Mindful Moments with David Larbi

The difficult thing about doing our best, other than how demanding it can be, is navigating how different our ‘best’ can look at any given time. To be able to look at ourselves, see our efforts and know we’ve given everything we can to the things we know are important, is no small feat. To do so consistently is something to be extremely proud of - I hope you are. Even if we fall short sometimes, it is always in our capacity to try our best.

When I was young I was always told, ‘if you’re going to do something, do it properly’. A phrase which once felt burdensome, is now a huge liberator in my life. Not only does it remind me to choose my responsibilities with care, it helps me to always give my best even when it feels difficult to do so, because the effort I put into things is always important - even more so when I don’t feel like it. 

Fall asleep to the description of falling asleep in the back of a car, with accompanying gentle ambient sounds. I hope this brings you peace and calm. (Story begins at 05:15)

There are times in life when we need to push ourselves to do the things we want to do or become the things we want to be. How do we do this, navigate the inevitable discomfort, in a way that’s still kind and healthy for ourselves? For me, the distinction is in being strict with myself rather than being hard on myself - pushing myself in moments to overcome momentary discomfort in service of a greater goal, rather than being cruel to myself in the name of betterment. It’s a distinction that means we are able to work in our best interests long-term and show ourselves love, care and respect on the way to our goals!

Episode 50! Half a century of episodes! Thank you for every second of the time you’ve spent here with me. Thank you for your encouragement, support, understanding and feedback at every stage of this creative journey. I love making these episodes and will keep doing so as long as they are wanted. Happy listening, and here’s to 50 episodes of Mindful Moments!Reading List: https://www.instagram.com/p/C16xbTVtjXQ/?img_index=10

Life isn’t perfect - a fact I accept in theory. In practise, however, I’m quick to be hard on myself when I feel like I’m not meeting my own standards in every area of my life all at once. What’s most important during times like this, is understanding that I can’t always apply 100% to everything at the same time. It’s okay to simply stay within touching distance of my ideal level so when I have capacity again, I can recommit with renewed energy.

Change is not easy - to make, or to maintain. Knowing this, it’s important that we make changes with patience and care for ourselves. Doing so means we will gain all the benefits of that change, with the reassurance that we have are well equipped to make those changes stick!

When we enter a space of feeling better after a long time of feeling down, it can take effort to stay there - an effort that can feel unfamiliar and difficult, especially if we’ve grown used to feeling down. In the same way as any new skill, practicing the things that make us feel better is something that takes time and effort. Give yourself time and patience, but don’t stop in your efforts to feel better - you deserve all the good things they will bring.

Sometimes, when doing the things I have to do, I feel like I have no choice. Feeling that way makes me feel resentful and powerless, so I try to remind myself that though I may not like my options sometimes, I always have some kind of choice. If I’m not happy in a situation and feel like the options I have aren’t good ones, all I can do is make the choices that I feel will give me better options and improve my overall situation. There are always choices and there is always hope!