What did you learn from yesterday’s exercises?  What achievements appeared that surprised you?

As promised, we’re going to look at those bits and pieces that seem to hang around us, weigh us down, distract us.  These are known as “tolerations” – those energy-sapping annoyances that creep into our thoughts, time, energy and space.

This toleration-zapping exercise is something you can do any time of year, but is particularly valuable around a New Year.

What tolerations are you now ready to let go of?  What do you now refuse to carry in to 2019?

Let’s have a look!

(PS – if you have not yet read yesterday’s post or done the exercises, please do that now. The posts today and tomorrow won’t make much sense if done out of order.)

PART II – TOLERATIONS EXERCISE

The fundamental principle here is that we are treated the way we allow others, and the universe, to treat us.   We move through life accepting less than the best from ourselves and others.  And every time we tolerate or put up something that isn’t really up to our standards, we give up a little piece of ourselves.

What are you tolerating in your life right now?  What are the behaviours of yourself and other people that you are putting up with?  What conditions and circumstances are you bearing up under or living with that flatten your spirit, try your patience, and drain your energy?  

Be very aware, as these tolerations could be so subtle or innocent they seem to be “just the way life is.”  Whatever they are, they drag you down and keep you smaller than you need to be.  It’s time to eliminate them!

Start this exercise by making note of everything you are tolerating. Some people start their list with that annoying bit of wallpaper that hangs down in the top corner of the bedroom that they see every night as they drift off to sleep and end the list with the dissatisfying marriage or disappointing career!  Whatever … bring them to the surface but do this today (you can build on it later, but at least write something down today).

Your list could have 5 things on it or it could have 105.  Doesn’t matter. Just get them written down on paper.

Okay – now a challenging request for action comes!

Identify the 25% of your list that you are prepared to get rid of, delete, toss out, discontinue, leave by the curb, resolve, finalize between now and Monday (or the next few days if you are reading this at another time).

Yup, 25%.

What things are you finally tired of carrying around?

Plan your actions into your schedule so that these tolerations are gone, outta there, old history, over the next few days.

Just imagine how much lighter, happier, healthier, alive and energized you will feel when you are 25% less burdened by energy-sapping tolerations!

In the third and final installment on Monday, we’ll be looking further into the New Year and the magic you’ll be creating!  In preparation, get yourself a pack of 3 x 5 index cards or a stack of note paper (hint – the cards work best so go out and buy some this weekend if you need to).  I’ll tell you more about how to utilize these in a couple of days!