“Happy, healthy and rich”, it could have been the title of my first book as these words have been in my head for so long now. Happy, healthy and rich are also the basis of a mantra that I often share on my retreats. As, believe me, these words can be very powerful.
Happy and healthy are usually self explanatory whilst the rich part gets people to frown. Above all, this one is a state of mind more than anything else. I have not created a dazzling fortune yet nor have I reached full financial independence yet. What it does mean is that I feel rich and my lifestyle allows me to do whatever I want to do.
Most of the time, I genuinely feel happy, healthy and rich but I also meet many people who do not. So in honor of my 40th birthday, I like to share my ways, lessons, tips, whatever you want to label them.
I aspire that my words may guide and inspire you.
May this be a nice read and inspiration for you to be happy, healthy and rich.
Define what’s Most Important to you in Your Life.
All our manifestations start with ideas so allow yourself the time to think. To contemplate regularly and to decide on your own inner truths.
Whatever you job is, realize that it is Just a Job.
7 years ago I would have stopped reading right here as I was convinced that my job defined me and it was probably one of the most important things in my life back then 🙂 .
Take and make Alone Time, lots of it.
Retreat as often as needed. Retreat every day for some time and, at least 2 to 3 times a year, retreat for a longer period of time to grow, develop and expand.
For the benefit of yourself, and others.Meditate.
Be less busy and more mindful of your actions to optimise your ‘psychological hygiene’. To get a grip on your thoughts. To build in silence to generate more ease, stillness and clarity in your daily life.
Walk, go Outside and keep your eyes Open.
Be open to recognize that every single moment, encounter and/or event can be your teacher. Check your attitude towards any and all experiences.
Read at least 30 minutes per day, every day.
Not your FB nor Twitter feed. Learn something new, read something interesting. Learn Moroccan Arabic with me for the fun of it … there’s a nice intellectual challenge!
Be as Non Violent as you can possibly be.
To any sentient being whether it’s cats, dogs, bugs, donkeys and oh, yes, people.
If your action can hurt someone or something, don’t act.Be Aware and Mindful about what you Eat.
Non violence in all your choices, including what you put on your plate and how it got there.
Have a Morning Ritual. Every single morning, wherever you are.
I wrote a blog on how to get into a daily meditation practise, check it out here.
The beginning of a habit is like an invisible thread, but every time we repeat the act we strengthen the strand, add to it another filament, until it becomes a great cable and binds us irrevocably, though and act. – Orison Swett Marden
Know what you want and Visualize it. Often.
So many people tell me what they don’t want. But when I ask what they do want, there’s often a silence.
Check your beliefs if it’s hard to dream or visualize.
Years ago, I took a good look at my beliefs around money, success, prosperity and rich people. Struggling a bit with the ‘Is it ok to make money with yoga’ -thing. Doing the work on my beliefs changed everything. I’m still not retiring at 41 as my ambition is to keep doing what I love for the next 45 years or so!Take a very sharp and critical look at your Habits.
Do they serve you, or not? If they don’t, start changing the small things that do not serve you.
Make a list of People who get most of your Time.
Look at the list. Does this look and feel ok?
If not, take action.
Have a good Sweat and at least one good Laugh a day.
I like to translate Saucha (purity) this way.
Make that one laugh into 10 please, at least.Every night, make a (rough) Planning of your next day.
And, stick to the damn plan!
Do Yoga or pilates or whatever keeps you a bit Flexible.
Just think of how cool it would be to go rock climbing at age 76!
Sleep as much as You Need.
Not as much as you might wish you needed.
Do Pranayama, breathing exercises.
On all my yoga retreats, every morning, we start with at least one type of pranayama. The health benefits are immense. It’s not very popular in classes nowadays but I can only invite you to find a teacher who knows his or her pranayama and give it a try.
Do not Judge.
Who are you to judge?
If you judge easily, ask yourself this question when you find yourself judging: Am I absolutely, 100% sure about this?
Most likely, you might need to check again to see if your ‘perception’ of the truth is the real truth.Do not Worry. Trust instead.
If your Heart is full of worry, you can’t help anyone, let alone yourself. There is no point whatsoever in worrying, trust instead.
Get rid of your TV.
I got rid of mine about 8 years ago but I can still see the impact this black box has on a lot of people’s lives. It’s mostly time. So much time that goes into staring at a box!
Do not Lie, ever.
No white lies, no green ones and no yellow ones. No lies.
Start applying this and see the change in your life.Do not Gossip, ever.
Just stop. And, don’t listen to it either.
Do not Steal, ever.
Not talking about stealing someone else’s belongings. I’m mainly referring to stealing someone’s enthusiasm and calling it ‘advice’. Just stop giving unasked for advice. Instead: Listen to what people have to say.
Be Honest.
If you don’t like something, tell whoever needs to know. There is always non violence, in everything you do so you can tell people this in a very non violent and loving way.
“Trust in Allah but tether your Camel”.
I’m starting to use Arab proverbs, how cool is that? This one reminds us that while it’s all very well to trust the cosmos, it does not let us off the hook from doing whatever we can at the same time to ensure a favorable outcome.
And, as Tony Robbins likes to put it: “Lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. “Be Kind for no reason.
Be friendly, to everyone.
But, not everybody needs to become your best friend.
Choose whom you spent your precious time with.Give, and Give a little More.
Attention, love, time, knowledge, money. Give because you want to give.
Practice Gratitude and Compassion every single day.
Be grateful for everything that you have in your life. Gratefulness puts everything into perspective. Even if your mind and ego are convinced that it all goes ‘wrong’ right now, there’s always something in your life for which to be grateful for.
If you’re tired, Rest.
Some tips are similar to rocket science, I know, but do you do it?
Check your house, is it your Home?
If not, move, you’re not a freak’n tree!
I can get quite ‘energized’ when people complain about the place they live in.
Most of the year, I live in a small fishermen’s town in Morocco, have my daily beach walks and it’s 25 degrees Celsius year round.
Why? It ‘just’ felt like Home the very first day I arrived.
Can I explain this rationally? No.
Do I have to? No.
I just know how much of an impact the place you live in the most has on your emotions, and life.Get Rid of clutter.
Get one of those books (in the library, lol, so you can give it back) to help you declutter your house and, life.
Dare to Feel.
You are not going to fall into a million pieces by getting closer to your feelings.
Be Vulnerable.
Do what you fear the most. Put yourself out there.
Take Risks.
Tell that person you love him or her. Start your own business. Say sorry. Move. Take the risk! There is no such thing as failure. Don’t even pronounce that word, anymore. You tried, it didn’t work out like you had planned so you learned.
Anicca (anitya).
Everything passes, nothing lasts and everything will be fine in the end.
Do a 10 day Vipassana Retreat.
Not when you’re in acute grief and not when you have a background of psychiatric disorders, otherwise, I can recommend this to anyone. Having a tiny bit of interest in meditation and wanting to stay are the only things you need.
Take in Appreciation and Praise but keep your Ego under control.
Say ‘Boomshakalaka’ every now and then!
Travel. Often.
We all know that yoga retreats are simply thé best way to travel. Especially the Amazing Revealing Vajra Yoga Retreats are the very best way to spend your holidays… 🙂
Ignore my crazy ego, as long as you Travel! Explore !
Explore new cultures, meet new friends, taste new things,…Play!
Make silly jokes. Play with donkeys. I’m a total expert in both skills.
There are many ways to be happy, and one of the main ways is to learn how to have fun. Know what makes you happy, and do that often. Being bored can only exist in your mind.Don’t take life too serious, it’s not like you’ll live forever…
Be Grateful for Who You Are, You Are a Wonderful Person.
You might have recognized many hidden yama and niyama interpretations and Buddha dharma in this list. I happily mess up every single day but this list guides me through life in an easy and gentle way.
Studying, understanding and turning the ancient philosophies into practical day to day tools have made my life meaningful and I can only wish for you to have the same!Always interested to read here below or in a private message which number resonates the most with you!
Rachel BonkinkCoffee-drinker, yoga and meditation freak, life coach, professional beach bum, daughter, lover, teacher, retreat guru, traveler, master manifester.
Happy, healthy and rich.
Not very busy but very mindful and feeling very important.
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