Living from the Inside Out

Originally Posted on January 1, 2018 by BJ Howell.

Many people see a new year as a new start, an opportunity to start something positive…to finally get their life on track. In my world, every day presents that opportunity. For myself, I am not too keen on New Years Resolutions, as they often have a short life span.  But I do take the time to review my life and I tally the good, as well as the bad. I also try to gauge whether I am still heading in a direction that is right for me. Usually I am on track, however, I always get stuck on why I have not made more progress. It boils down to one major flaw. I sometimes live from the outside in, meaning, I allow outside sources (people, events…life) to affect my feelings, attitude and sometimes my behavior.  I could achieve my goals much quicker if I were able to master living life from the inside out, where I set the tone of my day, I decide to be present in the moment, I choose to love others regardless their “stuff” and I choose to be proactive in how I interact with life (instead of reactive).  Sticking to my everyday goals, whether it involves my physical health, mental health, finances, career, etc. requires me to live from the inside out. So, for the new year, I don’t have any fresh ideas, goals, or tasks that I promise myself to start.  I will continue to try to be the best me that I can be. I will make mistakes, I will get off track and I will probably still question myself. But I will also continue to move forward, discover new things about myself, grow…and hopefully, as a work in progress, reach a point where I consistently make the conscious effort to live from the inside out.