Volunteer
Speaking for myself, I’ve felt great internal satisfaction each time that I’ve volunteered. It feels really good to give back to the community and help others if you have the ability to do so. I have volunteered at food banks packing up boxes of food, I’ve also collected clothes for Dress for Success who provide work clothes and career development to disadvantaged women and I’ve organized and/or participated in multiple disease related fund raising events. I have to say that all of these activities have given me more fulfillment than a day’s pay. So if you are looking for a small way to make a big impact in your life, as well as someone else’s, I say volunteer. This is one place you will always be needed and they will always be happy to see you.
Make a personal date
Do something just for yourself, by yourself once a week. Something as simple as a candle lit bubble bath, a good book and warm blanket, an old classic movie, a long walk...just take some relaxing time out for you.
Take a risk
And I don’t mean something little like eating chocolate when you’re on a diet. I mean a big risk that scares you and might even make you think you can’t do it…then…you DO IT! Something like, apply for a promotion, change careers, join an activity group etc. So think of one thing that has always held you back because of fear, and then overcome it. There’s a saying I love “The only things in life you regret are the risks you didn’t take”. So, TAKE IT!
Create a Bucket List
A bucket list is a list of all the things you want to accomplish or see in your life before you…well…kick the bucket. I have an ongoing list that I keep on my computer and honestly, over the years it has come in handy. Sometimes if I’m looking for something to do, I refer to my list. I have things as little as parks I’d like to go hiking in, to places I want to travel to sky diving. So create your list and then get to doing them and check them off one by one!
Challenge yourself…
I firmly believe if you aren’t continuing to challenge yourself, then you aren’t growing as a person. I read somewhere once that challenging yourself develops a healthy self esteem. So think of something you’ve always wanted to tackle and then take it on! It could be anything from a home improvement project to learning another language or a book that’s a tough read (I have one of these right now that I am trying to get myself to tackle. It’s called House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Leaves). I feel I challenge myself every time I write for my blog. Of course, the world won't end if you do not challenge yourself, but the building blocks of success can be found in tackling hard projects.
Get a hobby
I believe many people lose their hobbies as they get older. I think sometimes life just gets in the way and your hobby takes a back seat. But having a hobby is a great way to meet new people and do something you really enjoy. It can be anything from joining a sports league like softball or bowling to knitting or scrap booking, taking yoga or picking up that instrument you used to play when you were in high school. Like they say, in order to be interesting, have some interests.
Create a vision board
If you’ve ever read the book or watched the DVD The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_(book)) then you know what I’m talking about. The Secret is all about The Law of Attraction which says that our thoughts, both conscious and unconscious can basically attract the things that you want. It suggests having a vision board where you display all the things you wish for your life and have it in an area that is visible to you every day as a constant reminder of what you desire. So think about the things you want for your life and then display them on a vision board and see if The Law of Attraction can work for you.
Read a self improvement book
There’s so many out there that I have found beneficial. I mentioned my favorite book in a previous blog, The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav but there are so many amazing, well written ones out there. Self improvement books are a great way to experience personal growth. If you’ve never read one, you’d be surprised how much you can take away from reading a book of this type and incorporate it into your life and your personal development. Some books can be a tough read for some people so if you decide to try this, maybe it could also be the challenging thing you do for yourself.
Practice compassion
The world can use more compassionate people. I try to be compassionate of others and try to treat others how I want to be treated. I love the quote by Gandhi “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” If everyone practiced compassion, the world would be a much better place. The next time you’re out, think of this and see where you can incorporate it into your own life. It can even be something small like saying hello to a stranger, holding the door for someone or lending a helping hand to someone in need.
Tackle your weakness
Think about what your weakness is and then improve it. Are you a terrible speller or awful at math, do you curse too much, do you not have a large enough vocabulary? Whatever your weakness is, figure out how you can work on it and then challenge yourself to overcome it.
Set goals
They could be long term or short term, big or small but everyone should have goals. So define your goals in life and continually evaluate your current situation to make sure you are still going in the right direction to reach your goals.
Well, as 2009 comes to a close, so does this blog. I hope that you find something valuable listed here that you could use to enrich your own life. I wish everyone a HAPPY and HEALTHY New Year filled with lots of LOVE, LAUGHTER and HAPPINESS.
As Benjamin Franklin said “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.”
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