(Family Features) Ask yourself ... are you truly who you want to be? Is this the life you really want? Are you living each day as your best self? What can you change today?
How would you answer those questions? Think about your daily life. Are you thriving, or going through the motions? Are your days full of work, relationships and activities that are true to your authentic self or do you feel trapped on a treadmill of responsibility? If you dream of a better life, now is the time to turn your dream into reality.
The tools you need to design a life that is fulfilling on the deepest levels are within your grasp. Written by Mike Bayer, known to the thousands of clients whose lives he has changed as Coach Mike, "Best Self" can show you how.
Bayer has helped everyone from pop stars to business executives to people just like you discover the freedom to be their best selves. By asking them and leading them to ask themselves a series of important but tough questions, such as "What are your core values?," "Do you go to bed each day more knowledgeable than when you woke up?" and "Am I neglecting some aspect of my physical health out of fear or denial?," he helps them see what their Best Selves and Anti-Selves really look like. As a mental health specialist, a personal development coach and an all-around change agent, Bayer has seen the amazing ways in which lives can improve with honesty and clarity. He understands the daily struggles people face intimately, because he's faced - and overcome - his own, and he knows that change is possible.
By working through each of the Seven SPHERES of Life - Social, Personal, Health, Education, Relationships, Employment and Spiritual Development - "Best Self" is an accessible and interactive book that distills all of Bayer's wisdom into a compact, focused guide that can ignite your desire for change.
The Seven SPHERES of Life:
Social
Take a look at your social life in terms of your communication skills and dive into how you feel in your own skin when interacting with others.
Personal
In attempting to be your personal best self, work to have an abundance of respect and compassion for yourself. Take care of yourself by nurturing an authentic, positive self-image to see benefits reach other spheres of your life.
Health
If you're unhealthy, it's difficult to be your best self in other areas. The goal should be to act in your own best interests when it comes to your physical health in order to feel your best and be at your best.
Education
Even if you didn't enjoy school or believe you simply don't like the process of taking in new information, you may still be thirsty for knowledge in areas that interest you on a deeper level. Find what quenches your unique interests and explore the best methods to learn in those areas.
Relationships
From time to time, relationships can get out of balance. However, you can be proactive about doing your part to get them back to equilibrium by determining ways to control your authenticity and what you can do when those around you aren't reflecting their own.
Employment
Determine whether you're acting as your best self at work just as you are at home. If you can't be yourself at work, you may be wasting valuable time. Don't lose yourself in a fear of trying to be something you aren't while on the job.
Spiritual Development
The place within you from which goodness radiates can be described as your spiritual self. It's where you form integrity, values and treatment of other people, so focus on aligning those traits with your vision of your best self.
Learn more about how to become your best self and take a self-assessment quiz at coachmikebayer.com/book.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images (man drinking coffee)
