Distractions.

What types of things are distracting you from the life you want to live?

From the state of being you desire?

From the “core values” you want to emphasis and live by?

 

We live in a world of CONSTANT distractions! Most of us are plugged-in for the majority of our days. Even when we want to “check out,” we actually plug-in. How do I know this? I’m talking about myself!! And I see people around me every day doing the same thing.

 

Sometimes I watch other people and it drives me crazy to see them so absorbed in the tiny screen they hold in their hand (eh hem…smart phone obviously) and yet I realize it’s exactly what I do, too! Even though I NOTICE myself doing it too and want to change how I structure my time with this type of portable technology, I have an incredibly challenging time making lasting changes in this habit because it’s so easy to remain addicted.

 

Spring and summer tend to be times that I unplug a little bit more, though. I’m often outside being more active and spending fun time with my family. I’m getting my hands dirty in my garden or hanging out at the beach. I’m socializing with others who also seem to be a bit more unplugged. EVEN then, though, there can be so many OTHER things to distract me….and you!

 

 

During the summer I take A LOT of walks!!! I LOVE my outdoor walks! As I walk I like to try to tune into the sounds around me (if I listen to a podcast or occasionally music as I walk, I use only 1 ear bud so I can still hear other things). I especially like to pick out the songs of the birds among the other noises. It’s so awesome to hear the birds at all hours of the day.

 

Cardinals are my messengers from God. They remind me of my grandfather and are my sign of hope! I seek them out on a daily basis. I’m often aware when I look up at just the right moment to catch a glimpse of my beloved cardinal that had I not been paying attention, I would have easily missed the sign that brings me immense joy each and every time! Just today there was a chipmunk who *almost* distracted me from seeing my cardinal! I caught just a flash of him as he flew by and as I smiled with delight, he dropped right down in front of me and was not to be missed!!

 

This got me thinking even further about distractions. So, paying attention to the chipmunk WAS me being in the present moment and taking notice of my surroundings while enjoying my walk. BUT sometimes even the things we think are *good* can be distracting us from what we REALLY want! Right?!  Ever experienced that?

 

When I’m walking, I often find myself looking down. I have to remind myself to look out and around and up too! This is much like life. We can easily get caught up in what is right in front of us (the chipmunk, the ground), and lose track of the bigger picture. We may even miss more important opportunities (the cardinals) that are also right in front of us when we have too much tunnel vision. So what small or large things are distracting you from what you really desire? Let’s spend some time evaluating that a bit.

 

A few additional activities that may really help you to identify your distractions are:

1. Identifying your core values— what are the values that you do not ever want to sacrifice in anything you do? What values do you want to uphold for yourself and portray to others?
2. Being very clear on your goals— I have a mini-series on goal-setting: Part 1 (Desire), Part 2 (Learn & Trust), Part 3 (Nourish), Part 4 (Vibrant Life).

 

Once you’ve completed these two steps, the distractions in your life are likely to become easier to identify. All you have to do is ask yourself, is this in line with my core values and my desires? Is it helping me to live the life I desire?

 

I’d love to hear 1-2 of your distractions in the comments below. Also, do you have any special signs that you look for?

If you liked this post, you may also like my post, “Could you live without…?“