I like the idea of having a range of signed contracts with myself. My personal bill of rights, so to say. I read them daily.
Relationship to myself
I treat myself like somebody I am responsible for helping. I donât compare myself to others but only to who I was yesterday. I accept all my emotions - including anger. Emotions contain powerful information: I shall not suppress them but work with and through them. Iâm not needy. I donât put anybodyâs opinion of me above my own.
Es schlÀgt ein Herz in meiner Brust. Das darf ich nie vergessen.
Nicht mĂŒde werden, sondern dem Wunder leise, wie einem Vogel, die Hand hinhalten.
Mach klar Schiff zu Hause, klÀr es ab! Mach doch mal Angst mit dir selber! Geh spazieren! Mach es mit die selber aus. Finde dein eigenes Atelier!
Social life
I strive to be useful to those I care about. I want to connect with new people and create community wherever I can. Life is fragile and can end anytime, so I should get to it. Fear is the mind-killer and will not stop me from communicating honestly and respectfully with others. I will tell my truth even if others or I donât like it. I remember that we all struggle, no matter how beautiful and intelligent we seem to be on the outside. Nobody is above me just as nobody is beneath me. I always assume that the person in front of me knows something I donât.
I am a reflection of the people that I spend most of my time with. I make sure these people are compassionate, sweet and reliable as I want to express those same qualities. I choose people who care about the world and want the best for me and those around them. I wonât let relationships die out of laziness but Iâm allowed to let people go who repeatedly cross my boundaries or drag me or others down when they hurt. I am always allowed to state my desires just as I will never punish anyone for stating theirs. I allowed to walk away from any relationship and communicate any boundary.
Holding eye contact and offering a smile creates a feeling of connection. I like doing it. If my smile is reciprocated, I am allowed to approach and ask: âHi, do we know each otherâ? I will take any rejection of my presence or my ideas as a valuable lesson, recalibrate and begin again. I will do something I am afraid of every day. Giving up or pitying myself is not an option. Ich bin kein Opfer! The difficult emotions that come up when Iâm rejected or feel unwanted are my responsibility and my responsibility alone. KlĂ€r es ab! I donât make others responsible for my emotional states.
Professional life
I will do everything in my power to get better at something hard every day. My full attention is on the task at hand. I am indistractable because I enjoy focus. Focus enables excellence and I strive to be excellent. My day revolves around undistracted work.
In professional contexts, I exude relaxed precision. I am conscientious and remain adaptively persistent. Iâm not afraid to change should the circumstances demand it. I listen at least twice as much as I speak. I seek to understand first, being understood comes second. I welcome any criticism, no matter how it is presented or how bad it is. If I feel offended, that is just my ego. I know I can overcome the feeling and continue listening attentively.
Attaining mastery in anything worthwhile will be hard and, in the process, I will doubt that I will ever get there. I donât listen to that and continue practicing. I long for the pain of not understanding something, for it enables the joy of finally getting it. If I fail, I try again. I will not let my own or somebody elseâs ego get in the way of pursuing mastery.