Harvey, Jason - Achieve Anything In Just One Year - Be Inspired Daily to Live Your Dreams and Accomplish Your Goals

Now draw another picture of how you feel when you work. What pictorial description can you make for the way you feel emotionally when you do your chores or take care of the business side of life?

When you’re done, put both pictures side by side. Do they look similar, or are they drastically different? Take a close look at the differences between both drawings.

The quote above provides a perfect description of the importance of play in your life. Without play, life just doesn’t taste good. You need a little hot sauce on your meal—a little spice in your life. You need more than a series of tasks to complete in order to feel fulfilled and happy. Play brings your enthusiasm out. It gives color to an otherwise black-and-white picture.

You simply cannot achieve success without play. It is the extra vitality you must have to be a notch above ordinary. Enjoy the spice that play puts into your life.

DAY

136

“Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.”

— L. Frank Baum

Yes, breathing is good. In fact, it’s essential. But you already know that. Did you also know that it is a powerful tool in your toolbox for success—and not just because it keeps you alive? Over the next few days you will have a chance to try some exercises that will help you master breathing techniques that may become very useful as you travel the road to success.

Breathing is not only a life-giving element, but it is also a healing element. When you learn to monitor and control your breath at certain times, you can lower your heart rate, increase your ability to pay attention, relax, tap into your inner voice, and get in tune with your own body rhythms. Breath is the center of everything, and it can work for you in more ways than you may currently realize.

Your assignment for the beginning of this series on breath is to become a sort of scientist for a day. Observe your breathing as if you are observing a specimen. This may be more difficult than you think. Oftentimes, the minute you start to think about something that is as automatic as breathing you become self-conscious and uneasy with your breath. That’s no excuse to quit. Continue on, and it will get easier. What do you observe about your breathing? Where do you feel it in your body? Do you breathe through your nose or your mouth? Do you feel it in your chest or your belly? Write down all of your observations. Breath is essential and transformational. Enjoy the next few days of discovery.

DAY

137

“Many people now are seeking organic ways to heal themselves and feel good . . . Breathwork is the ideal alternative. It is free and completely within our conscious control.”

— Gay Hendricks, PhD

Organic remedies are all the rage these days. Everyone is learning the benefits of ginger, pomegranate, green tea, and various other cures. The easiest and cheapest natural remedy is breathing. It is free, and you can practice its healing powers anytime you want.

Maggie wanted to change the way she reacted in stressful situations. Her biggest stressor was her boss. She got flustered whenever her boss asked her questions, and she ended up sounding like an idiot. She was a fairly intelligent person most of the time, but the minute her boss started firing questions at her, she felt her heart rate spiral and her confidence plummet.

A friend who was involved in a daily yoga class suggested that Maggie pay attention to her breathing when she got in those situations and consciously take a breath before she responded. Maggie thought she might as well give it a try, and the very next day she had an opportunity. Her boss walked into her office and launched into a series of questions about a new project. Maggie took one split second to breathe in and out, and then she answered. The result astonished her. That one second gave her a chance collect her thoughts, and instead of a reacting like she was defending herself in a dodge ball game, she came back with a calm and intelligent response.

Every time someone asks you a question today, breathe before you react. Observe the difference in your response.

DAY

138

“Focusing on the act of breathing clears the mind of all daily distractions and clears our energy enabling us to better connect with the Spirit within.”

— Author Unknown

You know by now that you want to reach the spirit within you to tap into your true talents and unearth your unique gifts. Breathing is the express train to that place. You’ve studied meditation, and it is centered in breath, so you have already experienced what it’s like to use your breath to slow down and listen to your inner voice.

The other great benefit of breathing is that it’s like hiring a maid to tidy up your brain. If you focus on nothing but breathing, you will start to remove the chatter in your head. You will clear away the voices that are constantly saying things like: “Do I look fat in these jeans?” “Did I pay the phone bill this month?” “What should I have for supper?” “Did my son wash his hands after he played with the dog?”

That chatter is not important in the big scheme of life, and concentrating on your breath for a few minutes a day will help you brush away the small stuff to make room for your next big inspiration. You could have a great idea floating around in your head right now, but it’s lost in the crowd of your minor, distracting chit-chat.

Your assignment today is to take ten minutes to concentrate on your breathing. Find a place where you will not be interrupted—even if you have to lock yourself in the bathroom. Inhale for three seconds and exhale for three seconds. Then breathe in for four seconds and exhale for three seconds and onward until you get to ten. Then reverse the numbers and exhale longer than you inhale. Don’t assess; just practice.

DAY

139

“Watch breath, soften belly, open heart, has become a wake-up call for mindfulness and mercy, which takes people beyond the mind-body of suffering into the deep peace of their healing.”

— Stephen Levine

Breathing exercises, when practiced regularly, will give you the gift of peace. Measured breathing helps you to slow down and sets up an environment of mindfulness that automatically invites peace, healing, and a feeling of centeredness. You deserve to take the time to practice breathing and connect to your inner self.

You’ve already had some practice watching your breath and counting your inhalations and exhalations. Now add a soft belly to the exercise. That’s right, a soft belly. You may have spent your whole life trying to suck in your tummy. Now is your chance to let it relax a little. Nobody’s watching. Try it!

A relaxed belly allows you to breathe more deeply. Let the muscles of your belly relax, and then take in a nice, slow breath. A breath that goes down into the belly is much fuller and more relaxing than one that goes into the chest. Try both so that you can experience the difference for yourself. First, take a deep breath high in your chest. Raise your shoulders, too, if you want. Then, let it out. It’s a relief to let that breath go, isn’t it? It promotes tension rather than relieving it.

Now take a long, slow breath into your belly. It’s as if you are a round jug filling with water. Exhale. You should be feeling even more grounded and relaxed. Let your breath fill downward into your body instead of up around your chest and neck when you practice your ten minutes of breathing today.