“Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” – Carol Burnett
Are you satisfied with your life? If you are terrific. If not, how would you like your life to be? What actions can you take to make the changes necessary to get the life you want.
I think one of the biggest challenges all of us has is the influence of advertisers and marketers who try to show us what the good life is. These advertisements show a life that is typically unattainable. They also influence us in many respects to do or buy things we really don’t need or want. The other influence is from those around us. Maybe you are jealous of someone who has a nice car, nice house, nice boyfriend or girlfriend. The point I’m trying to make here is that some of us are unhappy with our lives because we are being shown daily what a “good life” is and we are convinced that our lives aren’t good enough. Subsequently, we chase after a life that perhaps we do not really want.
The other challenge when we seek a different existence is the inability to decide what we want. Do I want this or that? Do I need this or that? Do I need to find a better place to live? Do I need to get in better shape? Do I need to go back to school to get a better job with more security, pay, and benefits?
Take your time when deciding about what you want. Really contemplate on it. You’ve lived the way you have for some time. There’s no rush.
Once you have found something you’re interested in doing, investigate what others before you have done to achieve what you want. You’ll find some good advice out there in books, online blogs or articles, even YouTube videos, and Vlogs. Once you’ve decided on what you want, set a plan and go for it, adjusting along the way.
Personally, I’ve found I wanted an uncomplicated, minimalist life. I don’t want to carry around a lot of paper or books, so I scanned in all my important papers and only buy kindle books or borrow books from the library. I got rid of all the clothes I never wear. I keep my wardrobe to what I need in a 7-day week, other than a suit I always keep handy for special events.
I also wanted to focus on my health and wellness. To accomplish this, I read as much as I could on these topics. I found out that the two biggest contributors to wellness are meditation, exercise, and a good diet, filled with natural foods (no processed foods).
Another area I found that contributes to my well being is doing things for others. This led me to do some internet searches for acts of kindness. Some of these are simple, easy to do, and don’t take a lot of time. It also feels good when I think about what the person would feel like on the receiving end of my giving. One thing I do is randomly drop a sticky note with words like: “You are loved”, “You are amazing”, or “You are appreciated”.
I also discovered during my journey the necessity for rituals in my daily life. My rituals include daily writing, daily reading, daily contemplation, daily religious study, daily learning, daily journaling, and daily exercise. These things literally transformed my life. I have a purpose. I have a schedule to follow. I have something to look forward to.
I hope some of these suggestions help you. They have helped me tremendously.
Until next time…
Dave
