Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Routine - Work With What You've Got

Episode Date: December 20, 2021

Today, we hone in on our strengths, so that we can make the best play with the cards we've been dealt. Enjoying Wake Me Up? Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content by joining the WMU Premium Feed. Sign up and start your 7-day free trial at https://wakemeup.supercast.com/. Follow the show on Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Podchaser Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. And find the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. **Only partake in the physical movements suggested in Wake Me Up episodes if you are physically able and in safe surroundings. All movements are done at the individual's own risk. Be safe, and always consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns.** Have a wonderful day 😃 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you'd like to enjoy Wake Me Up completely ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content, check out the link in the show notes for the Wake Me Up premium feed. Good morning, everybody, and welcome to Wake Me Up, the podcast where morning people are made. As usual, I'm your host, Tyler, and I'm so glad to have you here. Friends, all of us have strengths and weaknesses. We all have things we'd prefer to spend our time doing and things we'd prefer to avoid. Our greatest potential as individuals

is held in this uniqueness. But we so often spend our time and effort trying to be something we're not, striving to be like someone else, or trying to fit a mold that society or our parents want us to fit. Today, we will put all of those hours outside pressures aside, and we'll focus in on ourselves.

We'll learn to work with what we've got. So let's get right to it. Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, just pause for a second. And let's all take a big breath in. So inhale, fill your lungs all the way up. Hold it for a second. And then exhale, just let it all go. And let's do one more, so inhale, but this time take a big stretch with it.

Reach out in all directions. Hold it, and then exhale and release that stretch. Working with what you've got requires a good deal of self-awareness. So let's practice that this morning in the context of waking the body up. And we'll do that by scanning from head to toe, part by part, just taking note of how everything feels. And you can do this wherever you are. It doesn't matter.

And we're not judging or trying to assign a cause to any feeling. Just noting. You can start with your head and then slowly move down to your neck, your shoulders, your arms, and your hands, moving to your chest, your back, your abdomen, Your hips, thighs, calves, and finally, your feet. Now that you've done a scan and you have a better idea of how your body's feeling, take this moment to address anything that needs a little attention,

a stretch or a twist, anything you might need. You know your body best. Take whatever you need at this time. And maybe that's just relaxing. Hopefully, by doing this very simple practice, you can begin to see how you are in the best position to take care of yourself, to maximize your own potential, to provide for your own needs.

Other people can certainly help with all of those things, but nobody knows you as well as you do. They can't. They aren't in your mind or in your body. So take responsibility for your life and your well-being. You've been dealt a certain hand of cards, and only you know them, only you can play them, is the challenge and the fun in life.

And on that note, there's another great day lying ahead. So, if you're in bed, take a big breath in, And as you exhale, roll over and make your way to standing up. Okay, now that we're all up, let's do one more quick stretch. Most of us have already done a few, so we'll keep this one short. And of course, feel free to do something completely different, if that's what you'd prefer. But if you're going to come with me, then we're going to do my favorite stretch. So inhale and reach your hands all the way to the sky.

reach out of your shoulders, and then on your exhale, fold forward at your waist. Let everything hang towards the ground. And just relax. It can be helpful to have a bend in the knee. That will open up your lower back. Make sure you keep breathing here too. Now slowly roll yourself up to standing. And when you get there, do one roll of your shoulders up and down.

All right. If you want to do more stretching, then be my guest, you can always press pause and come back whenever you're ready. Otherwise, go ahead and find a seat for our meditation today. And don't forget to grab a sip of water or use the bathroom, do anything like that along your way. Today, we'll do more of a mindfulness exercise than a meditation, but we'll sit and relax into that meditative state, and hopefully that will help open your mind to the different ideas and possibilities

that this exercise can present. You can actually do the same thing we're about to do in a written form, and I'd recommend you do that. I'll explain how to do that afterwards. For now, let's all try this in our minds. So you should be in a comfortable seat by now, and you want to be seated upright, but try not to hold onto any tension.

Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, slowly close. your eyes. You can use this first moment to make sure you're comfortable. Let your face soften. Let your jaw relax and let go of any tension you're holding in your shoulders or your back or your hips. Breathe at your own pace here and just follow the natural rise and fall of your chest. Slowly it will begin to take you deeper and deeper and deeper. Now that you're settled in, I'm going to pose a couple simple questions, and you can just let your mind wander with them. This is definitely not a test. There are no right or wrong answers. It's more brainstorming than anything else.

So first, what are your strengths? As in, what skills do you have that others don't? What comes naturally to you? In what ways do you stand out? And second, what do you enjoy doing with your time? What topics interest you? Activities do you seek out on your own? And finally, consider how your answers to these first two questions overlap. That is, where do your strengths and your interests coincide?

What things are you both naturally interested in and good at? And don't limit yourself here. There may be things you're good at and simply haven't put the time in to perfect. The point of this is to consider different options and potentialities, not to box yourself in. All right, so hopefully you've brainstormed some new, fresh ideas. But now, you can let all of that fatal. away. Just bring your attention back to the breath and let your mind unwind for a moment more. All right, let's all slowly come back to the room, noticing any sounds going on around you,

maybe giving your feet and your hands a little wiggle. Take one more big breath in. As you exhale, slowly open your eyes. So as I mentioned before, you can do that same. You can do that same. exercise in a written format. It's really simple and it can really help you to visualize it. All you do is draw a Venn diagram. That's two big circles overlapping in the middle. So you end up with three distinct sections. On the left, list your strengths, the things you're naturally good at, the ways in which you stand out. On the right, list your interests, the topics, ideas, activities, you're naturally inclined to learn and do. And in the middle, write down the various ways that these two lists overlap.

For example, if you're interested in sports and you have the skill of being a good teacher, then coaching sports would be a good item to list in that middle category. And the point here is that this exercise really helps to dial in what you've got to work with in life. How to make the most of the cards you've been dealt. By focusing your energy on the things you're both good at and interested in, you're much more likely to be on a path of both happiness and success. We are all different,

and this is truly our greatest strength as individuals. But we so often have pressure to try to fit a mold, to be someone else, to be something we're not. My friend, just be who you are. Don't try to be anything else. You see, we're all dealt a hand of cards. Maybe you'd prefer a different hand, but this is the one you've got. Few of us are going to be as athletically gifted as Serena Williams or Michael Jordan.

We're not all going to have the scientific mind of Stephen Hawking. But that's okay. We don't need another Serena or another MJ. We don't need another Hawking. We need the one and only you. And you need that too. So stop worrying about what everyone else thinks you should do. Who everyone else thinks you should be?

Look at your own cards. You're the only one who truly knows them. This is what you've got to work with. And trust me when I say that you can make something beautiful with them. Make the best move with the hand of cards you've got. You are here for that very purpose. Surely it will be a worthwhile game to play. So stop trying to be what everyone else wants.

and instead seek to understand yourself. Seek to be the truest, the best version of you. It may feel difficult at first, but I promise you will find comfort, you will find happiness, and you will find success if you look at yourself openly and honestly and work with what you've got.

Well, that's all for today, friends. I can't tell you how great it is to have you here with me this morning. I want to tell you quickly about something I'm planning for the new year. It's a seven-day challenge to get your mindset right and make this year a great one. It starts January 1st and it will be just like all of the other Wake Me Up episodes you know and love. I'm telling you in advance so that you can plan for it and so you can grab a first. friend or two who might want to join in the fun. There's nothing you need to do except show up, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you there. I'll talk to you all next week, and until then,

I hope you have the most fantastic of days.