How To Cultivate Your Inner World

Cultivating your inner world is as important to your well-being as taking care of your physical health. Your thoughts, your emotions, your values, and your attitudes  have a huge influence on the way you experience the world. That is why more and more people have begun to pay attention to this very fundamental part of their lives.

However, finding a way to cultivate your inner world can be tricky at times. After all,  when we are born we do not come with an instruction manual on how to be happy. Therefore, in this article you will discover some steps you can take to work in this area effectively.

Cultivating your inner world: important aspects

To take care of your physical health, you can start working on three basic pillars : diet, exercise and rest. In the same way, on a mental level you can focus your work on:

• Your thoughts and beliefs.
• Your attitudes and values.
• The emotions you usually feel.

We will study each of them in depth below.

1- Your thoughts and beliefs

The first component of your inner world is the way you think, your inner dialogue. For thousands of years, we have known that  the way we feel in each moment depends a lot on the messages we dedicate ourselves to, what we place our mental attention on. Therefore, to begin to be a happier person, it is necessary that you consciously modify the way you speak to yourself.

You may think that you are one of those individuals who does not say anything to himself. Well, the reality is that you do, even without realizing it. However, even if you are not aware of your thoughts,  they have a very powerful effect on your mood. Because of this, the first thing you have to do is identify the type of messages your mind works with.

Once you have managed to identify your thoughts,  the second step is to change them for others that help you. For this, it is best to identify your irrational beliefs and try to transform them into realistic and empowering ideas.

For example, you may find yourself thinking that you are useless. However, the little you think about it, you will realize that this is an exaggeration. What are you really good at? What can you achieve if you try hard enough? These types of reflections  will help you form a stronger self-esteem and a more realistic view of the world.

2- Your attitudes and values

The second thing you need to cultivate your inner world is to modify your attitudes and values; that is, the importance you give to every aspect of your life and what you consider important to you. Choosing carefully what you find valuable  can make a total difference.

Below you will see a list of boosting and limiting values. Use it to realize what you are prioritizing in your life, and whether doing so is helping or hurting you.

• Always be right. For some people, the need to always be right is the most important thing. Therefore, they do not mind fighting with their loved ones or feeling terrible as long as others listen to them and agree with them. This generally causes a lot of frustration and prevents continued well-being.
• Avoid risking. Many individuals live their lives paralyzed with fear. For these people, safety and the lack of risks is the most important; Whenever they can, they will try not to have to face any kind of uncertainty. Most of the time, this leads them to miss most of the opportunities that come their way.

• Try your best. Some people are clear that the most important thing in their life is to give 100% in everything they do. This often leads them to try, to face their fears, and to achieve what they set out to do; although of course, the road is never without difficulties.
• Freedom. For some, the ability to depend on no one and choose what to do at all times is the most important thing. This can have both positive and negative consequences. The truth is that those who choose this value over the rest tend to have much more rewarding lives.

3- Your emotions

The last pillar to take care of to cultivate your inner world is the way you feel. However, the best way to work on it tends to be indirect. Rather than trying to change your emotions directly, it  is much more effective to modify your thoughts, your values, and your life in a way that brings you maximum happiness.

Of course, if your feelings are out of control,  you can learn some tools to try to manage them. This is precisely what most psychological therapies do. Even so, except in very extreme cases, concern for emotions should only appear once you have the other two elements of your inner world under control.