Key Messages
How To Find And Live Your Best Self: A Life Coach’S Essential Guide
Leading an authentic and fulfilling life can seem like an impossible task, but it doesn’t have to be.
Life coach Mike Bayer’s handbook to personal growth is full of actionable tips you can use right now to start living your best self.
Here are some of his top tips:
1.
Visualize your ideal self – When trying to make positive changes in your life, it is important to first figure out who you want to be.
You can do this by visualizing your best self and then using that image as a motivation for making necessary changes.
2.
Deal with fear rationally – Fear often stops us from taking action and pursuing our goals, but the key is not to let fear take control.
Instead, try to think of the worst-case scenario and then reframe the problem so that you can continue moving forward despite the fear.
3.
Don’t forget about yourself – Self-care can be seen as a luxury or indulgence, but it’s essential for helping foster good mental health and wellbeing too.
Taking care of yourself doesn’t make you selfish; in fact, you need to be at your best if you want to help others too!
Discovering Your Best Self Through The Power Of Visualization
We live in a world where few people are taught how to be their best selves.
But you don’t have to accept the status quo.
You can start by learning how to define and become your authentic self.
The journey begins by understanding there’s a positive version of yourself – one that contains all the traits and attributes that you most admire but never quite act upon.
It might be hard to recognize at first, so it may be useful to create a visual representation of this “best self” – like a drawing or even giving it a name and gender identity.
Once you have that representation, make sure you hang it up somewhere in your home as a reminder of who you want to be.
This will help motivate you throughout your journey towards discovering your true self.
At the same time, also take time to understand and identify your “anti-self” – these are the negative traits and qualities that impede on achieving this positive version of yourself.
By identifying those draining attributes, you can focus on diminishing them and work harder toward acting out the more encouraging qualities for your well-being and success.
How Taking Control Of Your Anti-Self Can Help You Make Better Decisions
Identifying your anti-self can help you get negative traits like road rage and anger under control.
This is because by naming and recognizing your anti-self, you will have a better chance of predicting when it might take over.
As an example, the author’s friend Suzanne named her anti-self Road Rage Regina.
Regina would often flare up in response to traffic jams during her commute, as they triggered her old anxieties she experienced while trying to catch up on school work due to illness during high school.
By taking a flashlight to the problem and writing down everything you don’t like about how your anti-self behaves, you can create a clearer idea of what it looks like when it’s in control.
To make it easier to remember this behavior, try giving it a name or face that exaggerates its traits.
Once you’ve done this, go back over five recent situations where your anti-self was in charge and compare its behavior with what your best self would have done instead.
Doing so will help remind you to step back and make better decisions when the trigger arises rather than losing control.
With enough practice, this technique can become second nature!
Overcome Fear And Make Positive Changes To Your Life By Putting It To The Test
Fear is the enemy of becoming your best self, but you don’t have to be a victim of it.
There are ways to combat fear and move forward with your goals in a positive way.
The key is to be honest with yourself and face your fears head-on.
Natures Nutrition’s Best Self Book Summary describes how you can identify, confront and conquer fear.
First, take the time to write down which fears are holding you back from making life changes and look for any common themes.
Once you recognize the source of your fear, it’s easier to make an action plan that helps you take steps towards overcoming it.
For example, if money is preventing you from taking a risk like quitting your job, figure out how much money you need to help support yourself short-term while working on growing your business.
By having a financial safety net in place, this will help alleviate some of the worry and give you peace of mind as well as confidence when taking that bold step forward.
Additionally, visualization techniques can also be helpful for conquering fear.
Think about putting all of your worries into one big box and then shrinking it until it fits into the palm of your hand before releasing into a canyon below—you’ll be amazed at the sense of freedom this brings!
At the end of the day, confronting fear head-on is an important part of becoming your best self; by being honest with yourself about where those fears come from and figuring out creative solutions to overcome them, nothing can stand in your way!
Why Socializing Is So Important For Your Body And Soul
Socializing is important for your overall well-being and, unsurprisingly, it’s something you can (and should) learn how to do.
Studies and polls show that spending time with friends, family and other people raises our happiness levels, increases cognitive capacity and stimulates the mind.
The key here is to build time for socializing into your schedule – not just hanging out with people you’re already familiar with but getting out of your comfort zone and striking up conversations with complete strangers.
It’s in those moments when we can pick up new ideas and become inspired by others.
We understand that socializing isn’t the easiest thing to do (especially when it involves meeting someone for the first time), but luckily there are some simple tricks that you can use to help bridge the gap between awkwardness and connection.
Begin by preparing yourself before attending a gathering – think about things you’ve recently learned or experienced – then be sure to ask questions, listen attentively and make good eye contact.
In this way, nonverbal communication (which accounts for roughly 70% of conversation) will also play a role in putting others at ease.
The Benefits Of Self-Care: How To Look After Yourself And Nurture Others
If you want to be the best version of yourself and help others, then you need to make sure that you are helping yourself first.
You won’t be able to be a good carer, nurturer and helper if your physical or emotional energy is depleted.
That’s why self-care isn’t selfish – it’s the only way for you to give back!
In this book, the author outlines some great methods for managing everyday stress so that you can take care of yourself.
One of them is mindful breathing – when facing overwhelming situations, take three or four deep breaths and your mind will relax and put things into perspective.
Another tool is regular exercise – twenty minutes a day can work wonders for both your physical and mental health.
Getting enough sleep is also key; aim for at least 6 hours per night, and make sure to avoid eating just before sleeping, as it will impact your rest quality.
Last but not least, don’t forget to find time to pursue passions: painting, baking or even learning foreign languages!
Make a list of what prevents you from carving out time for these activities (do you watch too much TV?) and then simply find solutions.
The Truth About Maintaining Healthy Relationships: Uncovering The Myth Of Romance And Harmonious Greatness
We’re often exposed to romanticised ideas of love from movies, commercials and music that make us believe unrealistic expectations are normal.
But the truth is that these don’t often reflect real life.
We can’t expect our relationships to be without an argument or for us to be swept off our feet all the time.
By dispelling some common myths about relationships, we can enjoy better, more intimate relationships.
For instance, great relationships aren’t necessarily ones with perfect harmony – arguing is a perfectly normal part of couples life and can even strengthen their bond provided it’s done in the right way.
It’s important to remember that your best self should always stay firmly in the driving seat when it comes to the arguments you have.
The other myth is around romance and passion being a main feature of a great relationship – instead, what’s important is having a deeper connection and forming feelings which are much more sustainable long-term.
By debunking these myths and embracing reality we can have healthier, more loving relationships with our partners.
Wrap Up
The Best Self Book offers a comprehensive look at how to be the best version of yourself.
It emphasizes the importance of recognizing your best self and anti-self, conquering your fears, increasing socialization, taking care of yourself and managing expectations in relationships.
These components offer an intuitive roadmap for becoming one’s best self.
One actionable advice from this book is to incorporate “quiet time” into our weekly schedule.
It can help dispel worries or distractions while focusing on calming activities such as meditation or listening to music.
Finding a moment every week just for yourself will go a long way towards helping you reach your full potential and living life to its fullest.
All in all, The Best Self Book provides an invaluable guidance which can empower readers to become their best selves!
