Inner Space: Words I Live By
11 phrases to motivate and inspire
I wanted to share some of the words I live by. These concepts and principles guide me, inspire me and remind me of what truly matters. I hope they resonate with you too, and perhaps inspire you to reflect on your own words to live by.
1.) The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.
I did my intensive yoga teacher training in Brazil in 2010. It was 30 days of living, breathing and practicing yoga all the waking hours of the day. I learned so much, and so many things from this time of my life have shaped my philosophies and how I move through the world. One thing that my teacher, David, said almost daily was, “The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.”
This phrase is not about striving for perfection, but about infusing intentionality into everything we do. If I wake up and mindlessly start my day by checking social media and going straight to the kitchen to quickly make my matcha and drink it while checking my email, the care with which I move through the rest of my day will likely mimic this. It's about understanding that our approach to one aspect of our lives often reflects our approach to all aspects. Recognizing that our habits, attitudes and behaviors are interconnected and that mindfulness in one area of our lives can lead to improvements in others. This applies to work, taking rest, engaging with people in my life. Do whatever it is that I am doing with presence and care. Give it my all. And giving it my all doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect, but with the full intention and presence.
2.) Your actions must align with the life you want to live.
This one is so HUGE. I feel like there is so much emphasis these days on setting intentions, and manifesting your biggest and best potential, living your dream life. But manifestation doesn’t happen without action. We can’t set intentions without follow through. It’s so important that our actions align with our words and our intentions. If I want to be in a committed, loving relationship and start a family, but I’m prioritizing partying on the weekends and drinking with friends, my actions don’t really align with what I want to create. I think it’s really important to clearly identify our intentions and our goals and then follow up with action steps to help us get where we want to be. We can’t be all talk and no action.