DREAM Reinventing Yourself
By Dr. Vicky Thomas
I think it’s important to understand that by “Reinventing Yourself” I don’t necessarily mean completely recreating yourself. Although some people need to start from scratch! Most of us need simple improvement in one or more areas of our lives. On our show, we talked about six areas of life you can pay attention to.
- Health/Fitness
- Intimacy/Relationships
- Family
- Career
- Finance
- Spiritual/Personal Growth
Why would someone want to “Reinvent” him or herself? Well there are many reasons! Maybe you’ve been living life of “dis-ease”. Maybe your marriage or relationships are bad and getting worse! Maybe your family is simply a mess. Maybe you are one of the 80% of Americans who are unhappy at their job. (Yes, I said 80%!!!) Maybe the current economy has spiraled your financing down, down, down. Maybe you’ve lost touch with your ethics and religious beliefs. These are just a few of the reasons. Frankly, I think everyone could use a little reinventing on a regular basis!
How do you do it? That’s the next logical question. So in about 5 minutes of creativity, right before the show, I came up with a quick way to get started:
Think of the word “DREAM”. Here’s a mnemonic device to help you.
1. D=DECLUTTER. In order to change what’s going on inside, you first have to clear out space. (Just like in your closet!) The Hawaiians have a saying I learned when studying HUNA, “First NOHO, and then NOA.” It can be translated, first clean out, then fill up. So pick one area of your life and begin to de-clutter. Some areas have obvious ways to de-clutter. For example, if you are working on health and fitness, de-clutter may mean a detox. But what if it’s not so simple. Like, how do you declutter a family? That’s right, you may have to separate yourself from family members who do not fit with your ideal life. Really, some family members can be toxic and draining. The degree of toxicity should be equal to the degree of the separation!
2. R= REALIGN. There is a very easy sentence I use when I feel like my life is out of balance. “If my life (or pick one of the six categories) were perfect I’d be (fill in this blank with things you would be being having or doing.)” It goes something like this: If my health and fitness were perfect I’d be: eating healthy foods, running a 10K, working out daily, feeling strong and healthy.
3. E=EVALUATE. Ask yourself, “Where am I know?” It’s time to do some soul searching. Take a good hard look at what you are doing now, and what your ideal life is like. How are they different? What needs to change?
4. A=ASSOCIATE. Create the image of the ideal life. Imagine it as a snapshot. Add the sounds and feelings that go with that idea life. Imagine stepping into the picture. Get a feel for that perfect life. Now step back out and set a date. (Make it logical!)
5. M=MAKE IT HAPPEN! IE: Take Action. Figure out the steps to get there. Then make it happen with intent!
It's A Pair-A-Docs 