Have you felt powerless in the face of certain situations? Have you ever felt out of control? Have you ever felt that you are living less than your potential?

Sometimes, we may reach a place in life that makes us feel trapped. It could be at a job we don't enjoy, or at home, or in our personal relationships. We may feel unheard, unappreciated, disrespected or neglected. This can lead to intense feelings of unhappiness and bitterness, and this loop may become challenging to break.

The wonderful part is, that there are many things you can do to take charge of your life. Here are 4 conscious practices that can help you create a life you deserve and desire!

Practice #1: don’t give others the power to make you unhappy

While you can’t control what others do, you can control how you choose to feel. Nobody has the power to affect you unless you allow it. Develop your inner strength to deal with difficult people and tough situations. Ultimately, your reaction to their actions is what will define how you feel as a person. The choice of how you react lies with you, irrespective of their actions.

Practice #2: don’t take things personally

Remember that it’s never about you. In most cases, people don't mean a lot of what they say, and are not mindful of their words. When you act out of anger, you lose your power. As you stop taking things personally, you will realize that you are less hurt and less angry by what people say, feel calmer and more in control of your emotions. This, in turn, will give you more control over your life.

Practice #3: don't become overly concerned with what people think of you

Often, we don't do things, in the fear of what others will say and feel about our actions. People will always have an opinion, no matter what you do or don’t do. So how about believing in yourself and doing things that really matter to you. It may not make sense to others, even those very close to you. But your journey is your own, and no one else is a better judge of that.

Practice #4: put up with short-term discomfort in order to achieve longer-term gain

Over time, situations in life make us comfortable slip into a comfort zone. We then become happy with what we have and shaking things up seems like a huge effort. While we remain anchored in our small safe comfort zone, life with its huge possibilities just passes us by. Eventually we ourselves at a place, which is far away from, what we envisioned our life would be. So it’s time to get out of the comfort zone and take the leap of faith! The rewards are truly worth it.

What are you ready to practice this week? Trust us, it’s the small things that make the big difference!