HOW ARE YOU?
"If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?" Maya Angelou
HOW ARE YOU?
Seriously, how are you? Those three words are spoken many times throughout the day as we communicate with those around us ... it becomes second nature to us. It can be used as an ice breaker or an opportunity on a heart level to “check in” with someone who is going through a hard time. But what about you as an individual?
HOW AM I?
Today, let's change the narrative to "HOW AM I?"
When you arrive at a hotel or arrive for an airline flight, you do a “check-in” so they know you are present; you have arrived. Well, when was the last time you did a “check-in” with yourself? When was the last time you asked yourself, “how am I?” I know it sounds silly, but checking in with yourself and assessing where you are at ... in the moment ... can be the best gift you give yourself so you can focus your energies on YOU before you pour into others.
It starts with YOU.
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty,” Maya Angelou
Try These HOW AM I “Check-Ins”
Use your phone for uplifting reminders. I have a daily 9:00A appointment reminder that says, “Are you present?”
Look in the mirror and say something positive to yourself. Give yourself a “high five.”
Take some deep breaths and pay attention to how you feel in your mind and your body.
Be present. Give your mind time to settle down and then focus on the things around you.
No judgment “check-in” zone and give yourself the space for grace.
“Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers,” Tony Robbins
LET’S START WITH SOME SELF “CHECK-IN” QUESTIONS:
· How am I feeling at this moment?
· What are the positives in my life?
· What am I thankful for?
· What brought me joy today?
· What do I love about myself?
· What inspires me today and why?
· What makes me smile?
· What is competing for my time?
By taking time to check in with yourself, you can expedite your inner growth. How? When you take time to ask yourself “how am I” you allow yourself to sort out your emotions, get a pulse on your physical and emotional needs, and set yourself up to be intentional with your plans and move forward.
Another way to expedite your inner growth is to observe the ways you care for yourself when things are going well in your life. So when challenging times arrive, you can incorporate “how you respond to when things are going well” into those moments to pull yourself through.
AIRPLANE MASK CHECK-IN - When you fly on an airplane, the flight attendant instructs you to “put your oxygen mask on first,” before helping others. Why? If you run out of oxygen first, you can't help anyone else with their oxygen mask. This same concept can be applied by asking yourself “how am I?” Taking time for YOU and “checking in” with YOURSELF daily is putting the mask on yourself first and getting in total alignment spirit, soul, and body. You are now in a better place and space to help someone else! It is a WIN-WIN for you and others.
Take the time to like yourself, love yourself, be yourself, and embrace ALL OF YOU!