The Power of Your Daily Core!

I truly believe most people have a short list of things that they would love to see incorporated into and maintained within their daily lives. These things would come from their mouths to speak of the great importance they have intellectually within their mind. However, the true value that the person places on each item is shown in stark comparison by the reality of their actions that stem from the depths of their heart.

For a lot of people, it seems that what you hear are all the reasons why they can’t do the things that are at the core of their spirit that cries out desperately for a life of greater balance and peace each day. It is very easy for those voices of doubt to find great company within many of the people that we interact with each day because they echo the very same doubts. That goes back to my original point about why we need to be intentional about how we choose to live! How you live each day and what you do and do not do is truly in most cases a choice you alone make. We can choose to prioritize anything that we place genuine significance in if we stay committed to protecting it in an almost fanatical way. We need to resolve to embrace an approach to life that passionately protects what we hold most dear within the core of our daily lives in this helter-skelter world! The true magic is seen as a person re-prioritizes their lives to work everything else largely around their daily core. It might take time, patience and commitment to great change, however it can be done. For me on the days I have applied this concept to my life, I can without doubt say that I have lived with a much greater sense of balance, freedom, peace and confidence (among other things). I have found you can do that by creating and implementing what I call “your daily core”…

My Daily Core

Though my daily core is just one of many various potential solutions, it can help you better grasp the case I am making here in a tangible way. Also, just because I have identified five components with my daily core, yours certainly can have less or more. I believe the less is more philosophy truly rings true here when you look at building your own daily core.

1.     Quiet Time with God – I try and spend significant time with God in prayer, meditation, reading, journaling and reflective thought without watching the clock. There is something liberating about doing so without rigid time boundaries. The world already has too many appointments.

2.     Daily Gratitude Focus – I try and choose atleast one person each day to do something unexpected for that shows the commitment I hold to loving others daily and serving God with my life.

3.     Commitment to Exercise – Though I certainly believe in rest days even for professional athletes, and realize that some people have injuries or conditions that can limit their physical abilities, this commitment is simply just one aspect of my daily core. For most people I do believe that you can maintain either some fashion of exercise or physical exertion each day even if for only a few minutes (be it even a walk with your spouse or playing with your child) on days you don’t work out specifically.

4.     Proper Sleep – Though I am a night owl by nature like many, I believe nothing much great happens late in the night and our best living comes from getting consistent sleep, and being rejuvenated so you can operate at your best within all the roles you serve in life each new day God gives you breathe. Children benefit from a routine, and I believe adults do as well in regards to going to bed at a fairly consistent time, while waking up to have precious quiet time or quality time with your loved ones in the morning in trade for perhaps trivial things that occur in the late night like watching television shows you might have taped, etc. I understand different people have changing demands on their lives (including parents of young children). However I do believe that they can both work together to ensure better balance within each of their lives by working together to ensure that each person is able to achieve better sleep more consistently than not because of their mutual sacrifice and teamwork.

5.     Eating Right – I definitely believe you are in many ways what you eat. Now I am not going to go off the deep end and say throw out everything and only buy organic (nor would I condemn) those that do. I simply feel that by cutting out the garbage that is so easy for us to consume (including fast food or soft drinks in mass consumption as two quick examples despite the busy pace of life) we can greatly benefit the quality our daily lives. There is much more to say about diet, healthy eating, cooking, and grocery shopping but that is a post for another day. However, if we choose to care about what we eat, how much we eat, and when we eat it during the day it can amplify our lives with consistent energy and rejuvenation.

My prayer is that you would take some reflective time, and would ask God to help you visualize the things that should be a part of your daily core so you can take the first steps towards creating a beautiful change within how you live on a consistent basis. I pray your approach to daily life would become simplified in such a diverse and complex world. In doing so I believe you can live a life of great meaning and purpose that is first characterized by greater peace, joy, contentment and happiness!

God bless,

Joe

* feel free to contact me personally with any questions or comments.