TGIM: You Vs. The Universe

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!
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​tl;dr The universe is not out to get anyone. But when it feels like that, how do your systems hold up?
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Sometimes it feels like the universe is out to get you. A couple of instances of bad luck turn into a couple of days, which may turn into a couple of weeks; people start looking for a seance or a rebalancing of their chakras. As Luke Combs sings it best, when it rains, it pours.
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It’s not so much if this ever happens to you, but when. Your car gets hit, you get hurt, you lose your favorite sweater, and they all happen back-to-back days. Even when you practice gratitude and look for the silver lining in all of it, it can still be extremely frustrating.

But what happens to your systems when it feels like everything is working against you? Do you eat your emotions? Do you wreak emotional havoc on those around you? Do you close yourself off? How do your habits hold up?
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Life is going to happen at some point. How well you persist on your journey to becoming the best version of yourself during these times depends on how you have developed your systems. If you feel like you’re backsliding when these chaotic episodes occur, then your systems can be improved to minimize that, like jetties to reduce damage to the beach during a storm.
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If your habits are well-grounded, you can continue to practice them more easily regardless of how life is going. Building integrity with yourself helps you trust that you’ll eat how you say you’re going to eat, or move how much you say you’re going to move. In turn, when those factors are no longer a question in your mind, it gives you more mental capacity for dealing with the acute stressors that arise.
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When it feels like everything in the universe is working against you, knowing you can rely on yourself for a few non-negotiables can make a tremendous difference. When you’re overwhelmed with work, social life, and other odds and ends, having faith that you will do the things you say you’re going to do regardless, gives you some calm in the storm.
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But that can only happen if you practice with your best effort on the good days, days when it’s not so hard. If everything is going in your favor, then work on your goals like the universe is rooting for you to win, because it is.
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Your habits are your insurance policy. You have to invest incrementally over a long period of time, just in case that catastrophe strikes. Except, unlike a massive flood or an accident, more likely than not, a “catastrophe” of some sort will hit, and only you will know if you were prepared.
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So if life is in your favor this week, use it to build those habits, that insurance policy you have for when an emergency arises. And if the universe is challenging you this week, challenge yourself to build your integrity anyway. Do what you say you’re going to do. Because while you can’t control the outcomes, you do control your actions.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from The Ed Mylett Show, “Why You Haven’t Met Your Full Potential (Yet).”
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With that, I hope all of your chakras are aligned, and the universe is in your favor this week.
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Until next time,
Shannon