Work Hard And, Don’t Forget To Play

I am currently in my midterm week in graduate school. During this time, my stress level takes new heights. From having an internship, work, coaching volleyball and being at school full time, I sometimes forget that decompressing is vital for recharging my batteries. I believe most people find themselves in this pattern. Constantly busy with our dense schedules, we can sometimes forget how fun and a little play can help us become more efficient and happier in our work. I have always believed in the following expression: work hard, play hard. Now, sometimes this saying can be taken to extremes. We tend to work hard all week and then find ourselves living our weekends to the extremes with social activities that make us tired, irritable and more likely to make poor decisions. I am not saying going out, having a little fun is going to ruin your life, but how you do it can. That’s why I believe in having a little play in every day. It builds up gradually, which makes you less likely to go from one extreme to the other.

I know what you are thinking. You don’t have time. You have a family, your have bills to pay, grades to make, responsibilities! Well, I am here to tell you that if that is your excuse, you are never going to be able to enjoy life and all your hard work. And I have come to know that most people who don’t take step one never take step two. That is why; I am asking you to try it out, even if it’s only for a few days to a week. Every day, for 30 minutes to an hour do something you love. Whether it is going for a walk with a friend, exercising, writing, painting or even just meditating, do something you love. You have to find the time. Time is a precious gem to us. And if your life is as equally important as your time, you should make time for a little play. You can even have different activities for each day. This adds variety and never makes that 30 minutes to an hour period boring or routinely.

Over the years, I have used this technique every day as a distressing activity so that every time I go back to my work, homework or responsibilities, I feel like I had a mini vacation and I am refueled. Your mind deserves to be exercised in every possible way, and that includes doing something you love outside of your daily routine. Personally, I exercise, every morning. And it heals, my mind, body, heart and soul. Whether it is going for a run or being in a gym, it allows me to benefit physically and mentally from my obligations. I hope you take a moment every day; so you can reap the benefits of the famous saying work hard, play hard.

#1 Rule: Be Authentic

Life is full of challenges and obstacles. You are faced with success and failure every day. From the moment you wake up, you interact with family, friends, coworkers and the general population. Daily routines are filled with obligations and responsibilities. And in the end, you hope that all your daily endeavors reach optimal outcomes. Life is a manifestation of our social construction. In our minds, we decide what kind of career we want to have, what friends we want to align with, the type of partner we want to share our time with and the type of lifestyle we want to live. Our predispositions come from past experiences, choices and actions we have taken. Our current situation is based on the past, and the present determines what will happen in our future.  That being said, how do we reach these “optimal outcomes” in our lives? How do we get what we want?

Well, I think it all begins with setting goals. Long-term, mid-term and short-term goals are imperative to achieve successful outcomes. There are many ways you can begin to get what you want. Some people enjoy writing their goals down and putting those goals in a place they can see every day. It keeps them accountable and aware of the desired outcomes. Other people make a mental list in their head and constantly think about every thing they want to achieve in their lives. Personally, I like to write my goals because it makes me be more honest about what I want. Whether it is about my personal life, social life, career or even my health, writing down what I want is an affirmation that I am putting out into the universe. It also allows me to change and alter the goals accordingly. Everyone is different so find the goal setting approach that best suits you.

The following step is the actions you take to achieve those goals. I find that the people in my life who have achieved their goals have been very proactive towards achieving their desired outcomes. These people had one attribute in common, authenticity. Their actions stemmed with a belief in their goals and themselves. They knew what they were doing, and worked towards their goals in a straight line rather than banana route to them. You can feel the positive energy and confidence they have in each step they take towards arriving to their destination. Never quitting. They get back up if they fail and try again and again until they achieve their goal. Always being honest, humble and modest in the process, authentic people will always have the helping had they need and the unshakable desire and willpower to get what they want.

Anyone can be authentic. It’s a question about being honest about your goals. Sometimes we say we want something, but really, it is a secondary desire to the primary and true aspiration. Once you’ve established what your conscious and subconscious mind want, the journey to your destination can begin to be authentic. And with time, it will happen, that I am sure of it.

The Power Of Your Thoughts

The law of attraction has become a very popular practice over the years. Many have benefited from its practices in their own lives. Whether it’s in their relationships, careers, hobbies or health, the law of attraction dictates the results and outcome in their lives. I was exposed to the law of attraction at the beginning of my senior year in high school. I remembered seeing the trailer of the movie that was based on The Secret book.  I remember feeling captivated, even convinced about this concept. So, I began to read about it and applying it to my life.

My life changed instantly. I was feeling happier in my relationship, my friendships, the classroom, the volleyball court and everything in my life. Every day was another opportunity to benefit positively from the law of attraction. My largest manifestation that year was accepting a scholarship to play Division 1 volleyball in the United States. I remember mentioning that I was interested in playing post-secondary volleyball at the highest competitive level I could play while attending a good academic institution. I began to attract different programs from both Canadian and American universities. I wasn’t the best in the classroom or on the court, but I had a goal and I knew it would happen. I trained hard on and off the court and in the classroom, and I continued to believe I could and would play at that level. I would even visualize shaking the coach’s hand on a recruiting trip or receiving information from different universities. And it happened. I was seeing how much the law of attraction was working for me. By graduation, I was accepting a full-scholarship to play Division 1 Volleyball in the NCAA in the United States. I was in awe.

While I saw how the law of attraction could manifest in positive ways in my life, I have also lived moments where it made my concerns and fears turn into failure and obstacles. The law of attraction doesn’t only filter good thoughts; it can also manifest your negative thoughts into undesirable outcomes. I remember my second year in university and how miserable I was. I had lost 30 pounds from August to December, we had an unsuccessful season as a team and no one was enjoying being on the team. I remember thinking that whole semester how miserable I was and how terrible the season was going. Many of teammates felt the same way about the season. And as our negative thoughts worked together, we had found our outcome. We had talent, we worked hard but we lost to easy teams, didn’t play or act as a team and the season reflected our unhappiness. I remember how much we worked that spring season to change that mentality. Personally, I remember telling myself that I would never live a season as I did my second year. I began to be faster, stronger and happier.  I was enjoying the training, the bonding, the classroom, the weight room and everything that was in my student-athlete life. I saw how my thoughts began to change my circumstances from unfavorable to favorable. I also saw how the team had changed its mentality as well. Our success grew little by little every day, and by our season year, we had built a foundation for years to follow.

The power of your thoughts and the energy you put into them will create your life. Sometimes people tell me that this type of thought process is not for them. I always told myself, those were the people who didn’t understand it. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean you have to reject it. The law of attraction controls our lives. I have had people tell me that this way of thinking is unrealistic, and that we cannot control the environment or the outcomes in our lives. I believe this to be 99.99% false. We create our social constructions, our feelings and emotions, which transform into actions and reality. Whether you are creating positive or negative thoughts, your outcome will come from them. Monitoring your thoughts all the time can be quite tasking but by being aware of the thoughts, you can begin to control the thoughts that go through your mind. When you have a negative thought, you can make yourself aware of it and change it. You have to live a very conscious and thoughtful life. When you do this, your life benefits from your ability to cultivate good thoughts even out of the bad ones. Nevertheless, you must try the law of attraction to ever understand it and reap the benefits of it.