The Zone, we have all heard of it.  It’s that place that athletes visit where everything seems to go right.  Michael Jordan explains that when he’s in the zone the rim seems like a big bucket.  There is a rhythm that athletes get into every now and then where they are playing at the top of their game and everything goes right.  Is there a zone for life?  Is there a rhythm that ordinary people can get into where everything seems to go right or as planned?  Life will never be perfect but if we practice these 6 items below, we may find ourselves in life’s ultimate rhythm, the zone.

1. Practice Hard and Trust the Work You Have Put In

First and foremost practice is essential to developing any skill set.  Without practice you will not be able to sharpen your skills. Once it is time to perform you must have faith in the work that you have put in.  There is no need to be nervous at this point.  Nervousness will only lead to fear or performance anxiety which has the potential to reunion your performance.  Prior to a recent sermon I gave, I felt tension building up.  As I began to quit, in my mind I heard a voice say, “trust the work you have put in.”  As a result of this particular thought, I went on to feel an extreme sense of comfort that I had never felt before.

2.  Be Content In All Things, But Change What You Can

Although we have control over some things, there are quite a few things we have absolutely no control over.  To alleviate some of the stress associated with lack of control we have over situations that occur in our lives, we should practice contentment.  All though we are to be content in all things this doesn’t mean we are to just roll over and accept defeat in the challenges we face.  We should seek wisdom in knowing and accepting the difference in what we can change and what we cannot change.  This comes from the serenity prayer which states:

“Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

3. Practice The Law of Least Common Effort[1]

In Deepak Chopra’s book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, he explains a life rule that will further help us in seeking contentment.  The law is outlined below.

1. I will practice Acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. I will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. My acceptance is total and complete. I accept things as they are this moment, not as I wish they were.

2. Having accepted things as they are, I will take Responsibility for my situation and for all those events I see as problems. I know that taking responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for my situation (and this includes myself). I also know that every problem is an opportunity in disguise, and this alertness to opportunities allows me to take this moment and transform it into a greater benefit.

3. Today my awareness will remain established in Defenselessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them.

4. When You Encounter People, Know That It is A Holy Encounter[2]

If you believe in God, you understand that God is the creator of all things.  As believers, we praise The Creator, Worship The Creator’s presence and welcome The Creator’s spirit into our lives.  Knowing that all people stem from God or come from the same source, we must realize that when we meet people we are having a truly having a holy encounter.  As children of God, although we are vastly different, we all are brothers and sisters within humanity.  We must remember that God created humanity in God’s image. When you meet others realize that you are meeting a piece of The Creator itself.

When we view our encounters with others as holy, we eliminate hate, judgment or prejudice just to name a few.  This will also lead to stronger relationships that are based on the foundation of unconditional love.  When humanity learns this principle, peace will truly spread throughout the globe.

5. Count Your Blessings and Show Gratitude

Reflect on your life.  Count your blessings and show gratitude for them.  When you focus on the positivity in your life as opposed to the negativity, your perspective begins to change.  You begin to appreciate things in your life that you once took for granted and slowly but surely, things that once bothered you will not be as…bothersome.  Life can take on new meaning when you are grateful and appreciative of what you do have.
6. Eat Healthy and Exercise
Last but not least, we must take care of our bodies.  Our bodies are holy temples and should be treated as such.  When we are healthy we will have the energy to face the tough tasks in life.  As I prepare for a marathon this year, I have noticed the affect unhealthy food has on my body.  One trip to IHOP literally wiped me out for a whole day making my long run day seem nearly impossible.  This sluggishness is something I would never want to feel again.  If I felt like this on a daily basis I wonder how I would make it through the day-to-day challenges of life.

Are you willing to try these any or all of these to get in your zone?  Are there other ways you get in the zone?

[1] “The Law of Least Effort.” The Chopra Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

[2] A Course in Miracles: Text, Workbook, Manual for Teachers: The Advent of a Great Awakening. United States?: Barnes & Noble, 2007. 140. Print.