanied me by dancing on different parts of the fire escape. When it was all said and done, the audience loved it! (Which is the most important part) But being back stage in a room filled with models, make-up artists, designers, and photographers became a little chaotic. 

I've also had an Anthology (A Collection of Short Stories) to edit this week, my novel that I'm still wrapping up; I'm prepping for more upcoming live performances, and I'm still working on new material (music) with other producers - and one more thing, I have additional scenes to film for my next music video coming soon... (Yeah, and that's not all, but I think you get the point at how crazy my schedule can get - like yours, I'm sure!)

Now... with all this going on, wouldn't it be wise for me to stop and take a breather? Of course! But a pause is just a pause; it doesn't mean you stop it all together, or quit one thing to have time for another. (For example, you don't have to choose family over your career, or choose your career over your family) You see, with a pause, we can meditate, take a bubble bath, pray at a temple or church, do yoga, read a book, and/or watch a beautiful movie, etc. And those simple pleasures allow us to let go of it all for just a little while. Throughout that time (let's say while meditating), we can listen to our intuitive voice within that lets us know what needs to be omitted (discarded), and what can stay. This is the process of de-cluttering negativity. which can come in the form of negative projects, negative relatives, and/or negative living environments, etc) Thus, if our little voice inside says that we can do it all, then believe it! All you need are positive projects & people for the energy to flow smoothly like a breath of fresh air! A living example is Oprah who is a one woman empire - with television shows, a magazine, her own network, books on her life, and  even acting roles in movies!!! (Now you're getting to see who one of my inspirations are)

The thing is, there's never too much work. (Nope. I don't believe it's ever too much.) When we say it's too much, we limit ourselves from expanding/growing. I just believe that we should carve out time for meditation by making it a PRIORITY. (Yes, carving out time for a bubble bath can become a priority if it means that for one hour, you relax so when you're finished, you're in a better mood, feeling good and thinking clearly.)  Oh believe me, I'm sure Oprah does it too!

One of the keys to success is that you're at mental peace with yourself & your life. Because if you're not, then you'll become forgetful, irritable, angry, unapproachable, and hard to work with. But guess what? If you're in high spirits, you'll attract people who want to help, more opportunities will present themselves, and even more love (healthy friendships & relationships) will develop because of your strong, clear & positive attitude! If you don't believe me, then read the ZEN list below and see how much better you'll feel just by taking it all in. Here's to taking a break! 

• Zen is more of an attitude than a belief.
   
• Zen is the peace that comes from being one with an entity other than yourself.
   
• Zen means being aware of your oneness with the world and everything in it.
   
• Zen means living in the present and experiencing reality fully.
   
• Zen means being free of the distractions and illusory conflicts of the material world.
   
• Zen means being in the flow of the universe.
   
• Zen means experiencing fully the present, and delighting in the basic miracle of life itself.