Be Thankful
Look for the blessings you have in your life, and then vocalize why and how you are thankful they are in your life. Watch THIS CLIP and tell me it didn't affect you. Go on, I dare you!! ;)Write It Down
Take a piece of paper, a deep breath, and write down everything you want in life. Don't think about the people that told you the things you want are unattainable, or how you're not smart enough to attain them. Write it all down. Did you do it? Good job. Now write down some goals that will help you attain what you want in life. Hang up your goals and dreams in a place that you will see every day. Liz hangs her goals up by her bed so they are the first thing she sees when she wakes up, and the last thing she sees when she goes to sleep. Adrian hangs hers up in her closet because, well, she loves her closet. :) You will be happier when you feel that you are actively working towards making your life successful.
Turn SOMEDAY Into TODAY
We are all guilty of using the term someday as an excuse.
"SOMEDAY I will go take that white river rafting trip I've always wanted to take." "SOMEDAY I will learn Spanish." "SOMEDAY I will go skydiving." "SOMEDAY I will take my family camping on the weekend." "SOMEDAY I will teach that recipe to my daughter that my mom taught me."
If you put things off till someday, that day will come and go without you every noticing. Do the things that you dream about NOW. And if there isn't enough time or energy to do them, maybe the other things in your life that do have priority deserve to have their position reevaluated.
Take Ownership of Your Health
In our media-centered lifestyles, we are constantly bombarded with quick fixes that promise to make us look like the latest and greatest celebrity. Forget all that mumbo-jumbo crap. Don't just rely on what E! has to say about health. Once you lose your health, that's it. It's pretty darn tough to get it back. YOU are responsible for your own health and body. Educate yourself on nutrition, health and fitness. There is no confidence like that of pushing yourself physically and finding out that your body can not only achieve the goals you set for it, but shatter them. Quit eating shitty foods. Quit justifying buying crap and blaming your lack of energy on your kids. Food your body fuel. Take care of it by exercising. And focus on doing things you couldn't before instead of what it looks like...i.e. take up mountain biking, run in a 5k, learn to rock climb, start snowboarding....while you're concentrating on being able to accomplish new things, you'll discover one morning that your body has been sneakily changing.
Wake Up Early
Watch the sun rise and be amazed at the sheer beauty of it. And then go start your day. You'll feel empowered and productive. And it's pretty hard to be down in the dumps when you feel empowered and productive.
Give Back
Focus on serving other people. If we think of life as a place that's all about making ourselves happy, our lives are probably going to be a pretty lonely, hard and disappointing life. Give to the people around you. Help people for no reason other than to help them. If you have an opportunity to be kind, do it. Even if you won't have the chance to Facebook it later on. OK, especially if you don't have the chance.
Go Outside
Our lives today are amazingly cushy and full of incredible things like TV, the internet (blogs like this one!), and music streamed live into our kitchens. These are all things that should be enjoyed and used! But we've also become totally removed from the outdoors and nature as a part of that progress. Take time, at least once a week, to do something that connects you to the earth. Be out in the sun, sit by a stream, watch some animals and just be a human outside. You'll be glad you did.
Don't Complain
OK, we don't mean never complain ever because that is just ridiculous to expect. Instead, try to focus on the good instead of the bad. You can't help but feel more positive if you are thinking positively. That sounds obvious but you would not believe how many people quote inspirational sayings, but approach their actual life expecting the worse. If you approach life expecting the bad, you're going to have things go wrong simply because of your attitude!! Look for the good in your life and you'll be surprised to find that it's looking for you!
Enjoy Life
Life is awesome. And it sucks because, well, it's life. We're all given a certain amount of time here on this earth. Enjoy it while you're here. Drink that glass of wine, tell your mom you love her and help that old lady out of her car. Your life is your story, live it out loud.
xo xo Liz & Adrian
Photo Credit: Tumblr
