It’s the four-letter word that most of us NEVER say or think: Ease.
By definition, ease means the absence of difficulty or freedom from concern or anxiety. The word promises a quiet state of mind.
Now, does the word “ease” sound particularly foreign to you?
The truth is this word should be falling off your lips. Yes, you have the power to create “ease” in your life. In fact, most likely you’re keeping ease out of your reach due to the simple belief that many of us have ingrained in our minds from childhood. Perhaps you were told, “You have to work hard for what you want in life.” How many of you know what I mean?
Do you also know that “hard” is the opposite of “ease?”
I grew up around the mantra: “Life is hard.” I was taught that “ONLY with hard work would I get ahead and be granted what I desire.” Hmmmmm…..no wonder I wasn’t living in ease. The truth is when you grow up associating hard work with achievement, success and obtaining what is worth having (even in relationships) then you work the ease right out of your life.
What if it didn’t have to be that way? What if what you wanted could come easily to you? Imagine that life!
The great news is that a life of ease if possible and attainable with a little mind shift to create that reality. I actually dare you to experiment with this approach for the next week.
Below is a daily cycle to practice that will get you one step closer to having the life you really want. Live in ease by following these steps:
STEP ONE: AFFIRM “LIFE IS EASY.”
Perhaps you’re also someone who grew up under the mantra that “life is hard.” This type of programming runs deeply within out minds, implanted by parents, watered by teachers or other important people and cemented by like-minded friends and significant others. To rewire, we need to create a new neural pathway with a revolutionary belief: Life is Easy.
Break-Free Moment: You will repeat that sentence – life is easy – to yourself proactively at least four times a day. You will also repeat it whenever negative thoughts enter your mind. Remember that you’re experimenting, so allow yourself this gift of ease often. Be generous with you.
STEP TWO: TAKE ACTION
Whenever, we think or plan to make a big change, it feels hard and often overwhelming. What I want you to do is allow yourself to think about making a little shift, so we can approach this one step at a time. When we break things down into “baby steps,” it feels more manageable and we’re more likely to follow it through to conclusion. To that end, I want you to try this exercise every morning: Write down a list of things you would do if life were just five percent easier. Yes, you will find that you’ll start to repeat yourself. These themes are the things that you actually want. Now, one by one, start doing what’s on your list. The take-away here is that this exercise de-sensitizes you to the fear of actually doing it. All of a sudden, you’re more likely to start living life with ease and little effort.
STEP THREE: ACKNOWLEDGE YOURSELF
Great news! You’ve been doing this work to make your life easier. But how do you sustain your practice despite the stresses of modern life. All you need to do is acknowledge that it is working. Remember that we stay so stuck in our patterns because we want to be right more than we want to be happy. This is in your subconscious, but it’s also quite real.
Know that your brain is full of prior evidence that “life is hard.” Thus, you must create new evidence for “life is easy” to reinforce this new belief system.
At the end of the day, I’d like you to journal (at least) one thing that went easier than expected. This exercise will help you create staying power for this new belief system. It will also force you throughout the day to look for evidence that this is true.
Together, these exercises are game changers when it comes to shifting your mind as you allow ease to seep into your life.
TAKEAWAY: Please tell me what opens up for you after you’ve given yourself permission to live in ease. Remember that you are one step closer to breaking free from your fears and self-doubt. Change is on the way!
