How to start a new life in the same place you live now

*You can also listen to the audio blogcast version on YouTube.

This earlier (HERE) post about starting a new life in the wild is one of the most popular blog posts I have written. It seems since lockdown people are even more obsessed with escaping their current living situation and finding their wilderness Nirvana.

But what about those people who cannot uproot everything and move. Those who have children with local school friends, family who need to be cared for, jobs... and the list goes on...

It is sometimes not possible to move right now into your Nirvana. That's why I wanted to write this post to show you how to start a new life in the same place you live now. You may even come to realise that you will never want to move away once you relook at what you already have.

So when do you start this new life?

You start right now!

The first step is to give yourself an inner spring clean.

A spring clean will mean different things to each person reading this. Don't over complicate it. It basically means get yourself into a healthy state of mind to rethink about your current situation in a positive way.

Mental Health - Without doubt the first step has to be your attitude. Stop yearning to move elsewhere. Stop looking at everything you haven't got because that is actually a state of mind you could stay in for the rest of your life, even if you became a billionaire. There is always something you won't have. Thankfully, there is also always something you do have. You must look to the good things you have. Ask yourself what are you grateful to have in your life? Examples may be: Your child's health. If you aren't blind be grateful for sight! If you are blind be grateful for hearing! And so on. The objective here is to relook at your current life and living arrangements in a positive way that will make you feel better about your daily situation.

Physical Health - Next I would encourage you also ensure you are healthy physically. Check your weight is in the correct range for your age and height etc. If it isn't then don't overthink it, just get healthy. Eat fresh fruit and vegetables. Get rid of the sugary snacks. Exercise. Do something you enjoy, to get fit and healthy, such as walk in places you love to see. Even in the worst ghettos of the world there is somewhere that offers a least depressing view of the area. If there isn't then how about you set about making somewhere that looks nice to exercise in. If your local park is full of litter then start a group to clean it up. Be the change you wish to see.

Financial Health - If you are in financial difficulty then stop giving yourself a hard time. The reality is the government system is broken. It is designed to keep you poor so you are a slave to their laws. The reason I am saying that is all you can do is your best. If you are in debt, then as long as you have done the basics, stopped spending on anything you do not need, you have come up with a budget, you have contacted advice groups to give you all of your options, then grow some mental muscle that routinely pats yourself on your back and says, although it seems an impossible mountain to get out of this debt, the debt does not define you, your actions define you, you are doing your best and you should be proud of that.

Think Outside The Block - One of the emotional pulls with my post on people moving into the wild is obviously the idea that the wilderness gives you more freedom and less hassle from the outside world. People love the idea of living in nature. The good news is there is nature all around us. Even in the cities! You need to think outside of the block (the area) you live. Where is your nearest bit of nature? A local park? A larger national park? Hills? The sea? A lake? A river? There must be some area of natural beauty near you that you can visit. Somewhere which makes you appreciate the nature that has been under your nose all along. And whilst you are thinking outside of the block; how about you join a club? Do you like tennis? Is there a tennis club nearby? Start pulling out all of the great things about the area you live in. Start falling back in love with it.

Rethink Your Home - The actual building you live in should be a place you call home. If it isn't, then it is important to look at it in two parts. The first is the physical part. Does it offer you the space you feel you need? The second is the mental attitude part, how do you behave towards others in your home and around your home? You need to get these two things in balance. In terms of the physical side, ask yourself (and your family if you live with them) what home improvements can you do? Can you move somewhere nearby? It may be you live in a small studio in the city, if so, how about you buy some new plants to change the feel? Maybe a new bed, desk, sofa or kitchen item will help you love being where you live more.

Relationships - How you react around the people you live with and near is also key. Are you approaching things with a kind attitude. Or are you acting like an Alpha male or Omega female getting angry if anyone dares to threaten your parking spot or mess up your carpet. Learn to be aware of how you react around people. Learn that kind acts will generate kind responses. Even if you feel angry at a neighbour for taking your parking, send them some flowers or invite them to a BBQ, you will be amazed at how forming kind relationships will automatically solve what you think was a problem.

I recently wrote another post about you will feel like what you are watching on TV. It is not just TV that affects your daily mood. If you keep searching to live somewhere else, if you keep complaining about what you haven't got, it will become a normal way of thinking and you will constantly feel unsettled. However, if you start to look for reasons to stay and love where you already are, you will find you start to feel appreciative of your home and the area you live in.

This post is intended to help wake you up to the fact you are always exactly where you are supposed to be. You do not need to stress about it. Nature will move you along like a leaf in stream. Do not fight the flow, go with it. Life is for soaking up and living. Enjoy every moment and learn to love where you are right now.

Take care today.

Author: Christian Jacques Bennett*

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Search Terms: New Life, Life Hack, Improve, Mental Health, Wellness, Power of Now, Living, Joy, Mindset, Perspective, Mindfulness.

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