“Fight or Flight” or “At Peace”? – Life List

No. 5 — 2024/11

My Dear Friends,

Here’s a Turkish word for you. Huzur. So nuanced that the dictionary gives a multitude of English words in translation. Tranquillity, peace, serenity, rest, ease, comfort, quietude, repose, ataraxia. What I mean here is the state of being at peace. With oneself, with others, with the world.

There are two states of being. You are either in a state of fight or flight, or at peace. What does fight or flight mean? It’s about perceiving a threat. Your body immediately says “Either I fight, or I flee”; your chemistry changes accordingly. The funny thing is you reckon the choice is yours. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your body fired up its own mechanism and made up its mind long ago.

And what about being at peace? My friend, there is no threat, rest easy, recover. It’s that simple. People read books, go to courses and spend their money but in the end there’s only one thing for them to learn: is it going to be fight or flight, or at peace? The whole story rests on this duo. And the truth is that today’s world is largely a fight or flight world. Can many people find the at peace space? Just a few.

In my former life I drank deeply of this world. I became an accomplished player in the fight or flight universe, everyone commented on what a success I was - but so what? In reality I had become a successful player in a disappearing world. So I can safely tell you it’s not a question of being successful in this world. Rather, it’s a question of transitioning to the at peace world even while pursuing success in the world we find ourselves in. But that doesn’t happen in an instant. Ones body, mind and habits all cry out for change.

To give an example, I clung to this world’s “solutions” for years. I took pills, diet products, excessive exercise, you name it. I used Xenical to avoid putting on weight and drank cognac thinking it would help my digestion. But in the end, it was all in vain. Why? Because this world’s “solutions” only mask symptoms or constitute shallow forms of deceit. The real solution lies in a person’s being at peace overall, through adopting a holistic approach; to get out of that fight or flight mode and enable oneself to find balance. ?

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And this is where the problem starts: Balance. A person should be in a state of balance yet this balance is not a static or fixed thing. It will get disrupted – it really will! The issue is how quickly you can regain that balance. This is what we call resilience. The quicker you recover, the stronger you are, the better you live.

The place we call at peace in life isn’t something that comes automatically. It takes a little effort to get there. All of us have our daily rush and get lost in a myriad forms of chaos. You know what the secret is? Adding a degree of order and awareness to your life with small but effective steps.

This week I’ve got some advice for you. Draw up your own “Life List” of steps that will lead you to the at peace space. Choose the pieces of advice that suit you from the ones I share below, try them out, put them into practice. Then let’s meet in the comments section and go over how you feel and what works for you. Life improves when we share, right? “A trouble shared is a trouble halved”, as the saying goes.

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Life List – Steps for the Day, for Life and Being at Peace

Morning Routines

·????? When you get up, roll over both ways in bed, pull your knees up to your stomach and do a few stretches.

·????? Look out of the window, feel grateful for this day, and give thanks in advance for every experience you will have.

·????? Drink 2 glasses of water, plain or with lemon or apple cider vinegar.

·????? Do a short home exercise – stretching, cardio (30 seconds fast, 90 seconds slow running, 16 minutes in total), do the trampoline or any activity you enjoy.

·????? Prepare a mixture of green herb powders or fresh vegetables and add it to your drink (e.g. cucumber-lemon, pomegranate-ginger).

·????? Plan your day, but remain open to what the flow might bring.

·????? Before leaving the house, show your love to those around you. A smile, a kiss… Small actions with big impacts.

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Getting There

·????? Drive or travel slowly and consciously. Notice your surroundings, take pleasure in everything you see.

·????? Listen to music that brings you joy.

·????? Be ready to greet passers-by.

·????? Walk some of the way to work, feel nature around you.

·????? Step into your place of work or wherever your day kicks off in a positive mood.

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At Work

·????? Collect yourself, get in tune with your surroundings.

·????? Review your e-mails and to-do list, set your priorities.

·????? New tasks may appear while you are carrying out your planned tasks; calmy put them in order of priority.

·????? Start meetings with a clear agenda, keep to your priorities, intervene in the flow of the meeting when necessary and conclude with concrete outputs.

·????? Drink plenty of water. Minimise your consumption of coffee and black tea, choose herbal teas instead.

·????? Keep your meals light; intersperse with healthy snacks or fresh food if possible.

·????? Don’t forget to get plenty of fresh air.

·????? Wrap up your work at the end of the day, remember to prepare your list of priorities for the next day. Prioritising is key.

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On the Way Home

·????? Distance yourself from thinking about work during the journey home. Get your mind ready for home and your loved ones.

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At Home

·????? Hug your loved ones, make them feel valued and appreciated.

·????? In the evenings, try something new once or twice a week to break your routine up a bit.

·????? Whenever possible choose mostly vegan/vegetarian or raw meals.

·????? Set aside some time for yourself to be alone.

·????? Reduce your news consumption, read a book instead, learn and discover new things.

·????? Keep away from screens before you go to bed, meditate or listen to calming music.

·????? Listen to a deep sleep app. 20 minutes of brain wave sounds could be a great start (Brainwaves app).

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General Principles

·????? Support your digestion with food enzymes.

·????? Reduce the number of meals you have, try methods such as intermittent fasting. You can create a great healthy routine by extending the period between meals to between 12 and 18 hours, two days a week.

·????? Focus on nutrient-rich foods, invest in health, not just taste. Take healthy flavoursome supplements such as Nutritional Yeast.

·????? Be grateful and accept life as it is.

·????? Try to see opportunities in challenges.

·????? Keep electronic devices out of the bedroom, be sure to protect yourself from electromagnetic pollution. ?

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