10 Ways to Avoid Getting Burned

by Liz Jansen

avoid getting burnedBurning a candle while journaling in the morning is part of my daily routine. It reminds me of my intent to allow the flame or spirit in me to lead the way.

Although the tea light sits right in my line of vision, I didn’t notice my headphone cord sitting in the hot wax last week while I wrote. Absorbed in thought, I must have pushed it there when I moved my book.

Focused on how best I best contribute to the world, I couldn’t help but recognize this visual lesson. After checking to make sure it still worked, I came up with the following advice to myself:

  1. Pay attention to your surroundings. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in your life you miss noticing when the leaves on the maple tree in the front yard began to turn. Or the last time you called an ill friend. Or walked in nature.
  2. Take a break when it gets too hot. Being busy is valued in our culture, but it makes us lose sight of other areas of life that need tending. Even if we love what we do, we still need time for physical exercise, our spirit, friends, family, and rest.
  3. Don’t be a victim. When hardships occur, rather than bemoaning that it happened to you, ask, “What lesson am I to learn from this that will enable me to serve better?”
  4. Value who you are. It’s what’s inside that counts. I’ll repair the cord with electrical tape and it may look hokey, but the wiring will be protected and still work. I have a few scars too.
  5. Stay true to yourself. External circumstances—like titles, appearance, the economy, other people’s opinions, status, and the kind of motorcycle we ride— can change how we view ourselves, but only if we let them. They’re merely perceptions and have no bearing on who we are.
  6. Look inside. We all build barriers to protect that little person inside from hurt, but the danger is we lose ourselves in the process. Peeling back the layers is scary because it makes us feel vulnerable. Yet it unearths gifts and resources that have been buried for too long—attributes that can enrich our life.
  7. Stay connected. The wiring is a vital connection between source, in this case the iPhone, and me. Lose the link and I won’t get messages. Lose or ignore the connection to Spirit and we lose sight of who we are, our role, and how we affect others.
  8. Listen to your body. Trust that your body knows everything. The mind-body connection is powerful, vital, and symbiotic. Your body is continuously sending messages to tell you when it’s anxious, stressed, or unhappy, via physical sensations, emotional feelings, or even illnesses. Pay attention.
  9. Protect the light within you. Nurture yourself with healthy foods, positive relationships, and nurturing environments.
  10. Trust the message. I don’t know how electricity works or how the message gets transferred from the phone to my auditory system, yet it does so with unfailing accuracy and lightening speed. I don’t question the message. Why question my intuition? It’s also unfailingly right.

Now, tell me a surprising lesson you’ve had lately. Follow me on Facebook or Twitter where I help you see that by mastering motorcycling, you can master anything.

About

Author, writer, and student Liz Jansen combines her artistic mediums to create stories that inspire readers to embark on their own journey of self-discovery.