Defining Your Standard: What Does that Mean?
Paradise. A photo from my trip to Nicaragua in 2018. Location: Playa San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.
Since the creation of this blog, my intention behind it was to always inspire people to live their truth. We live in a society with much conditioning and many rules and programs put in place that we don’t all necessarily agree to, but nevertheless, conform to, because they are the norm or what we were taught to believe was the way life was supposed to be. While I have upheld that vision for this blog, it has been a bit uncentered , in my opinion.
So at this point, I’m kind of doing a soft reboot. I didn’t want to completely erase everything off the blog, but I did have the desire to remove much content in order to make room for the direction I’m heading in now.
So that brings me to my current point, a new beginning. And with this fresh start, I felt like there was no better way to begin than to create an intention or vision for just what this blog is going to be about. I named this blog The Living Standard, a blog about defining your own standard, living in your own power and experiencing your best life possible. It didn’t dawn on me until this very moment, when I got out of bed and decided to write this blog entry, that I never really took the time to define exactly what my standard was. I mean, I’ve thought about it. I know what I want to experience in life and how I want to live, but I never really took a moment and compiled a list or created my own personal manifesto.
I believe there is so much power in writing, specifically in putting pencil or ink to paper, much more of a catalyst than typing. I am an avid journal writer. I write down my thoughts, ideas, save my dreams, write out plans, lists, step by step guides, visual drawings and designs, concepts, etc. and when I take a step back and look around my room, I see a lot of those things have come to fruition. So this is why I hold writing/ drawing to be such a powerful tool in manifestation work. Not only are you envisioning and thinking of the ideas, but you’re doubling down by writing them out with your hand and rereading what you wrote, which serves as a way of reaffirming the concepts, and most importantly, you are taking a step in transforming the ideas in your head into reality by transferring them onto paper.
Preparing For This Exercise
So with that being said, I sat down and decided to do a journal entry. This is a good exercise that you can do as well. To prepare for this exercise, you need:
a journal or piece of paper (preferably a journal so that it can be placed somewhere safe. I like journals just because all my writing is in one place, but any system that feels right for you will do).
A pen or pencil
A comfortable place to sit or lay down
Once you have your materials, sit or lay down in a comfortable position, close your eyes and just take a moment to ground yourself and focus on your breath for a few moments. Once you feel centered, just ask yourself: What does my ideal life FEEL like?
Sit with that question for as long as you would like and see what ideas come to your mind. Or maybe you already have some ideas in mind. Expand on those. Either way, you can use this as an opportunity to do some creative visualizing. Creative visualization is a powerful tool that I’ve recently learned and began implementing into my daily practice, usually first thing in the morning. All you have to do is hold the image or vision in your mind. Play around with it. Explore it. The visions can be literal or just metaphorical, what’s most important is the feeling that the vision brings you. For example, if you would like for your life to feel like freedom, picture an eagle soaring high up in a clear, blue sky, boundless and free from restrictions. Or if you prefer a more realistic, personal approach, envision yourself at the airport with a one way ticket, preparing to embark on a journey. You can get as detailed with the visions as you’d like.
Once you are finished, open your eyes, and write down whatever those feelings are that you feel define your ideal life.
The Difference Between Wanting and Just Feeling For Your Ideal Life
One important thing I should mention about this exercise and creative visualization, manifestation work, law of attraction, etc. in general, is that you aren’t wishing for your life to be this way or wanting for it to be this way, even if your current situation doesn’t reflect the feelings that you desire. The reason being is because the feeling of want creates separation. What I mean here is that when you want something, essentially you are saying you don’t have it. The thing you want is not yours, meaning it is separate from you. It is somewhere else. Ultimately, what that is saying is that you lack, which in turn, has an influence on your energetic field and the frequency you are emitting. As a result, this emission will in turn attract more situations of lack and separation into your experience. What you have to understand is that what you desire, what it is that you want to feel, is already yours, you just aren’t experiencing it at this moment. But your future self is. If you can see it in your mind, there is a possible timeline where that vision is in your living reality. So what you are doing by creatively visualizing, positively reaffirming, etc. is you are broadcasting a frequency like a magnet. The more you practice and embody these thoughts and feelings, you bring in situations, people and things that resonate and reflect the ideal life of yours.
Why Should I Focus on What My Ideal Life Feels Like?
Now I put emphasis on FEEL for a very important reason. When we ask ourselves how we want our lives to look, that question may make us think about all the physical things we want: “I want a new car, a four bedroom house, the spouse/partner of my dreams, a million dollars, etc.” Now, there is no problem with any of that stuff. We all deserve to live our best lives. However, when you focus on what your ideal life feels like, rather than on what you would like to have or what you want, you allow yourself to become open to so many other possibilities that you may not have thought were in the realm of your experience. What you thought you wanted, may not be what is actually best for you. Have you ever wanted something, got it, and then been disappointed? And besides, we usually want those things, the perfect partner, the new car, etc, because we think they will make us feel the way we want to. So let’s focus on the root, which is how we want to feel and allow the details to fill themselves in.
My Personal Standard of Living
After completing this exercise, these were some of the feelings that I came up with that depict my ideal life:
Ease and Flow
To me, my ideal life is filled with ease and grace. Things are always coming to me at the right time. There is never any struggle or worry. I’m not living in survival mode, where I’m grinding or hustling to make money and pay bills. Life is effortless, it’s free and like water, it just flows. Change is constant, but I go with it. I always have what I need and I am open to receive more. I’m never rigid or fixated on any single outcome because I trust that I can surrender and what is best for me will always make itself available at the right time.
Love
My heart is open and ready to give and receive love. Love isn’t this restricted thing that only few can have access to. It is abundant. It radiates through me. I live in my truth. The people who surround me in life are reflections of this. They are people who I don’t have to wear a mask around or perform for. I can be myself and be accepted for who I am. The relationships are balanced and evenly reciprocated.
Warm, Safe and Protected
I am free from fear. I have nothing to worry about because I know that I am always protected. My home feels like a sanctuary. It is warm, welcoming and a direct reflection of who I am internally. Also, the weather is warm. My approach to life is warm and open. I know that all my needs will be met. I have no anxiety or fear conditioning.
Abundance
I am abundant in countless ways, whether it be in ideas, money, opportunities, quality friendships, however abundance chooses to display itself. I have everything that I need and am open to receive more. I am never in a state of lack. My pantries and refrigerator are full. There are plants everywhere in my house.
Harmony and Peace
I am in alignment with my highest good, with divine order. My body is in perfect harmony. It is strong because I feed it with proper nutrients and nourishing foods from the earth. I give my body proper exercise and spend adequate time outside in nature and in the sun. I am energized and in balance. I am at peace with myself and with life in general. I am living in my purpose.
After completing this exercise, I feel ready to progress with this blog. I feel like I have a created a strong, focused intention. This kind of gives you an idea of what future entries will depict.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope this finds its way to whoever may deem it beneficial in any way. Look out for a ton of new content on the horizon.
Peace,
Vibra