The Artist Way: “MANDATORY” Are you optional? Is your life, your dreams, your aspirations optional? Will you get to you when you have time? Will you worry about yourself later? Are you an afterthought? Most likely the answer is yes, even if you answered no. Think about it, the better part of your daily activities are probably centered on everything and everyone but YOU! We turn in assignments for classes we aren’t interested in, meet target dates for jobs we claim we are not happy with and consistently do for individuals who we swear would not do the same for us. We maneuver tight deadlines and diligently attack the ever growing “To Do” list that we have effortlessly convinced ourselves is a “MUST DO” list. Yet, we wait until we have time to pursue our dreams, second guess attempting to reach our goals, and mute ourselves as opposed to living out loud. Why is it that in your own life, YOU are the only thing that is optional? No more! You are NOT optional, you are mandatory. The term mandatory is defined as “pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a command.” It is also defined as “required by law or rules; permitting no option.” Synonyms are “obligatory,” “compulsory,” “required,” “necessary,” “essential” and “imperative.” Simply put, it is something that must be done. In other words, you MUST be considered, taken care of, addressed and attended to. Your needs, your goals, your desires, your ambitions MUST be a part of your everyday life. You must be a priority, if not THE priority. It is time to make you mandatory! The “MUST DO” list that you have been diligently attacking, MUST now have YOU throughout it. Whatever it is you’ve wanted to accomplish, achieve or better in your life, add it to the list. Don’t wait for time for you, make the time for you. Make YOU part of your schedule, your routine, your life. After all it is yours! There must be a shift, because in all honesty, whenever you are an option to yourself, you also make yourself an option to others. You teach people how to treat you. If you have not declared yourself worthy enough to be a priority, it’s highly unlikely that anyone else will either. Consider all the things that have been optional in your life thus far … How many of those things got done? How many of them made the high priority list? Were any of them accomplished? Surely not many of them since the mere idea of making something optional gives the feel that it does not matter if it happens. The moment it is decided to be an option its importance level decreases tremendously. No one is reworking their schedule or their life for something that doesn’t have to come to pass. It may or may not happen and that’s fine. Obviously a category you should never fall or place yourself into. You are important. You matter. Of course, this does not mean that everyone else or everything else is not. Surely no one is suggesting you become Selfish, Self-Centered, or Self Absorbed but rather Self Aware. Display Self Love. Make sure you take care of self along with whomever or whatever else you deem significant. Truthfully, it’s the only real way to give to anyone else. You can’t give from an empty cup. You must put into you in order to have something to pull from. There is a quote that states, “When someone treats you like an option, help narrow their choices by removing yourself from the equation. It’s just that simple.” Well, obviously when that someone is you, you cannot remove yourself. However, you can remove that mindset; that way of thinking and being. You can decide to deservingly be better to yourself. YOU are undoubtedly the greatest and longest project that you will ever embark upon. Certainly, you are no option, so stop acting as if you are! “You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically – to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside” ~ Stephen Covey EMAIL: WRITERSTYLISTB@GMAIL.COM Written By: Stylist B. S E P T E M B E R / O C TOB E R 2 0 1 6 breakthrumediamagazine.com | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | 23
19050BM
To see the actual publication please follow the link above