Our tools and tips come directly from our podcast episodes. To fully understand the context of our tools & tips, please listen to each podcast episode (42. A New You: E6 – Living a Purposeful Life, 43. A New You: E7 – Living a Vibrant Life, 44. A New You: E8 – Tools and Tips for Living an Abundant Life). Lastly, we recommend picking one or two items to start focusing on. Jot down how you want to put these things into practice as well as your progression in them. When you are proactive in taking small steps, before you know it, you would have walked a mile, or two, or three.
- Shame and Guilt have negative consequences in our lives. The first consequence is that we remain trapped in trauma or bad situations. Instead of having the freedom to pursue healthier life styles (emotional and physical self-care), shame and guilt contributes to re-living pain and trauma. Why? We feel so bad that it becomes difficult to pursue healthier outcomes. In your everyday life, when you are struggling with doing good for yourself, spend time to identify if shame and guilt are present. Do you feel guilty or less of a person, when you place your needs last? Are you so ashamed of your current situation, thinking you are less of a person or too foolish? Thus, not wanting to look bad, you minimize the affliction you are enduring?
- Spend time learning how to trust the right people who are not causing more harm. Get help! Do not be afraid to screen people. Use these resources, Boundaries and Safe People to guide you through finding the right people.
- Discover transformation prayer. Transformation Prayer is A Healing Peace’s first principle in the four principles. Talk to God as if He is right next to you. Allow the conversation time with God to provide you with clarity about your situation. Do not be afraid to ask for His help and courage to tackle your situations. Keep a journal of what God has brought you out of as well of those items where He told you no. Spend time reflecting on what you wrote to begin to understand the bigger picture. Is God trying to get you to learn something about your character?
- As you journal through your disappointments, identify areas where you stopped pursuing your gifts and talents. Submit these areas of your life back to God while being surrendered to how He wants to manifest them in your life. Remember that God always has a purpose. Surrender to it and continually seek His purpose for your life.
- Embrace your gifts and talents. Even though you may feel disappointed, know that God did not make a mistake in the gifts and talents that He provided you. Also, know that you do have value.
- A Healing Peace’s second principle for emotional wellness is Finding the Truth. Our Emotions are not Fact-Checkers. Emotions can be draining. When you endure trauma or bad experiences, it is natural for most people to possess alleviate emotions. These emotions alert you when something is not right. However, our emotions do not tell the complete truth. You must retrain your brain to look for the truth in a situation versus our emotions that may come from previous experiences. Stop projecting. Look for the truth versus the reality created from previous pain.
- Our third principle for emotional wellness is Be Your Best Cheerleader. To be your best cheerleader identify your affirmations. Your affirmations embody who you are. Do not be afraid to write out your “I AM statements”. For instance, my statements are I am beautiful, intelligent, and loved. After you write them down, reiterate them in life. You can place them on a mirror, recite them over and over. The bottom line is to own your statements. Feed your mind by connecting with who God created you to be and not what society tells you.
- When you apply the tip number 7, you will begin to shift your perception of yourself. Thus, tip 8 is to change your perception/mind, by focusing on your “I AM statements”. By doing this action, you will fuel the good that is in you versus those negative thoughts that foster cra cra.
- The fourth principle of emotional wellness is Discover Your Purpose. Find things that you like to do and spend time doing them. When you are focusing on what you like to do, you are not focused on what others are doing. The outcome of this action is that you stay on your path or within your lane.
- When you are in your purpose, God will bring people to you. They will be attracted to the happier you and want to live the vibrant life that you possess.