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By Elizabeth Sutherland

LIFE, to me is like a Ferris wheel, each bucket is a set destination that we all are trying to get to, whether it’s to work, picking up the kids from school or extra curricular activities, to the gym, grocery shopping, social gatherings, etc., we’re always jumping on/off and going on our merely little way. I’ve learned though that this wheel can move at a pretty fast pace and at times, if we blink, we can miss some of the most important opportunities life has to offer. I believe that in order for you to explore those opportunities, you have to learn to find yourself. I’d like to share with you 5 steps to discovering how you can be the best YOU while you’re enjoying the ride, my ask, just don’t forget about yourself along the way! While the wheel is turning and life keeps moving, you don’t want any opportunity to pass you by!

1) Ask for feedback
In order for you to grow and move forward in life, it’s really important to ask how are you doing? It’s OK if you don’t get a positive response every time. We are not perfect and we do make mistakes! As humans, we are receptive to how well we are doing and not so much to how poor we may be doing in certain areas. We all have room to grow in all aspects of life, not just in our work environment, but at home, with your children, and within ourselves. Do you ever ask yourself, what can I work on? I promise you, it works! Be approachable to all forms of feedback, good or bad. In order to being the best YOU, you have to dig within and say that you’ve given it all you’ve got!

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2) Step outside your comfort zone
Fear, it comes to us in different forms! Public speaking, spiders, skydiving, etc. One of the most common that I’ve recently seen is people afraid to step outside their comfort zone. Trust me, I’m a creature of habit and I get comfortable doing what I know how, but recently, I’ve discovered that stepping outside your comfort zone can introduce you to a whole new era of possibilities. You can spruce up your resume with new skill sets, show initiative that you like learning something new, pushing yourself to various boundaries and again, learning yourself along the way! It’s OK to do something different every now and again. Discovering how to be the best YOU during this process might just surprise you! The skies the LIMIT!!!

3) Breathe
I believe this is one of the important steps in discovering how to be the best YOU! While we are on this ride, called LIFE, we tend to get caught up on all the “buckets” that we tend to forget to breathe! I know, I do. Sometimes we just need to slow down a little bit. I know it’s hard, trust me, I feel you on this one and this is an area that I need to work on myself. You need to find yourself a good yoga class or an exercise regimen. Once you find what works for you, make sure you are consistent and keep to it! Taking care of yourself is very important. I love this quote: “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn. Clearing your mind and soul can help you discover YOU!

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4) Self Reflection
Who doesn’t enjoy a vacation? I know I do. Sometimes, it takes traveling to your favorite vacation spot such as the beach, mountains or a hammock in your own back yard to disconnect from the world. Whatever the circumstance, everyone needs that time to self reflect. Self reflect on you, your work and home life. Determine what inspires you, what is your purpose, who you really are, do you love yourself, what is top priority in your life right at this moment, what are you passionate about, what do you represent, what are your dreams, where do you see yourself in 5, 10, or 15 years and are you living your life to the FULLEST? Mirror Mirror on the wall…

5) Find a mentor
Out of all the steps, this one is my favorite! I believe we all have that one person that we inspire to be like in life or as the term goes ” when I grow up.” I truly believe that in order for you to discover yourself and learn how to be the best YOU, you need to find a great mentor. That one person or persons who will be your individual cheerleader! They will be your motivation, inspiration, coach, and teacher. Now, this mentor can be anyone, a teacher, friend, boss, colleague, sister, brother, etc. whomever you believe portrays a great role model and provides you great advice on all aspects in life. You can have multiple mentors. The more the merrier in my book. I think it’s great to have individuals who you can bounce things off of and vice versa. After all, they are your stepping stones in life and will help you to discovering yourself!

Following these simple 5 steps can help discover the best YOU and you never know, sometimes taking a chance on LIFE can lead to an opportunity of a lifetime! Are you currently practicing any of these 5 steps?

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