#diylife

My favorite hashtag is #diylife. It is a standard, a motto, a declaration, a goal, a cause. It is the perfect description of my personal lifestyle and the support I offer to others. It encompasses empowerment, individuality, freedom (not license, but individual liberty exercised responsibly in a civilized society), and accountability to self and others.

What is a diylife, and how can you put one together that is perfect for you?

• Decide what you believe, what your values are, what your priorities are, and what you cannot or will not compromise or change
• Decide what you can use/share now: skills, talents, abilities, knowledge (there is always more here than what you might assume initially)
• Decide what you would like to change, learn to do, add or remove from your life in a variety of areas: relationships, location of home/work, type/style/amount of work, leisure, rest, volunteering, and whatever else you want to or feel you must do (how you spend or invest the 168 hours that is yours every week).
• Understand your financial situation, and decide what you will do to minimize or eliminate debt (an important measure of true freedom): make more money, invest, spend less, allocate differently.
• Understand your quality of life in the areas of nutrition, exercise, stress management, reduction/elimination of toxins, and health and wellness self-care. Decide which areas need improvement and in what order. Grow as much of your own food as you can, and be very careful where you get the rest of it and what you are eating. Brain, body, and emotional health (and, therefore, optimal freedom in your ability to pursue your diylife) start with nutrition.
• Decide what you will accept and use for the sake of necessary convenience to maximize your investment of time, talent, and treasure in activities related to your zone of genius and current priorities. Don’t default to convenience. Many things are most enriching when you go through all the steps.
• Whenever possible, pursue a solution that is customized and individualized to support one or more of the above for your life. These days everything from nutrition to clothing and education and beyond can be selected and obtained/provided specifically for your diylife.
• Live in a state of forgiveness. This doesn’t mean that you agree with or forget what someone has done. It just means that you release any hold it has on you emotionally. Anything less destroys you from the inside out.
• Discover your passions, and be intentional about including them in your daily life and when developing your plans for the future. Your specific activities and goals may change, but you have deep passions that will give you great joy when you flow with them.

You might be wondering, “won’t others perceive this diylife as a bit selfish and isolating?”.

That’s up to them. You can’t control (and may not even be able to influence) what others think of the way you live your life. When you know what you are doing and pursuing – and when you have decided to do it – you can make time for family and community with ease. After all, an important part of a diylife is finding your tribe and gifting yourself with the space and time to BE with them. Be selective in deciding where to invest your relational time. Model an intentional life. Those who are looking for the freedom to be the best they can be as individuals will be grateful for your example.

Are there areas of freedom that you have difficulty pursuing? Wellness Made Simple offers a 6-week course called “Peace of Mind: Control Your Emotions” that teaches you how to train your mind to overcome limiting beliefs, to be open to the full range of possibilities, and to choose what is best for yourself and others with ease…now, and for life!