I love my little life
I was walking around my apartment the other day on one of the few days I have had off—simply observing.
I stood to take it all in.
Looking out into my courtyard that sits on the perimeter of our apartment block's centre square. Admiring my home office setup and envisioning the hard work that is still to be done.
Running my eyes over my podcasting space and imagining all that it can be.
Soaking up the quaint minimalist space I call home when I got the urge to write something on my whiteboard...
"I love my little life"
A note to self.
It was beautiful and empowering to be aware and present enough to see what I have and be grateful for all of it, exactly where I stand.
In the weeks that proceeded this love letter to my one and only time on this planet, I had been presented with countless examples to illustrate just how far I had come.
Doing the work is one thing.
But to see the work in action and have it be recognised is so fulfilling.
A post a friend shared last week captured this thought perfectly. It was a self-help/philosophical quote...
"The secret to having it all is knowing you already do."
This is the essence of wealth, to realise you are already rich and have already "made it".
Also known as an abundant mindset.
It is freeing and lacking in expectation, and without expectation, you can act like someone who has everything—because you do.
3 things that helped me build this mindset:
1. Practicing Gratitude
To be grateful is something you feel when something good happens to you—it's passive.
→ You got a pay rise... you are grateful.
→ You passed your final exam... you are grateful
→ Someone you love survived a car crash... you are grateful.
Cause > effect.
There's nothing wrong with this, in fact it is the beginning of a winning and abundant mindset.
But when every action has an equal and opposite reaction, my theory goes that if you become grateful when good things happen then you are also likely to become ungrateful when not so good things happen.
→ You complain that someone got a bigger pay rise than you... you're ungrateful.
→ You passed the final exam but didn't score high enough to get into the most prestigious university... now you're ungrateful.
→ The person at fault for the car crash escaped punishment so you go into a vengeful rage... now you're ungrateful.
There is a way to avoid this ebb and flow—by practicing gratitude.
Making it a habit to say thank you to the universe for every single thing that comes your way.
Like any other muscle, gratitude can be trained.
My favourite way to train it is through daily practice. Like reps in the gym, they all count.
I created a gratitude journal to help you get the reps in daily.
Get a copy of it here
2. Playing The Infinite Game
Life is an infinite game.
Infinite games are fun—there's no destination, just a series of beautiful flowing moments.
People who see other humans, opportunities or moments as something that can used or beaten are playing a zero-sum game.
For them to win, someone else must lose.
This is small thinking, fearful thinking.
It assumes that the pie will shrink with every slice that is taken, but the pie is bigger than they could ever imagine.
I like to play the infinite game, it's fun and fulfilling.
The infinite game remembers first and foremost that we are all in this together, we are all struggling together. My success does not have to mean your failure and vice versa.
We can all win.
3. Become Your Biggest Fan
I spent the majority of my life not backing myself.
Now I believe that given enough time, I will be successful in anything I choose.
This didn't happen overnight.
I have found ways daily, small and large, to test myself.
The more I can test myself and come out victorious, the more I get to believe in myself. I have earned the right to back myself.
Similarly to gratitude, this is a muscle that can be trained.
Confidence, self-belief, call it what you want.
All I know is this... I love myself, I love who I am and how I show up in the world and I never want to relinquish that feeling. Because I know what the opposite looks like and it's not pretty.
Find ways to test yourself.
Don't rest on what you've done or what you think you know.
Only you know what you can truly do and what you're capable of, so remind yourself... and do it often!
I bring you these thoughts today because I know how many people struggle with this concept, to feel the weight of expectation and to believe that they are not where they are 'meant to be'.
Trust me, for the majority of my life I had been one of them.
I know the pain of regret.
I know the emptiness of escapism.
I know the weight of low self-esteem.
I know the sting of not feeling like I've made it.
I have been tortured and at war with myself. I have been down on my luck and hating myself for it.
I have felt like I am not enough.
My life is still riddled with mistakes, shortcuts, fuck-ups, underperformance and an objective lack of material wealth.
But I am so full and at peace with who and where I am.
I want this peace for all of you too.
With gratitude,
Sav.
If you like my content and want more, there's 2 ways to go deeper:
- Lil Gratitude Journal: My gratitude journal has been carefully designed for the busy modern-day creative/entrepreneur. It's efficient, effective and affordable (and makes for a great gift).
- My podcast: All of my ideas and thoughts are usually turned into visual treats as well. Check out the full playlist of The Sav Show if you're more of a visual person and consider subscribing.