Mastering "Minding Your Own Business"
MASTERING "MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS"
Article Jenni Cornette
Photo Credit: Dasha & Mari
Magazine: Issue #26
It never ceases to amaze me that my greatest moments of growth usually come as silent spirit-like whispers in my ear. These are reminders from my childhood that my parents and grandparents would plant in my soul. These words of wisdom from my family like "mind your own business" were perceived differently when I was a child. Yet they still planted and as these wise words come to be life lessons, I can't help but giggle to myself and wonder if they knew then what I know now? that were planted into my being when I was a girl.
I usually know its time to take a look within when I find myself paying too much attention to others, taking the actions of others which I know I cannot control personally, or I am over emotional or feeling drained and uninspired. Now that I am mature, I have come to realize that minding my own business has nothing to do with anyone but myself. If I have time to be concerned with others "BUSINESS", success, or opportunities than I know something in my own life is out of balance. It is time to be mindful of nurturing and caring for myself.
If you are feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, disconnected then it is likely you are suffering from an in-balance in your life. Take a moment to check yourself (literally) and discover if you currently are not in a healthy cycle. I know personally as a natural giver, do-gooder, and healer that I am the first to put myself last. In a holistic business it is important to practice what we preach and take the essential steps necessary to SCHEDULE STRESS RELIEVING rituals on our calendar. As the world is becoming more and more connected to devices and computers and working long hours with no downtime, it is easy to get distracted and forget our most important asset. Our bodies were not made to perform at such high stress levels for extended periods of time. We need to equally nurture our relationships, ourselves, our earth and our spirit.
Some things to be mindful of when creating a balanced lifestyle are scheduling time for yourself, time to connect with others on a human level and to practice rituals in your life. Try to maintain regular sleep cycles, exercise at the same time daily, have dinner at the table at a similar time every night with your family. Being on a schedule keeps our body and mind in a rhythm, this allows us to balance ourselves. Schedule a date night every other week on your calendar with your husband, have a monthly girls night out to nurture your relationship with your soul sisters, and pick three (one hour) time slots on your calendar dedicated to PLAY weekly. And I don't mean only schedule playtime if you have children, of course we need to schedule that, but if you don't have children, you still need to play. Take your dog to the park, find a kindred spirit and go roller skating, or swim in the ocean. All of these stress relieving techniques will make you more productive, more creative, more ah-mazing! Creating rituals will allow your body and mind to become aware that you are attempting to stay in balance. Meditate when you wake for 10 minutes, Take a bath once a week, a nice soak with healing salts, make sure your cell phone or computer are not within reaching reaching distance, so you are not tempted to scroll social media post. Light a candle daily as gratitude, pray before your meals, spend 30 minutes reading with your children EVERY night before bed or burn essential oils 20 minutes when you done with your day. All these rituals help your brain know its time to not stress.
As an entrepreneur, I agree that business building is a rush and using our creativeness is an outlet to promote our passion. However, do not forget to practice what you preach especially when you are in a holistic or wellness business. There is nothing sexy about being in a mental fog, being overwhelmed and anxious or walking around with bags under your eyes and boulders on your shoulders.
You can manage balance in life by simply listening to your body. Massage is the perfect way to not only feel your tension in your body, but also an opportunity to rest your mind. Massage falls under the holistic or alternative medicine field. It is no longer considered a luxury, instead used in healthcare to treat a wide range of medical conditions and is used in recovery from and prevention of disease. Do yourself, your family and friends a favor; and schedule a massage on your calendar as a ritual. It can be weekly or monthly, just do it, you deserve it! You will add years to your life and your marriage. You will be a more patient Mother, a better wife or partner, a better friend and yes a better business genius. Massage will not only help you manage stress, but it will also slow the aging process, detoxify your organs, help with cellulite by increasing circulation and releasing happy hormones. Anyone who is near forty like myself can appreciate the need for happy balanced hormones. As more and more awareness is being brought to the importantance of managing stress in our lives and our business, massage memberships have been introduced at wellness centers, holistic practices and spas to make this essential healthcare regime easily affordable and accessible. Having a massage membership often offers discounted rates and other perks, and they will hold you accountable to the scheduled time I suggest you make for yourself.
I have reached the higher levels of success not only in business, but in health and my personal relationships when I am being mindful to nurture myself by "minding my own business". You will honor yourself and reach new levels of success too when you schedule and prioritize yourself with wellness rituals that have been used since ancient times to balance our mind, body and soul. I also promise you, you will think differently when using or hearing the wise words my family spirit still whispers in my ear from time to time.
