Caitlyn Rosenblatt, Tedx Talks Motivational Speaker and Certified Life Coach, who took the TEDxYouth@CapeTown stage that has since been viewed almost 2 million times, “Self-Love, be Intentional”, shares how and what you can do to reach your full potential and become the best version of you. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It’s something we all think about, isn’t it? Becoming the best version of ourselves. But for most of us, it remains a thought stuck playing on repeat in our minds because we don’t’ know how to get there, let alone how to even start. So what do we do? We remain where we are, aware of our potential for more but unable to move from our current situation. What we need is guidance, a nudge in the right direction, and that’s exactly what we’re here to do - help you become the best you!
Ever heard of the term personal growth before? Becoming the best you requires that you prioritize it in your life. Growth takes on many forms, but its foundations remain the same. In the paragraphs to follow we’re going to discuss these foundations by focusing on implementing them in three main areas of your life, namely the mental, emotional, and physical self.
Mental Health
Becoming your best self mentally is about your mindset. Our minds can be the biggest barrier to our growth because without noticing it we give in to every single thought that comes our way. When this happens we tend to live life in either past or future mode, because our mind enjoys avoiding the present moment.
Growth in this area is learning to observe your thoughts for what they are, just thoughts, and realizing that your thoughts create your reality. What you think, you do and what you do, you become. Your reality is a reflection of your thoughts. So instead of taking every thought that pops up seriously, choose which ones you’re going to act on and simply let the others pass by.
How can I observe my thoughts?
- Get yourself a journal:
Writing your thoughts down is an effective way to process them.
- Practice self-awareness:
Catch yourself in thought and decide if you’re going to continue giving your attention to it.
- Acknowledge your thoughts:
Sometimes when you ignore your thoughts they come back stronger, notice them when they come up and actively choose to let them go.
Emotional Health
Our emotions can get the best of us sometimes and this often happens when we let our thoughts run wild. Before reacting or responding to a situation the brain searches for similar events that happened in the past and feeds us information to act in the same way. This is often referred to as an old mental pattern, one we keep repeating unless self-awareness is used to change the pattern. To become the best you in this area you’re asked to regulate your emotions. Think of emotions as waves, they come and go, and just like your thoughts, you can be the observer and refuse to become stuck on one.
How can I regulate my emotions?
- Remove yourself from your current space:
Because emotions are energy, change the environment where the emotion happened. Or, dance, shake your body, take deep breaths – do what it takes to rid yourself of the energy you no longer desire.
- Write them down, or speak them out:
When you keep your emotions to yourself they become stuck. Move them by writing them down in your journal, or speaking to family or friends.
- Understand where the emotion came from:
Self-reflection – one of the most powerful tools for personal growth. Reflect on what happened before the emotion arrived and make a note for when you’re confronted with similar situations in the future.
Physical Health
When you take care of your physical body not only will you look good, but you’ll feel good too. Becoming your best self physically requires you to take ownership of your health: exercise, getting quality sleep, eating a balanced and healthy diet, drinking lots of water and nourishing your body from the inside out - with health supplements. It's our body that carries us through life, when we take care of it, it will take care of us back.
The beauty of physical health is that it helps to regulate both your emotions and your thoughts. Physical health issues hinder growth because a lot of your attention will go towards that health concern. When you fuel your body with what it needs and give it extra love through essential vitamins and minerals in the form of supplements, you can focus on the above other areas of your life. It’s empowering what you can accomplish from a state of health and vitality.
At this point you’re probably wondering, ‘Is there a quicker way to becoming the best me?”, the answer is always – no. If living as the most authentic version of ourselves was that easy, we’d all be doing it. Becoming the best you is a lifelong journey because you’re constantly growing and stepping into better versions of yourself. The inner work you do is more rewardable than anything you could ever imagine and it’s something that no one can ever take away from you. It’s a beautiful journey and we hope you can begin yours by using the guidance of the foundations above.