INNER STRENGTH
By Natasha Burke
April 22, 2020
As we go through day to day living with the unknown, I ponder what is getting me through day after day of shelter in place. It’s going on six weeks now and it’s been a roller coaster for me. I have good days. I have bad days. Mostly good.
One thing I know is, it’s my inner strength that keeps me going. Staying present, having hope, and have an optimistic attitude. I have had to reset my mind several times through shelter in place. Laugh out loud.
What do I do to find my inner strength? I meditate so I can slow my mind down. It’s in silence when, I can see what I need and what is going on with me both emotionally and physically. I check in with myself daily. What I have discovered is that when I don’t meditate, I become irritated. At times I have little compassion. I complain. All of these things I do not like. I meditate. It changes my mindset. I am once again grounded in goodness.
Inner strength is one of the most valuable tools for life. It is what keeps us hopeful and encourages us to move forward. It determines the quality of our life. Inner strength is an investment in our life. The more challenges we face, the more we can rely on our potential to get ahead, no matter what happens. We are equipped to deal with future challenges without falling apart.
It’s our struggles that develop our inner strength. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender to the negative, this is inner strength.
We all go through changes in our life. When challenging times are upon us, it’s how we respond to them that matters. We have a choice on how we respond to our challenges. This is when inner strength comes in.
Inner strength can be attained. You can always grow inner strength to overcome life’s challenges. Is it easy? No. However, we all can develop inner strength by being mindful. Listen to where your thoughts are. Challenges are essential to growth. If we fight the challenges or changes, we are not tapping into our inner strength. When we lean into our challenges, we can then access our inner strength.
I have had to continually work on resilience. It pushes me through the challenging times. Each day provides a lesson on how to be flexible especially through the unknown. This has been a huge lesson for me. I go back to; taking one day at a time. Staying present. Yesterday is gone, and the future isn’t here. We can only be present if we live in the moment.
Having resiliency pushes us towards survival even in the most challenging times and conditions. By being resilient, it builds our confidence in our capacities and resources to move forward. It’s the balance between perseverance and the flexibility to adapt our thinking and behavior through the challenging times. Resiliency allows us to bend without breaking, because we are survivors.
Achieving goals is a great way to gain inner strength. Taking one step at a time. Sometimes it takes patience. We need to be patient. We can learn inner strength through achieving our goals. It gives us confidence. We take one step to achieving our goals. This is a process. The progress is the key to building a stronger version of ourselves.
Have meaning in life, whatever that shows up to be. We all have to have meaning and purpose in life. This is huge for me. When I wake up each day, I have to ask myself, “how can I be productive and have meaning?” Lately I have been writing a lot, meditating, creating art and making connection with people. I have learned the art of zooming. I love it. It’s a great way to see the person/s you are connecting with and have live conversations.
Here are some things on cultivating inner strength. Know who you are. Your personality is the foundation of your power. Understand who you are and how you function best. Be comfortable in your own skin. The happier you are with yourself, the more you can incorporate inner peace.
Spend time in silence. If you haven’t tried meditation., check out u-tube. They have lots of different types of mediation. Take the time for you to rejuvenate. Set aside some time daily without being plugged in to anything and just sit alone. Sitting in silence or guided meditation is the way to calm your inner challenges by listening to what is going on. Pay attention to your body. Make a daily practice even if it’s five minutes to create a space of calm. Nourish your mind, body, and spirit.
Create outer strength. When we develop our inner self, it’s important to have a solid foundation for taking care of ourselves. Ways to do this are, exercise, yoga, any type of physical activity to build upon and maintain this foundation. Make a conscious effort to eat healthy foods and get a good night sleep. It’s tough to feel strong inside if you are unhealthy outside. Make an effort to be fit. Be proactive about your health. Find ways to make you feel good about yourself. Feel good about the amazing body you have. It’s perfect. It works to keep you alive. Cherish your body. Honor your body. Look at all they ways your body works without you even being conscious. Your body is truly a miracle.
Try using affirmations. Saying affirmations first thing in the morning and at bedtime is an important way to remind ourselves that we’re valuable and each of us brings something unique in this world. Add some affirmations that include phrases on inner strength. Most important have gratitude. Make a list of what you are grateful for in the morning. Before you go to sleep think about all the ways you had the opportunity to be grateful. This is an amazing and necessary daily ritual I have in my life. When I don’t recognize, I go into lack of….
Taking responsibility for our life. We can’t build inner strength by making excuses. If there is a situation that we are responsible for and if we fail, we must own it. This is not comfortable. It’s necessary to take responsibility for our actions. If we make a mistake, admit it, forgive, and move forward.
Go within and tap into your inner strength. Be curious on what inner strength means to you. Until I blog next month, remember you are enough. You are perfect just the way you are. Have a great day. Namaste.
