One of the quickest ways you can grow in self confidence is to get yourself some principles and stand for something. When you know what really matters to you, what your values are, and how you want to live your life, it makes decisions about almost eveything easier. Just by making a decision for yourself about how you want to live your life and not how other people think you should live is incredibly liberating.What you stand for or believe in will naturally change of course as you live and grow, but there is no time like the present to take some time to think about what your manifesto for life is.

                                                              Here is mine

Live a Kind life.                                  

For me this means kind to other people, and trying (with great difficulty often !) to show tolerance knowing that we are all deep down wanting the same thing – to be happy and at peace. It also means being kind to all living creatures hence being vegetarian leaning towards veganism. It means being kind to the environment, and finally, being kind to myself. Accepting I am trying my best, that I am ok as I am.

Leave the world better than when I entered it.

When I look back in my old age I want to know that I did good, and that I made a difference.

My Life is precious (bit of buddism coming in there!)
 I am so lucky to be living where I am, with the opportuities that I have – so I need to make the most of it. And related to that……………..This is the only body I will ever have so look after it. Hence again my focus on a plant based diet with a dollop of exercise thrown in there.

What principles do you try to live by

One of my favourite parts of the day is first thing in the morning. This is because I have set myself a routine that I try my hardest to do each morning. I actually hate getting up to be honest, but once I am up and out of bed, I love starting the day the same way each day.
The alarm clock goes of way earlier than necessary, and I make myself a coffee and go back to bed and lie listening to the radio delighting in the fact that there is still another half an hour before I have to get up again!
I then grab my yoga mat, head to my space and to start with, just sit. I spend 10 minutes meditating on my breath. Hopefully one day I will progress to manage longer than this, but for someone who struggles to sit still at the best of times this is a massive effort! I then spend a little time pondering the day ahead and setting my intentions for the day- sounds incredibly airy fairy I know, but for me it works. I remind myself how short life is, and the need to make the most of each day. I also remind myself that in order to accomplish anything during the day my mind needs to remain relaxed – again tricky for someone with a naturally racing mind.
 Following this I do a bit of yoga for about 10 minutes,including sun salutations and some stretches.
What is so special about this time of the day is it is my own time to just be me. During this period I am not a mother, wife, Public Health Advisor, neighbour…….I am just Ali, without the expectations and requirements all those roles hold.