Dr. Corinne: The Importance of Living a Fulfilled Life

Dr. Corinne Weaver : Apr 4, 2019
Dr. Corinne Weaver

Leaving bad, old habits behind is healthy and so important to your overall well-being. Here are some tips to help you move forward.

What makes you come alive?

While there's no one pathway for discovering your life's purpose, there are many ways you can gain deeper insight into yourself; a larger perspective on what it is you have to offer to the world. The word "inspire" comes from Latin, meaning "to breathe life into." This makes sense because when you're working toward things that inspire you and that you feel passionately about, it makes you feel alive. (Image: Pixabay)

So, what topics and subjects can you talk about for hours? What makes you feel a fire in your belly? What's going to launch you higher into something bigger than what you are now? This doesn't mean that you have to declare today that you'll be the next Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey. It means that it's up to you to start connecting to a cause that's bigger than you, but still congruent with what you care about.

Pay attention to what your body is telling you

When people are in their element, not only are they more productive, but they add more value to the environment they're in, as well as the project they're working on. How do you know whether you're in your element? You'll know because you'll feel a little spark inside you. You might find yourself sitting up straight, or even on the edge of your seat when you're having a really interesting conversation with someone or listening to a lecture or podcast that has completely pulled you in. This sensation of excitement probably happens more often than you realize, and when it does, pay attention!

If you're having trouble remembering the last time that you felt yourself "come alive," start exposing yourself to more books, tv shows, documentaries, articles, podcasts, and movies that might spark some interest and excitement in you. Start noticing the patterns and connect the dots. Figure out what common threads excite you, then start incorporating more of those things into your life.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive, then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Howard Thurmon

Finding your innate strength: What can you do that others struggle with?

Do you remember a time when someone else was struggling with something, asked for your help, and you figured it out pretty quickly? Maybe it was putting together furniture. Maybe it was finding the perfect outfit. Maybe it was editing a research paper.

Each one of us has talents that make us stand out. We're all gifted with different sets of strengths. Sometimes though, the hard part is trying to figure out what those strengths are.

For a few moments, ponder what it is that you've always been good at. Maybe it's something others may find difficult. Are you able to see patterns amidst complexity? Are you naturally creative, finding it easy to come up with out-of-the-box solutions? Are you a natural rebel with the ability to see issues within the status quo? Do you enjoy combing over details, naturally good at tasks that others might find tedious? Maybe you've always been more of a dreamer, good at the big-picture thinking that many shy away from.

"Build upon your strengths, and your weaknesses will gradually take care of themselves." -Joyce C. Lock

Finding true fulfillment. What fills your cup?

There are many things that you're probably good at but which you don't enjoy doing. If you're finding that you're at a point in your career where you're getting the job done but you're loathing or dreading the work you're doing, it's probably time to switch things up a bit. Once you've recognized your strengths, and have figured out how you can add the most value through those strengths, you can start focusing on the right opportunities, roles, and career paths that will help you feel the greatest sense of accomplishment.

If you reframe the concept of adding value through the lens of solving problems, you'll be able to better figure out where your specific skill set can best be used. For example, what types of problems are you good at solving? What scenarios can you navigate through without stress? What issues fire you up and make you feel passionate? The best way for you to contribute to society is to do something that makes you feel good.

"If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right to your purpose." -Bishop T.D. Jakes

Take a stand!  How will you measure your life?

People who don't stand for something can easily fall for anything. Deciding how you want to measure your life's successes means taking a stand for some set of values and purpose, then living your life in alignment to it. Living your life with purpose means focusing on things that matter most. Getting yourself on the right track to reach your wildest dreams and goals can seem difficult or even impossible because things like loans, family, and responsibilities that may stand in the way. But you can begin to get where you want to be by shifting the way that you think about the work you're doing now.

Start considering how your current experience can be catapulted into your next career move. Take the time to consider what meaning you can draw from your daily activities in order to better form your next step for growth. No matter what your job is, you can draw meaning from it and find your greater purpose through HOW you do what you do. Only then can you accurately measure whether you're headed in the right trajectory.

"Great minds have purposes; others have wishes." -Washington Irving

Brush it off:  Sometimes you just have to walk away

As you create a new path for yourself, you'll find that you'll start naturally changing. You'll start growing and leaving old habits behind. Unfortunately, some times this means leaving toxic people behind too. People who aren't willing to support you on your path to better yourself, and who might actually work against your efforts to pursue your purpose, aren't worth giving your attention and energy to. As you move away from the life that's holding you back, change is inevitable. When you come across people who aren't able or willing to change with you, it's time to shake it off and move forward without them.

This mantra, one of saying "okay then," and moving forward, can also be applied to negative feedback and "haters" who might be vocal about the work you're doing. Remember, if you're passionate, and the work fills you with purpose, you need to forge onward.

"One of the most courageous decisions you'll ever make is to finally let go of what is hurting your heart and soul." -Brigitte Nicole

It's never too late.

There are a million reasons to say no, and give up. When we're thinking about the future, it's all too easy to get caught up in all the things that could go wrong, or why you shouldn't move forward. You're too old, too broke, too far down the path you're already on, and where would you even begin? More likely than not, these thoughts have gone through your mind. But there's an excellent reason to make the leap and jump into the deep end anyway: Nothing feels as good as becoming who you were meant to be.

Vera Wang was a figure skater and journalist before entering the fashion industry at age 40. Samuel Jackson couldn't land a lead role until age 43. Julia Child worked in advertising and media before writing her first cookbook when she was 50 years old, launching her career as a celebrity chef. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made two major career changes, first transitioning from professional bodybuilder to actor, then becoming the Governor of California at 56. Martha Stewart was a full-time model before becoming a mother at age 25; with fewer jobs coming her way, she took on a job as a Wall Street stockbroker. It wasn't until after she turned 30 that she turned her love of gourmet cooking and creative presentation into what is now Market Stewart Living Omni-media.

"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live." -Marcus Aurelius

Finding your footing: Five small assignments for when you're feeling like you've lost perspective

By now, you've proven to yourself that you want to make a change, but how can you keep that momentum going? These next five "assignments" will help you step back and widen your view of the world in order to better see where you might fit in.

1. Look at old things in new ways

When we stare at the same problem for too long, it seems like we can almost entirely lose the ability to solve it. Pick something in the room, don't overthink it. Got an object? Now spend three minutes brainstorming ways to use it or present it.

2. Play reporter

Find someone who does something that you don't really understand. Whether it's an odd habit of collecting stamps, reading romance novels, or a career that's completely foreign to you. Spend some time talking to them about what they do. Ask questions. Find out what they love about it.

3. Tell a story

When you're struggling with a particular problem, tell your story out loud to a friend, then ask them to describe the situation back to you. Hearing it from another perspective might help you find faulty logic or explore new possibilities.

4. What would ____do?

Who do you respect? An innocent child who has a clear vision of right versus wrong? A celebrity? A family member? Take a moment to consider how THEY would respond to the problem or situation at hand.

5. What if you COULD? Finish this sentence: "I can't ______."

Now cross out "can't" and pretend that you can. How would your life be different if you COULD do that thing? Can you try spending a day, a few days, or a week, living as if you COULD accomplish that thing?

"To thine own self be true." -Shakespeare

Conclusion

As we wrap up our time together, I would love to hear what your number one key takeaway was from this experience. What's something new that you learned about yourself? Is there something in this article that has made you consider what you might not have thought about on your own? (Dr. Corinne Weaver)

To jog your memory, here are a few points we covered:

• Finding your spark, and paying attention to the subject matter that you can talk about endlessly.
• Listening to your body, getting feedback about your feelings from the way you're physically reacting.
• Finding perspective by changing your language.
• We talked about some well-known folks who made career changes "late in the game" and went on to become extremely successful - proving that it's never too late.

Any and all feedback is welcome. Thank you for spending your time with me!

Once again, if you ever need any additional guidance or support, don't hesitate to reach out! I am deeply passionate about helping people become the very best versions of themselves. If you need any additional information, help, or questions answered, please email me at Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com.

If you want more healthy tips you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/drcorinneweaver. Like and comment on my channel so I will know what tips and topics you want to know about. I am forming a community of people who want to take action in their own health with my social media channels and I want to know what health topics you want to hear. 

I hope my column speaks to you and you can wake up each morning with a purpose. What I do every day is a calling, and I give God the glory for allowing His gifts to work through me. I do believe in miracles, because I get to see them every day!  Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Keep Breathing,
Dr. Corinne Weaver 

Email: Dr@DrCorinneWeaver.com
Website: www.DrCorinneWeaver.com

Dr. Corinne Weaver is a compassionate upper cervical chiropractor, educator, motivational speaker, mother of three, and internationally bestselling author. In 2004, she founded the Upper Cervical Wellness Center in Indian Trail, North Carolina. Over the last 13 years, she has helped thousands of clients restore their brain to-body function. When she was 10 years old, she lost her own health as the result of a bike accident that led to having asthma and allergy issues that she thought she would always have to endure. Then, after her first upper cervical adjustment at age 21, her health began to improve thanks to upper cervical care and natural herbal remedies. This enabled her to create a drug-free wellness lifestyle for herself and her family, and she also enthusiastically discovered her calling to help children heal naturally.

Dr. Weaver was named one of Charlotte Magazine's "Top Doctors" in 2016 and is now a number-one internationally bestselling author to two books: Learning How to Breathe and No More Meds. 

Upper Cervical Wellness Center is known for finding the root cause of health concerns through lifestyle changes, diagnostic testing, nutraceutical supplementation, and correction of subluxation (as opposed to just medicating the symptoms). The practice offers cutting-edge technological care at its state-of-the-art facility, including laser-aligned upper cervical X-rays, bioimpedance analysis (measures body composition), digital thermography (locates thermal abnormalities characterized by skin inflammation), and complete nutritional blood analysis, which is focused on disease prevention.