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Creating Your Personal Foundation

Michelle Martin

There has been a growing interest in the topic of living a more purposeful life. You can find social media influencers, digital platforms, and even medical journals detailing the merits of seeking purpose for increased health and wellbeing. However, what if you don’t know what your purpose is, or how to find it?

Personal growth is instrumental for living with more purpose. If you have been struggling to find your purpose, take a moment to pause and return to the basics of self-awareness. Self-awareness includes internal and external components. Internally, it involves understanding our values and passions. Externally, it means recognizing how others perceive us and how our actions impact them. Developing self-awareness is continuous throughout our lifetime, and individually unique.

At the core of building a keen sense of self are four foundational elements:
Integrity, Humility, Gratitude, and Authenticity (IHGA) . These elements shape our character, mindset, and lifestyle. Investing in IHGA enhances resilience, provides additional perspective, and a deeper sense of well-being and fulfillment.

Integrity

Integrity forms the core of our personal brand and interactions. It involves making choices aligned with our values, even when circumstances are challenging. When we act with integrity, we reinforce positive self-worth and earn respect from others.

Integrity is not just about external actions, it is also about cultivating self-love, acceptance, and forgiveness. Mistakes are part of being human, and learning from our experiences strengthens our integrity over time. Instead of dwelling in guilt or shame, embrace forgiveness and move forward with renewed commitment to improving and acting in alignment with your values.

Humility

In a society which often rewards self-promotion and individualism, practicing humility can be transformative. Humility allows us to appreciate our strengths without seeking validation from external sources. It fosters a deeper understanding of ourselves and our purpose, reducing the need for comparison with others.

To increase humility, practice self-awareness and move to small acts of kindness. By showing empathy, listening actively, and supporting those around us, we cultivate humility. These can be simple actions such as making eye contact with people, and actively listening rather than interjecting opinions. Tell someone you love how they make you feel without the expectation of anything in return. It can be helpful to understand you are not alone in your feelings of loneliness or isolation (which can bring about selfishness). Moving through life with humility will allow you to see the world differently and with much more depth than ever before.

Gratitude

Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have. It is about finding joy in the simple pleasures of life and appreciating the blessings around us. Practicing gratitude daily whether through reflection, journaling, or mindful awareness cultivates a positive mindset. It helps us navigate challenges with resilience and enhances our overall well-being.

Take time at the beginning of the day to set your mind to be present and focus on the positive parts of the coming day. Starting the day with a positive mindset allows the brain to see simple things and to be appreciative of them. Absorbing the everyday beauty of life helps us in dealing with the challenges. It also helps put things into perspective, which is something we should all do on regular basis. Listen to a child’s laughter, smell the air after a spring rain, or watch as a sunrise sets the sky on fire. These moments are simple, yet beautiful gifts provided to us every day.

Authenticity

Living authentically means being true to ourselves in every aspect of life. It requires sincerity in our actions, beliefs, and relationships. While conformity might seem easier, embracing our true selves brings freedom and fulfillment. Authenticity invites us to shed masks and embrace vulnerability, paving the way for genuine connections and personal growth.

True authenticity takes practice through the words you use, behaviors you choose, along with your belief system. To change this mindset may require you to clean house of your current beliefs, such as what makes you feel worthy. You may also find your world begins to change along with your mindset, and change can be difficult. Many people are in fear of removing their masks and you may not receive positive feedback from this stage in your life. Move forward anyway…be confident your journey is taking you where you need to go, and know you are not alone.

Embracing IHGA as foundational principles in your life lays the groundwork for a conscious and purpose-driven existence. Whether you are beginning this journey or refining your approach, remember that personal growth is a gradual process. Each step towards greater integrity, humility, gratitude, and authenticity enriches not only your own life but also the lives of those around you. Take the time to nurture your personal foundation. It will serve as a compass during challenging times and allow you to savor life's moments with depth and clarity.
Michelle MartinMichelle is a Certified International Health Coach (CIHC) and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She supports Canopy’s health and wellness initiatives through a holistic approach based on bio–individuality. Michelle writes and speaks about health-related issues including sleep hygiene, nutrition, mindfulness, and forgiveness. She has presented for a wide variety of industries and audiences, and encourages attendees to be boldly curious about their wellness journey. Michelle volunteers her time as a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) instructor, providing evidence-based education and coaching for families of loved ones with a mental health condition.

Along with supporting wellbeing initiatives, she is part of the Customer Success Management team and assists with providing proactive service and solutions for Canopy Members and partners.