5 Tips on Building Strength in Your Life.
What a wild few years we have had.
In Australia, we have experienced bushfires, covid and now extreme flooding and that is just the external stuff. It’s been incredibly rough! Like everyone, there are also the internal things to deal with as well in a family - relationships, children, illness, businesses, finances, careers, disease, devastation, death, grief and loss.
Personally, we lost my mother-in-law last year and how I adored her. She was the sparkle in the moonbeams, spreading her light wherever she went. It is hard to lose someone you truly love.
Sometimes, with all we have to carry, with all that life throws at us, we just don’t think we can bear anymore. We can lose our joy for life, lose our zest and our bodies, hearts and minds feel depleted.
If life has stolen a piece of you, here are 5 ways you can build strength and feel empowered again.
- Light bonfires.
This is a metaphor for making memories. It can be so easy to not do things, not go to the beach, not pack a picnic, not have a camp out, not accept the invitation, not catch up with family and friends, not cook a beautiful dinner. When we are burdened by life, it’s easy to tap out.
.
But really, that makes us feel worse.
Once you get out and live life, have an experience, make memories, see people you love, do something you’ve never done before, spend time in nature, you WILL feel better. To get your strength back, do things. Don’t sit at home and wallow. Get out there and see all the beautiful things the world has to offer you. When you do things, when you participate in life, your strength grows.
- Rituals.
Rituals ground you and make you happy. They can be incredibly simple or regular planned events. In the morning, my husband and I have coffee together…sometimes in bed, if we wake up early enough. It’s a simple ritual that makes me so happy and a great way to start the day.
A yearly ritual is one where we travel to my brother-in-law's farm to pick grapes, drink the wine that we picked last year and play each other, songs. The family comes together and we make memories.I love it.
What rituals do you have in your life?
What do you do regularly that brings you great joy?
Here’s some to try:
Journal in the morning
Read affirmations
Drink your favourite beverage at a certain time
Swim regularly in the ocean
Walk in nature
Practice random acts of kindness
Write down 3 things you're grateful for every day
Breathe and relax at certain times during the day
Take a bath and reflect
Light a candle at the end of your day
A ritual can give you a sense of belonging, a sense of being in control of your life and build strength in your heart. Give them a go!
- Your People
Surround yourself with individuals that light up your soul. This will NOT be many people. These are the people who clap for you when no one else is clapping…they’re your people. The ones who love you unconditionally.
This will not be many people, maybe just your family or a few friends that would walk in the storm with you. Don't try to love the masses or be loved by the masses. This will only end in tears and ultimately destroy your glorious aura.
Instead put your energy into the golden people. Love them hard and feel their energy for you. In turn, your inner strength will grow and grow.
- Give back.
If you are feeling depleted and weak, it seems ludicrous to suggest that you should do something for another person BUT that is exactly what I’m suggesting you do. The power of giving is totally underrated.
Help someone in any way you can and you will build strength in yourself. Make them things..a candle, a macrame, a pie, a pot plant, a roll-on essential oil mix. Take them a book, send them a song, get their washing in, feed their dog, pick up their mail, listen to them wholeheartedly.
If you give, you will receive inner strength that makes you feel good. And if you keep doing it, it will build and build inside your heart until you become incredibly strong.
Trust me, it works!
I love dresses and nothing builds my inner strength more than buying an incredible dress and then wearing it out. It is a great love of mine. I know it sounds frivolous and materialistic but it makes me happy. It makes me feel good. I won’t apologise for it.
The same goes for books. I love going into a bookstore, grazing the shelves for ages and then selecting a book. Taking it home to read is very thrilling for me. It’s the simple things right!
I love red wine. I love selecting a good bottle and bringing it home to have with dinner.
I love dark chocolate and cheese and will often do up a cute, aesthetic nibble platter.
I love candles and will make a whole batch and then light them up all around the house.
I love my plants and love putting them in the rain for a good soak. It makes me happy that they are doing well and not dying as I previously was not a good plant lady.
I love music and dancing in heels and will often dance in the house when no one's watching.
When you're sad or in a funk, you can deny yourself the things you love. You don’t feel worthy or you just forget what it’s like to feel real joy.
Write down what makes you happy. Try to remember the emotion that those things evoke in you and then do them.
Your strength will come bouncing back as you realise how good it is to saturate yourself in the things you love and love doing.
Try these 5 ways to build strength and then relish in reinvigorating yourself.
Life can be very difficult at times but once you realise that, you can focus on the things that keep you functioning with spark.
Sizzle on Sista…you are magnificent!