Do you sometimes wonder why you are here? Do you feel that nobody would miss you if you were gone? According to an article in the New York Times. Only about 25% of Americans say they have a clear sense of purpose about what makes their life meaningful (Khullar, 2018), So, what is the point? Why do we need a sense of purpose? In 2010, a study in Applied Psychology found that “…individuals with high levels of eudemonic well-being – which involves a sense of purpose along with a sense of control and a feeling like what you do is worthwhile – tend to live longer. (Kobau, 2010) Each of us writes our own personal story and makes sense of things by fitting incidents and events into our unique plot. To make our story complete we should fill in the blanks and connect the dots to complete the picture of who and what we are. This includes events, images, and experiences of good and bad times in which the brain has formed patterns and embedded our own unique storylines of that plot into our subconscious mind. We construct meanings to make sense of our life and determines what is remembered as narrative in a coherent story of our identity. Reality validates and affirms those assumptions, as we live out our expectation. (Pullman A. , A Cool and Relaxed Life, 2017) In order to accomplish this, we must pay attention to what is going on around us, use a combination of self-reflection, listening to others, and finding our what our passions are. Some strategies to employ in order to define and understand our purpose include:
References
Kobau, R. S. (2010). Well‐Being Assessment: An Evaluation of Well‐Being Scales for Public Health and Population Estimates of Well‐Being among US Adults. . Applied Psychology, pp. 272-297. Khullar, D. (2018, January 1). Finding Purpose for a Good Life, But Also a Healthy One. The New York Times, p. 1. Pullman, A. (2017, July). A Cool and Relaxed Life. Retrieved from Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Relaxed-LIFE-Audrey-Pullman/dp/1647490766/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cool+and+relaxed+life&qid=1615214000&sr=8-1
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Wow! Dangerous Dreamer? What on earth is that? Perhaps it is someone who had nightmares, or someone who carries out dangerous thoughts in their dreams. Maybe it is someone who dreams beyond the scope of their own conceived abilities or resources. Let’s look into this last statement. Life is a roller coaster, sometimes reflected in a “stagnate life, going around and around in circles and not moving forward. Initially, you will enjoy the rollercoaster ride with friends but after a while you can become stuck, and your life would appear to be on pause. If you did the same thing in 2019, and 2020 and there’s no change 2021 then it time to change your path in life and become a dangerous dreamer. Your family and friends may think that your dreams are dangerous, but you think the opposite. The dangerous dreamers are why we have lights, cell phones, cars, television and other great inventions.” (Pullman A. , A Cool and Relaxed Life, 2017) Now, I realize that 2020 was a bit of an anomaly of a year, so it is hard to contrast what we did or did not do that year, but now, as we are now approaching Spring in 2021 and moving slowly out of the pandemic, it is a good time to look ahead and start doing some dangerous dreaming. There are some techniques to use to move into a more positive mindset. Practice Cool Breathing methods in order to:
Try things like breathing with your lips closed, breathe with your diaphragm, focus on a certain word or image that makes you feel calm and relaxed. These breathing exercises will give you a sense of peace and provide you with opportunities to dream dangerously. What do you want to accomplish? It doesn’t have to be the next new break-through technology invention, but don’t be afraid to dream big – and set goals to achieve those dreams! References
Pullman, A. (2015, January 1). Confidence Matters! . Retrieved from Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Confidence-Breathing-Companion-Empowerment-Techniques/dp/0692380965/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=cool+breathing+audrey+pullman&qid=1615213218&sr=8-4 Pullman, A. (2017, July). A Cool and Relaxed Life. Retrieved from Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Relaxed-LIFE-Audrey-Pullman/dp/1647490766/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=cool+and+relaxed+life&qid=1615214000&sr=8-1 |
AuthorI am a Performance Enhancement Specialist with a background in Emergency Psychiatric Medicine and Community Addiction. Archives
December 2023
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