Elevate Your True Self

There is so much excellent advice on proper dieting, improving physical fitness, and becoming mindful and more productive in life, but it is easy to get lost in the multitude of options and advice, so I decided to create something I call "my inner sphere", to simplify the process of change.

It began by using all the info that I accumulated, and lots of very honest soul searching, combined with the most crucial element- my own nature! One size does not fit all, and each of us has different needs and desires that must be valued in a sustainable growth plan.

I have heard something smart in a movie recently:" There is no going backwards, it is not good for anyone", and this cannot be more true. Thought processes, awareness, and habits that help us move forward only- is the best recipe for success.

Neuroplasticity of our brains allows us to retrain ourselves more easily than we think, so why not use this ability as much as we can!?

Looking at our inner self is the key. Combining those natural predispositions and abilities with our true interests, passions, inspiration, and needs, is the best step forward.

Clarifying what changes I needed to make, and learning over the years as much as possible, is what brought me to a realization that only integration of many different aspects could create sustainable changes and a more meaningful lifestyle for me, in accordance with my current level of consciousness and my character.

Naturally, priorities change over time, and as we age, we realize that growth brings an improved vision and a necessity to change and perfect areas of our lives that we could not or did not know how to change or make better while we were younger.

Changing one thing only rarely brings lasting satisfaction and fulfillment.

More often than not, true improvement requires changes on multiple levels, and it requires immense amounts of patience and perseverance. I have realized that for me, discipline is one of the biggest lessons that I needed to learn in life.

Discipline, tolerance, patience, and constant work on introspection.

A good end result is usually a whole new perspective, born out of a newly established existence infiltrated by a plethora of new feelings and new outlooks, as if stepping into a parallel universe, a better version of ourselves suddenly appears.

Once I started listening to my inner self without prejudice, I have followed my instincts way more attentively, and I have connected to my higher self and abided by my natural inclinations with way more ease. This has infused my days with improvement on many levels, and above all, finding myself has brought permanent peace and stability to my soul.

I can now live through things much more calmly- without agitation, fear, and extreme stress, and this knowledge is priceless.

Everything is connected, and everything feeds into everything while creating a cascade of inevitably consequential effects. When done right- by really listening to one's true self, positive changes create a type of harmony that feeds energy simultaneously into all of the important aspects of life. The best changes are based on being truthful and accepting of ourselves, our character, relationships, friends, family, expectations, wishes, abilities, regrets, resentments, mistakes, temperaments, obstacles, talents, and limitations.

Our expectations and standards need to fit our own personalities, abilities and characters, so the “one size fits all” approach isn’t viable long term. Serious personal growth and finding ourselves is a process that requires complete absence of judgement.

It requires lots of honest soul-searching and a serious long-term dedication.

It requires a very good understanding of your own nature and personality.

Lifestyle changes are hard, and they must become all-encompassing.

To remain sustainable, they must be pleasing and challenging at the same time.

One thing is connected to another, and the whole process requires effort in many different areas. It is best when things change gradually, one step at a time, but when the decision to move ahead is made, and the effort begins, transformation can be seen and felt daily.

For me, it has been far more enriching than I had ever imagined.

Life has become more inspiring, and things changed from within and throughout.

Though the changes have been very enriching, they have not been easy to implement at all. I continue to work on them daily. True transformation is hard, and I dare say-it takes a lifetime, probably countless lifetimes, because it is a never-ending, work-in-progress.

This process is meant to be long and hard. We do not learn through painless trials, but only by going through challenging ordeals. I believe this, because I have lived it, and I am sure of it based on my personal experiences and knowledge, as well as by observing friends and family who have endured very difficult battles, and continue marching on.

Real positive change happens when the soul suffers, and from this ordeal, a much better life blossoms, full of potential and endless vigor- when we are open to constant learning, awareness, and development. A much better life does not necessarily mean lighter life. It only means -a much more meaningful one. People are often afraid of these leaps, and that is fine. Sometimes, a person prefers to stay in his or her own shadow, because it is easier and safer to do so, and that is fine. However, I do not want to be afraid, so I am not staying in the same shadow with anyone anymore.

I have tried my best to be realistic and objective, but I have also learned how to be more kind to myself with establishing what works for me, so that changes that I implement can be enjoyable as well. They must be enjoyable, because let’s face it: Sooner or later, we fall of the wagon if we pursue an activity, emotion, desire, goal, or a thought that does not really fit our own nature. Every single thing that we do must carry a meaningful level of motivation and excitement for our own inner being. Otherwise, we become bored and eventually stop doing whatever it is that we thought would help us live a better life. This happens with exercising, dieting, learning, relationships, conversations, and of course, our jobs too.

Once we are into our 40s, 50s, and beyond, way too many things become habits, whether they are good or bad. Some of them might not be the most clever. However, this is the time of our lives when we truly mature and become much more aware, so it is naturally, the best time to instill real changes and take our lives a big step further.

Compared to some of the healthiest and happiest regions of the world such as Blue Zones that live a lifestyle of lots of connection with nature as well as healthy eating and living habits, our western, modern living, is quite faulty, irrespective of the country that we live in.

Thankfully, there are more and more people realizing this fact and are making the necessary changes by choosing to transform what does not work- into a lifestyle that empowers.

We are constantly growing more aware of the great impact that deep, positive changes acquired by knowledge make in our lives. Our dedication to our personal success and growth has become more serious, and our determination to follow certain paths that enrich us have turned more robust. So has our hunger for change and learning.

I cannot say when exactly the alteration in my life happened, but I strongly felt the moment when it shifted into a different reality that opened doors to novel talents, interests, as well as, true inner peace, and tranquility.

This change has infused my life with the sense of knowing something on a much deeper level, which I cannot truly describe. I think they are true peace and acceptance that come with experience, great trials and tribulations, and finally, a much better understanding of human nature. None of this would have been possible without lots of soul-searching.

Throughout the process, I came to a conclusion that there was no point in trying to turn myself into something that I am naturally not able to maintain. I am not saying that we should not challenge ourselves, only that we need to listen to our own inner self and combine the ingredients for success as per our own and not other people's recipes.

Inner balance and stability are what we need far more than perfect bodies or lavish lifestyles, yet balance and stability are the things that we most easily lose. Sometimes, we lose them when we least expect it, such as in times of sudden illness or another type of trauma, and most of us have been- not through one, but many tribulations.

Last pandemic is a great example of hardship and trauma that has shaken the world's balance and stability to the very core. Our very existence seemed to have been threatened, and it is not an easy thing to accept, much less move forward unaffected by it.

But, it is exactly in times of tribulations that we must remain calm, so that our inner balance can provide us with rich sustenance to protect ourselves and our loved ones from crisis. When we remain unshaken at the core, no outer threat is able to rattle our lives in any significant way.

I lost balance about 4 or 5 times in my life, and all of those were serious traumas.

After feeling how greatly profound the effects of losing inner balance and stability were, I started educating myself, and I read and researched tirelessly. I tried many medical and alternative treatments such as psychological therapy, acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic treatments, Ayurveda, keto dieting, yoga, cardio exercising, Pilates, meditating, etc. All of these are good programs, bound to produce beneficial results, and they have; however, something was still missing, something was not there yet for me, the puzzle was not complete.

Then, I finally realized that I needed to look into myself to first understand my own personality and character much more profoundly. I needed to evaluate my deepest likes, needs, and dislikes, and I needed to be truthful to myself about everything. The next step was determining what areas needed the most work, what needed to be tweaked, and what required continuous attention, in order to see long term positive effects and tangible growth.

Emotions connected to the past and present, and regrets and mistakes that I made in life, have required special attention. I believe that this is the case with most of us. Last few years of my life became a pivotal point of reevaluation and serious personal growth accompanied by some hard, down-to-earth realism, literally about everything and everyone.

The mental switch activation, enveloping all of the above and taking me towards significant change, was my biggest, most demanding undertaking. Once I accomplished that effectively, all other modifications started happening more easily, but gradually.

It is still work in progress, and it will be till the end. I think that this realization has brought me a lot of peace. Discipline and dedication are the key- as are forgiveness, self-love, and self-respect. Guilt, fear, and resentment are strong emotions that need continuous work, and that is fine. They loose their grip on us and improve and vanish with lots of effort and even more honesty and self-respect.

The mental and emotional switch were mostly about being present in that one special moment when an important decision took place, maybe even subconsciously.

A twinkle of clarity, inspiration, and vision all happened at once, propelling me forward without self-judgement, by accepting myself fully, by accepting my agonizing past the way it is, and by moving forward full of knowledge and willingness to grow, learn, and use it all creatively.

I started understanding myself much better and realized that only a lifestyle that fits me personally based on my own abilities, tastes, inner compass, and my own level of discipline and willpower can work for me long- term. This was logical, natural, spontaneous, and free-willed. A plan devised with my true self in mind did not feel demanding or forced.

It felt inspiring. It has not been an obligation but a pleasure, and as such, it has easily become my daily routine that eventually turned into long term, sustainable lifestyle which brings me joy, satisfaction, and peace.

It is ALL about understanding yourself, your own character, you as a whole and not about trying to improve one sphere alone or follow others' advice religiously. This revelation opens doors to new talents, choices, and affinities that we are unaware of until we are able to grow into them. I was surprised how many little things, as well as important traits, I have uncovered- by observing myself more thoroughly and by connecting to my higher self.

Much more is seen, and lots of wonderful, new things are learned.

The whole process has paved the way to finding myself and new, inner talents that I never knew existed. Look inward and stop gazing outward.