Soul Eclipse

Have you ever woken up in the morning and thought to yourself, “Oh No, not another day, I really don’t feeling getting up”, “I wish I didn’t have to work”, “I’m so tired, I could sleep forever?”. 

We will at some time or another find ourselves in a state of boredom and disinterest. It feels as though we have no “Get up and Go” in our lives, no zest, no drive or ambition. We would rather pull the covers over our heads and go off into “Noddy land”. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by your work, or sad about the world in which we live with all its pain and suffering, or maybe you are just bored and fed-up with your daily life.

 You are not alone, we all find ourselves in a situation where we feel that life is sometimes just a waste of time, and would rather find a cave or dig a hole somewhere so we can hide away from the world.

The Great News is that you can do something about it.

Here are some pointers on how to break out of that rut and inject some zeal and good “mojo” into your life. 

1) GIGO = Garbage In Garbage Out. I am a great believer that what goes into my life is what I get out, if I am going to fill my life with negative, distasteful and discouraging things, then that’s what I am going to get out. So, be careful of what you read, listen to and watch before going to bed in the evening. Remember the last thing you need to go to bed with, is thoughts and images of violence, accidents, rape, war, murder and how bad people and the economy are. I guarantee you a restless night and a bad start to your morning.

2) Take care of your body. I cannot stress the importance of physical exercise not only on the physiological side but also on the psychological. Exercise strengthens our bodies, improves or cardiovascular output, helps the body remove toxins, increases blood flow and reduces Hypertension. “Regular physical activity can also help counter the potentially damaging effects of stress on the body and may help prevent stress-related illnesses,”

3) Take some “Time Out” - Being exposed for long periods of time to stress and the mundane can put a damper on even the most positive of people. Go somewhere where it is quite and you want be disturbed, even if it is only for ten minutes. Take some deep breaths, relax and gently push out any negative and destructive thoughts. Take slow deep breaths, be aware of you, your breathing, and your heart beating continue to relax.

4) Get some Inspiration. Remember GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) well, instead of watching the news in the morning on TV or reading the Newspaper. How about reading something more motivational and humorous. You need to consciously move your thoughts to a more positive place. Read or listen to a devotional, read or listen to a motivational CD. My wife while getting ready for work listens to the audio Bible in the morning; this is a great way of lifting your spirit for the day.

5) Get Excited. Think about projects and things you did, past successes and achievements that made you happy and enthusiastic. Over time we lose our enthusiasm and need to take a trip down “Memory Lane” to rekindle the excitement and enthusiasm we once felt. Even if the tasks aren’t anything to get excited about, I am sure you can find some positive benefits in them. How will it benefit your family, yourself, your home your planned holiday. Identify the payoff, and focus on that you’ll be surprised how it will affect your attitude toward the task.

6) Eat a healthy breakfast. Not many people realize it but eating breakfast is the SECRET to STAYING HEALTHY. No matter how busy you are, it’s important to fuel your body so that you can have energy throughout the day. Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. So don’t overlook this important meal. Select healthy options that fit your taste and lifestyle.

7) Take baby steps. Sometimes the hardest part of any program or life changing decision is getting started. The effort seems so large, and we cringe at the thought of all that effort and time we have to put into it. Take small steps; start with 15mins and then stop- if you want to. Most of the time once we get started we begin to enjoy it, and as we start to feel the difference in our bodies, we actually start looking forward to it. Do everything in small bite size chunks, this is the one time you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with the “Big Picture” 

Finally, remember to be gentle with yourself!! There will always be work, there will always be things to do and things that require our attention, but some of us “Bite off more than we can chew” and then our lives turn into the mundane and boring drudgery we can so do without. I was always amazed at the way the Zulu people would work, they seemed to take everything so easy, and in fact I would always think that they would never finish any project on time. In speaking to them, I was told that the work would always be there but they wouldn’t. That’s their philosophy, so just remember, that if you don’t take care of yourself and you get sick, there will always be someone else to do the job. 

Enjoy Life. Be merry and enjoy the fruits of your labour!