2018-10-01_Reader_s_Digest_AUNZ

54 | October• 2018

LEARN TO LOVE LIVING ALONE

have learnt lessons in resilience from

wildanimalsandhaveadoptedthem

as my unoicial totems. One is bison.

Here’s an interesting fact. When a

badsnowstormhits,bisonarethe

onlycreaturesthatinstinctivelyturn

aroundandwalkintoit,knowingitis

thequickestwaythrough.

Research (and common sense)

shows that a positive mindset leads to

positive outcomes. hink about how

youwanttoframeyourdayassoon

as your feet touch the floor in the

morning. The experts have proven

that it is happiness that makes you

successful,nottheotherwayround.

TOOL NO. 6FIND YOUR

IKIGAI–YOURPURPOSE

In Japanese culture, everyone has

anikigai,orreasontogetupinthe

morning.It’sahealthypassionfor

something that makes us feel life

isworthliving;apurpose,inother

words. Finding or, more accurately,

unearthing it helps give you direc-

tion,likeputtingadestinationinto

Google Maps.

Not all of us have a huge mission.

In their bookhe ONE hing, authors

Gary Keller and Jay Papasan advise:

“hink of it simply as the ONE thing

youwantyourlifetobeaboutmore

than any other. Try writing down

something you’d like to accomplish

and then describe how you’d do it.

...Pickadirection,startmarching

down that path and see how you

like it. Time brings clarity and if you

works for one person won’t work for
another. Only you know what works
for you.
Herearesomethoughtstarters:

• Accessamemorythatmakesyou
  feelhappytoyourcore.


• Haveago-tobookyouknow
  youwillgetlostin.(I’mpartial
  toTintin!)


• IdentifyaspeciicTEDtalkor
  podcastthatgivesyoua lift.


• Go to an art gallery.


• Finish something.


• Learn something new from
  YouTub e.


• Immerseyourselfinnatureasbest
  youcan.Getouttothecountry or
  go to your local park.

TOOL NO. 5TOUGHEN

UPWITHATOTEM

We soloists are trapeze artists with-

out a safety net. Criticism and hurt-

fulcommentscanquicklyknock

us of balance, and I am constantly

surprised and disappointed by how

manyofthosetherecanbe.Some

come from strangers, others from

friendsorfrenemies.Mostofthese

people don’t live by themselves and

don’t have an inkling of how they

hurt us. hat’s ine; life goes on. Hard

timeshaveawayofoferinganop-

portunityforgrowth,evenifittakes

years to learn the lesson. Maybe for

them as well.

We have to develop thick skin.

Wrap yourself in a metaphorical

cloak and watch the hurt repelled. I