Feet Up, Snacks Ready & Netflix Playing

There is nothing nicer than sitting with your feet up, binge-watching Netflix with a box of chocolate fingers.

Happily munching away, releasing the melted chocolate from your fingers with a lick and slurping on a cup of tea. Literally wiggling your toes in delight as you consume the childhood favourite.

Until you finish it, the program comes to the end and your stomach is a ball of shortbread and sugar. Hand rubbing your belly as if it was filled with a baby. You start to feel sick and contemplate watching another episode to get over the feeling of guilt mingled with overeating and greed.

The second, third and fourth episode ends and your guilt has grown, you tell yourself you deserve this, that you work hard, you don’t normally do this kind of thing. You get cross at the feelings of despair and think “Why can’t I just enjoy this moment?”

Why can’t you?

You can if you want to, you do deserve it, but did you watch the 6 episodes to nurture yourself or to reward yourself? Your guilt is there because you didn’t do something to nurture your values.

You see we are made up of a set of values, according to Jay Shetty in his book ‘Live Like A Monk’ https://amzn.to/33cuIOb

We can work towards nurturing those values which lift us and makes us happy.

The higher values propel and elevate you towards happiness, fulfilment and meaning. They are Fearlessness, Purity of Mind, Gratitude, Charity, Acceptance, Sacrifice, Austerity, Truth, Perspective, Compassion, Satisfaction, Integrity and Determination to name a few.

But there is also a set of values which brings us down. Greed, Lust, Anger, Ego, Illusion and Envy. Once in play, they take over until they consume us. They demote you toward anxiety and depression.

It is not about the chocolate fingers and Netflix binge anymore, it is all about the value we hold against our actions at this moment.

But we have the power at this moment to change. To take what we have done and learn from it, to move away from the lower value towards the higher ones which make us feel good.

This isn’t about the Chocolate Fingers and a Kardashians binge, this is about you and what you choose to spend your time on.

Is it something of value? Something which lifts you in spirit, mind and emotion?

What are you choosing to do this weekend which nurtures your soul?

It is no surprise that I am a busy woman, I suspect you have your own list of to do’s, pressures and desires as well. We are the same you and I, but I am choosing to spend time on values that lift me.

Last April I signed up to a portraits course It was not a nail art course, but it was art.

I decided between my busy work schedule I would get up early and watch the lessons, then re-watch after work as I painted alongside. I couldn’t believe it, how my skills in something I never thought I could do that well blossomed and my confidence increased too.

The reason why was I was feeding my own set of values. Fearlessness, Purity of Mind, Gratitude, Acceptance, Sacrifice, Satisfaction and Determination. Because I was feeding them, the reward was happiness and success.

Trust me when I say that I didn’t enjoy every day whilst going through this 30 Day Portrait Challenge. But looking back I loved every minute, because I learned so much about myself, obvious skills and application. But the biggest surprise was the passion I had over this subject. I never imagined that would happen.

This blog also feeds my values of Purity of Mind, Gratitude, Charity, Acceptance, Sacrifice, Truth, Perspective, Compassion, Integrity and Determination. You see, me spending time writing this post is to help you understand that spending time on the right things in your day to day will feed you. You will find more time appears, more money and most importantly more satisfaction.

I am working on my values today, keeping them at the forefront of my mind and they are the reasons I do things, not the rewards.

I ask myself “Why am I doing this? Writing this? Buying this? Saying this? Which value does it feed, my higher one or my lower ones?”

When I know then I can choose to continue or not. I am not asking you to give up anything, just be aware of your values and what you spend your time doing to raise them.