Mindful Moments with David Larbi

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! 

I have written my first book! I wasn’t able to talk about it during the process of writing, so this episode has been a long time coming. From writing the proposal to finishing the book itself, I wanted to share the whole journey with you. My book is called ‘Frequently Happy’ and you can find it wherever you buy your books - you could even type ‘David Larbi Frequently Happy’ into any search engine and you’d find it! Thank you for everything, thank you for listening and have a wonderful week.

I’ve been struggling a little bit recently. Nothing dramatic, no cause for concern, just one of those periods where everything feels a bit much and I feel myself coming up frustratingly short in areas I’ve worked hard at being better in. It’s important during times like these to remember that the lessons I’ve learnt and strength I’ve built hasn’t gone anywhere - I just need to be good to myself until I’m back to 100%.

Sometimes it can be easier to sit in the safety blanket of a perfect idea and let the intrinsic pleasure of imagination keep us warm. It takes work and courage to bring ideas to life in their fullness, but that’s an effort worth making. Ideas become even richer when we bring them to life.

Welcome back! I took an unscheduled and unexpected break from the podcast for health reasons, but I feel rested, recovered and very, very happy to be back with you. During the past few months I’ve really had to rely on my support network and rely on some of the things I find most challenging - vocalising my needs and asking for help. This year has been a lesson in letting myself rely on people and getting over my fear of actually asking for what I need. Hinting isn’t asking for help - sometimes we need to clear our throats, dig deep and ask aloud for what we need!Doing so is good for us, good for the people who care for us and good for our relationships.