How are you? Just good...
How are you? I’m great, good, fine, ok. Thanks. A simple question every British person asks when starting a conversation. It’s a great thing to ask, but what does the answer tell you? What does it mean to feel good? Or it is just a phrase no one pays attention to anymore?
It can refer to a state of mind, it can be a straight-forward answer to an overused question, working as a weapon to protect one's privacy. Or it can also mean doing good. Good to yourself. Good to other people. Good to the world. So, what is good?
I have been trying to be good lately. Inspired by my favourite blog Glitter Guide, I started working on some side projects. They are not my main source of income but they allow me to switch from right to left brain and boost my creativity levels. Surprisingly, they also improve my productivity and help me stay focused. But most importantly, they are a tool to follow my passion. To focus on the things that make sense to me, dedicating time to activities that make me feel good inside out.
Simultaneously, my job gives me financial security, so I do not need to compromise on other projects because of money. However, sometimes it is a challenge to balance it all out. But luckily, great work is created by great people who understand the pressure and support you along the way, especially when you feels a little overwhelmed. Furthermore, doing the things you love reduces the risk of burnout and results in less procrastination and significantly more creative output.
So, when I started collaborating with Nasyp si, I felt energised and eager to do the best work I could. This beautiful zero waste shop in the heart of Brno brings a relatively new trend to my hometown and helps many to change their lifestyle (and you know I LOVE changes). Managing their social media accounts enables me to produce material related to low-waste, my latest passion, and interact with people with a similar mindset. My passion and commitment comes across through my work and have earned me some great feedback which I'm forever grateful to my fellow low-wasters.
Doing the things you love reduces the risk of burnout and result in less procrastination and more creative outcome.
Recently, I started making time for the things that make me feel good. I believe that if you feel good, you look good and make others feel good, too (I mean you, the sweet boy from the flower shop). We can make the universe resonate if we focus on the things that make us happy and push away the negativism some try to impose on us. My happy thing is yoga. It’s likely to be something different for you. Maybe it's DIY, reading, travelling, writing or element collecting. But whatever this is, make sure you find it and commit to it! I promise you that very soon you'll feel great. Not good, not fine, but GREAT!
I have tried pursuing kindness, being more honest with myself and others. But that’s a long process (which I’m most likely to reflect on soon, stay tuned ;)). For now, I am starting with ME. No one else knows better what makes me feel good other than me. Although friends can give you tips and share their suggestions, it is you who has to decide what you want to do.
And so, thanks to yoga, low waste and vegetarian diet, I’m starting to find my own comfort. I don’t force you to do the same, quite the contrary. I invite you to find the thing that make you feel good, something that makes you forget about the time and experience pure joy. Something you do just for the sake of happiness and not because someone told you so...
Identify the things you love and schedule them regularly on your agenda.
When did you last experience happiness and what is stopping you from experiencing it more regularly? Screw the excuses! Maybe if we learn to acknowledge our thoughts, we will be kinder to ourselves and the people around us (yoga guru in me talking). I invite you to dedicate some time to identify the things you love and schedule them regularly on your agenda.
And then, maybe sooner than you think, you’ll start seeing and experiencing more good all around you. The universe will listen and send you some positive energy... But maybe that's just me. I couldn't be happier with the things I am doing right now, which doesn't mean I won't change it soon. After all, being stagnant is the one thing I know for sure is something that could not possibly make me happy! And maybe I'm wrong, who knows. I just know how I feel right now and that's 'GOOD'.
Let's keep breathing, let's keep moving! Let's love the life you live and 'be the change you want to make' (beautiful mantra of Terezka who runs the zero-waste shop). Make sure you listen to your inner gut, as otherwise you might not recognise your happy moments, and fail to recall and re-live them again. Let's be happy, be kind, be good - do this for your own sake..