In the movie The Bucket List¸ Carter tells Edward that there are two questions the gods ask before a soul in admitted to heaven – “Have you found joy in your life? Has your life brought joy to others?” While your beliefs in the afterlife are personal, the idea behind these two questions can be applied to most of our search for living the better life while we are here on earth.
As hard as it is to think about, we all have just so much time, so why not make the best of that time for ourselves and those whose lives we touch – for our joy and theirs?
Ask yourself some questions
- Do you enjoy what you are doing?
- Do you love waking up and facing each day?
- Do new things still excite you?
- Do others enjoy your company?
- Do you do your best at whatever you try?
- Are you comfortable with yourself and who you are?
- Do you face obstacles with a “can do” attitude?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you may want to think about some new ways to live a better life. Not that your life is a bad one…just that it can be even better if you give it a good try. Here are a few tips to try to make your life better.
Be positive
- Be who you are, not the person you think you should be to please others. There is an old adage that says no one likes someone who doesn’t like himself. People can sense it if you are faking it!
- Begin each day with a fresh start and without yesterday’s baggage. That doesn’t mean that life isn’t a continual journey, just that if yesterday was a bad or difficult day, start today with a clean slate and more positive energy.
- Don’t complain so much – try to see the glass as either half full or refillable, not half empty. You know, as they say, it takes more muscles to frown than to smile – adapt that to your mindset.
- Be proactive – take initiative and don’t wait for others to create your path. Besides, who says their path is the right one for you?
- Think “next time” and not “what if”. Monday morning quarterbacking doesn’t solve anything, so don’t dwell on what could have or should have been but, rather, on what you can do differently or better next time.
Take action
- Discover your life purpose. What that means is to think of what your plan is for the rest of your life. There is a great series of articles you can use to help you with this: How To Find Your Life Purpose.
- Write down your personal commandments. Think of the rules you want to live by that define your purpose and goals.
- Don’t put your life on hold. Are there things you have put to the side, whether they are trivial or major, that you should bring back to the forefront?
- Set goals. Make a one-, three- and five-year list of things you want to accomplish. Be realistic, but why not reach for the stars too?
- Write a bucket list. This is a list of everything you want to do, places you want to see and adventures you want to have before you die. This can be anything from sky-diving (not for everyone, perhaps) to writing a journal or visiting every pizza place in your favorite city. This is YOUR list.
Remember, your life is yours to live and share, and only you can decide how to do that best. Of course, good health and strong hygiene habits are part of the equation, so be sure to take care of your physical, and include brushing your teeth and cleaning your tongue with your TUNG Brush and Gel every day – who knows, visiting every pizza place might be on YOUR bucket list and you will want to savor every bite! 😊
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