How Are The Conditions in Your Environment?
The human body quickly responds to changing environmental challenges in a variety of 
biological ways. We can adjust to extreme ranges of temperature and humidity. At high altitudes, healthy bodies can adapt so that our cells still receive enough oxygen so long as our body is in optimal condition and we regularly maintain and feed the nutrients it needs.
Think for a moment about what happens when we fail to feed ourselves. Skipping meals means our body starts to run low on its important glucose supply. Low blood sugar can drain energy and leave us feeling lethargic and weak. It can also make concentration a challenge because our brains don’t have the fuel needed to think straight. We start to feel “all over the place” and unable to focus.
Grab A Coffee!
Shallow breathing caused by too much caffeine can hinder the flow of oxygen to the brain and this can affect decision-making processes.
Researchers at John Hopkins university in the US found that caffeine-related performance improvement is non-existent without caffeine withdrawal. Coming off caffeine reduces cognitive performance and has a negative impact on mood.
The only way back to “normal” is to drink caffeine, and when you do drink it, you feel like it’s taking you to new heights and improving performance. That’s not the reality! Caffeine simply takes your performance back to normal for brief periods.
Discord
Clearly there are areas of our life that are negatively affected by the foods we eat or things we drink. These alone can contribute to discord and affect our performance. But there are others that we need to be aware of. Giving our attention to an enjoyable aspect of life and ignoring something that we find difficult or challenging is another. There are no rainbows without rain.
Of course, we all have times when things seem overly challenging and there are too many balls in the air. Life throws us a curve ball and we drop it or try to ignore it even exists. At some point, the ignored ball comes back to haunt us and forces us to deal with it in less than a calm manner. Something always suffers because of this.
Time To Evaluate
In one way or another, everybody has a busy life and many people go through life reacting to one thing after another. Thinking about stopping and evaluating where we are and what needs to be done in terms of priorities are often distant concepts that many people don’t stop to think about unless a situation forces reflection.
A pro-active approach to evaluation pays dividends. Especially if it is done honestly, regularly and allowed to become a positive habit. By evaluating which areas of life need balance we can develop ways to keep or restore equilibrium. By choosing harmony over discord we find success and inner stability because evaluation helps us to discover a balanced, focused and level path.
Eat The Frogs
Mark Twain said, “if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day”.
Brian Tracy wrote a book called, “Eat that frog!” where he encouraged readers to start the day with the biggest, most important, or most dreaded task. Also, a task you are most likely to procrastinate on. Instead of dropping the curve ball, catch it and deal with it. Don’t ignore it because it’s not going away. It will always sit in the back of your mind affecting performance in other things and the way you respond. Frogs lay eggs and before you know it, you have a headful of frogs singing their chorus of discord.
If we become obsessed with the things that feel comfortable and neglect those that are difficult or challenging, we will not move forward and grow into our success. It can so easily whither and fade if we allow it by ignoring the frogs.
Adjust To Your Environment
As our amazing body’s can adjust and adapt to environmental changes, the same is true of our minds if we are willing to allow ourselves to change the way we look at things. Taking a personal inventory of the good and the challenging things in our lives and developing frog-eating strategies will help with balance and harmony.
There are some things that we cannot control. Corona virus is topical and comes to mind; particularly the local directive that all public events attracting over 1000 people are currently suspended. I can’t do anything about that, it is outside my control, I must accept it and move on. There’s no point in fighting the directive because that just creates a personal fight and internal disharmony. I remain calm within, no matter the fluctuations of outer conditions. I’ve eaten the frog; it no longer bothers me.
Harmony, balance and discord are an inside job. Cooperating with them proactively feeds the seeds of success.
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”.
Have you eaten any frogs today?
Everything We Want
It’s all there waiting for us if we are willing to intentionally change our focus. If we focus on things that we don’t want, we will get more of the same. There is no point in complaining. How we speak our world, creates our world. Embracing all the things we truly want and giving them directed positive energy will ultimately deliver what we want and change the way we look at things.
Tools That Help
Relating to these there are plenty of tools that can help with your Personal Growth and Development. If you would like a free 20-minute coaching session on some of these, please leave your contact details in the comments and you will receive a prompt response.
Toolbox
There are many ways to effectively explore and advance your Personal Development in any area of life that matters to you. A box of tools to challenge the boundaries and move forward toward realizing success is extremely beneficial.
If you feel that you may benefit from help in any area with more than a 20-minute consult, please leave your contact details in the comments section below and you will be contacted by your preferred method. Please understand that your contact details will never be published, and your privacy is assured.
More Information
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Comments and Questions
Leave yours below. Your thoughts or questions may well ignite a positive spark in other readers thinking. You will always receive a prompt response to your questions and there is no such thing as a bad question; only the one that was never asked.
Namasté
I bow to the place in you that is love, light, and joy
Peace & Light
Steve Costello is a British Community & Youth Studies and Psychology honors graduate with over 30-years theoretical and practical experience in the Personal Development public and private sectors. He founded ExGro in 2018 with business partner, friend and clinical psychologist, Leo Faerberg.