Living Inside Out with Toks

"How well do you work under stress?"

This is a question asked during interviews, and if you answer in the affirmative, you score some brownie points.

In our society, working and living under stress is almost celebrated to the point where we question ourselves when life is going too smoothly.

In this episode, I share a discovery I made during my recent vacation; the possibility of living and growing from rest.

I believe our soul gravitates towards its most pressing need, while the body is drawn to the things that bring pleasure. If you desire tranquillity over much activity, you need to rest.

Rest does not have to be a separate, scheduled event. You can operate from a place of rest. Choose activities that move you to reflect so that your actions are sparked off by your internal GPS.

Because no points will be given for having a battered body. There are no awards for being the most exhausted either.

Benefits of Rest:

1. It kickstarts intrinsic motivation, leading to the desired destination. The flip side is being externally motivated. This may get you started but will not guarantee long term results. Because by quietening the noise all around you, you get to hear what really matters. The internal GPS.

Rest helps you notice what matters.

Rest reveals the elephant carved out of the rock, so you see an elephant when you look. Not a distorted rock. (Listen to hear the full illustration)

Rest alerts you to what you are feeding on.

When you extend the concept of rest to the amount and mix of information you ingest, you become aware of how much junk we are offered daily.

I am excited to hear your thoughts on this episode, and can I ask that you kindly share it with three people you believe will benefit from listening to it. 

Also, please give it a five-star review wherever you're listening.

• Have you had lost opportunities because you believed they were out to get you?

Get a New Perspective

Talk to someone you trust and respect to help you describe what they see from their viewpoint. Often we only see one side of the picture because we are limited in our view. You'll be surprised that there are truths you have not yet considered, which will paint a more positive picture than the one you are seeing.

Episode #49 is packed with many gems. I am excited to share some more on the abundance mindset in this episode, following on from the previous one. To recap;

1. Abundance is a mindset. It is not the things you own

While it is helpful to learn about abundance, it is even more important to practice it. The reason we adopt healthy mindsets is so that we can live healthy lives. Creating an abundance mindset will lead to you living in abundance. We consist of spirit, soul, and body. Many people focus only on the physical form of wealth, the part that our senses perceive; that's what we tend to go after.

But I believe true wealth, even the physical kind, is a by-product of walking in our purpose. So it follows then that if we are to live fully, we have to ensure that our spirit and mind embrace and align with abundance.

Practical ways to live in abundance are:

• You are a river, not a pond. 

See yourself as a river that's open at one end to receive from God, and open at the other to give to the world. Think of freshwater bubbling along, never stagnating or pooling up; that's what your available resource looks like. A pond mentality, on the other hand, relies on rain and precipitation as its source. Infrequent and uncertain in its availability. A pond has no outlet except by evaporation, and this translates into the vicissitudes of life. Seeing yourself connected to a limitless God will transform your thinking from lack to plenty.

• Give without expecting anything in return.

Giving breaks the poverty mindset faster than anything else. Because you can't give what isn't present. Giving alerts you to the blessings in your own life and elevates your position from the recipient to the benefactor.

• Practice Gratitude

Gratitude alerts you to just how blessed you are; it opens your eyes to what you have instead of what you are lacking. Generosity keeps your line of vision clear so you can identify hidden opportunities.

• Write your definition of success.

You are a unique being, and no one has the secret code to your success. We are bombarded with instructions on how to be successful, what we must do every morning and the exact steps to fulfil our purpose. Suppose you follow other people's opinions on success. In that case, you will end up frustrated as your search for resources will be futile. Your supplies are found on your path, not on someone else's.

• Dream Small

Because everyone tells us to 'dream big', but big dreams don't always inspire us to act. Sometimes big dreams discourage us as we don't have the space or faith to see it happen. When this is the case, dream small. Your big goal consists of multiple small dreams that lead to the grand finale. Even when that materialises, you will dream again.

Dates for your diary:

3/12/2021

YouTube Channel Launch

The First Episode of Living Inside Out on YouTube will be going live! Think the podcast on steroids 😄. Join me for a show packed full of inspiration, how to's, business tips, interviews, and so much more. If we are not yet connected on social, let's do so; my handle is toksaruoture and please, spread the word.

11/12/2021

Christian Women in Business: Finding God in the Most Unlikely Places

A free Zoom meeting for Sisters in Business. I feel such a burden to have an evening sharing my business journey and testimonies of how God got me out of situations that I couldn't see my way out of. My goal is to show you how to find God in seemingly impossible places while on your business journey.

16/01/2022

Introspective Journaling for Personal Growth. You all know that my journal is my best friend. And it isn't because it contains secrets and memories, but because writing is a powerful tool for discovering who you are, your purpose, your intentions and also for mapping out your dreams. Journalling is the most potent tool bar none because it extracts the powerful truths from your mind, which is the engine room of your life.

Resources:

From Prison to Praise- book on giving thanks

Netflix: The Black Godfather- documentary on Clarence Avant

The Light's House Online Church

Negations for Growth- episode on making agreements

We've all heard them, cliched quotes and sayings that our friends offer us when we are going through a rough patch. "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!" But can you really say that you get encouraged by those sayings? How often has one of these sweet sayings got you up again after you had been hit with a boulder?

In my 18 years of entrepreneurial life, I cannot count how many obstacles have shown up on my path. Hurdles do not always get overcome, even by the most resilient of people. There are times you simply cannot power through or explain away a stumbling block. In those moments, you don't give up, you negotiate.

In this episode, I share some agreements I drew up while negotiating with a difficult circumstance. An agreement is an arrangement that two opposite sides come to so they can work together. It won't apply to anyone else as it is a contract between both parties. When your situation and expectations are irreconcilable, you have to create harmony to carry on on your journey.

1. Believe your roots are growing

As usual, I share examples from my journey and hope that you will be inspired to draw up some agreements of your own.

Let's connect on Instagram @toksaruoture. I'm also on Facebook