10 Simple Steps to Improve Your Life

I know. You’ve heard it all before, right?

That’s the first step but to make things happen, we need to take action.

Actions can be small. Many small actions add up to BIG changes.

If you look back your own life, you can probably find at least one instance of this. You may not remember but there was a time when you were crawling and attempting to get up. You kept at it and one day, you were walking. That’s a HUGE change. Especially for those around you because at that point, you were able to get around very quickly – which meant more eyes needed to be on you to ensure your safety. The process is always the same. You ought not to jump into the deep end of the pool if you don’t know how to swim. It’s scary and it can be life threatening – which is indeed life changing – but not in a good way!

Starting small and seeing small results motivates us to continue and when we do, the results increase and life brings more positive things your way.

So I’m offering you a challenge – prove me wrong. Go ahead. Take one of the small changes below and incorporate it into your life for one week. BE CONSISTENT. It’s really not fair to say “I’ve proved you wrong, T” when you didn’t do your part. I’m offering the steps, you need to take the action and do them properly. It won’t work otherwise. Everything does require SOME effort.

Choose one of these items to add to your daily routine and, no, you don’t need to start on a Sunday or Monday. Start today, right now. The sooner you begin the sooner your life will change for the better. Why put that off?

1.   Before you get out of bed each morning, just say Thank You. Say it out loud. Say it with your heart, say it with full gratitude. If you say it with disgust, because you’re just not into this, or you throw your thanks out into the air, then you’re not feeling into your gratitude. Offer thanks to the Universe, Spirit, Source, Abraham, Jesus, Ra, whoever the God of your understanding happens to be. Then get out of bed and move forward in your day. When we acknowledge our gratitude, positivity flows. Get those good feelings in your heart and say THANK YOU!!!!! You got another day, not everyone is as fortunate. 

2.   Before you take a sip of coffee or bite of toast, say Thank You. Some don’t have food to eat let alone options. How lucky are we? 

3.   As you step outside of your humble abode, take in a deep breath of air. You can breathe, and you can breathe deeply. It feels so good to take in that life sustaining breath. As you breathe, say Thank You. You’re lungs are able to take in air and keep you alive. That’s not true for all. 

4.   Before you get into your vehicle, on the bus, train, plane, bicycle, ferry, or whatever mode of transportation you require to get to your job, say Thank You. Your legs got you to your mode of transportation and your choice of transportation is going to get you the rest of the way. 

5.   If you’re buying a cup of Joe, don’t just quickly, courteously, say thanks to the barista. Look them in the eye and say Thank You. It is amazing how they will respond. People don’t always give a whole lot of notice to those in service. They will be appreciative and it will carry on to the next customer and the next and the next. You never know whose day you will be making better simply because you took a second, not even a minute, a second, to look them straight in the eye and acknowledge THEM. We all like to be acknowledged, it doesn’t take much to do so.

 

 

6.   SMILE. Let the world know that you are approachable and you have confidence in YOU. Smiling takes less effort than frowning and it really does start to change the way you feel. Your brain reacts to your body language – may as well let your brain react positively. Get those happy endorphins flowing and your day will be much better than you think!

7.   Pay a compliment. Is there someone who may be just missing the mark in whatever they are attempting to accomplish? That happens. We can’t always be at the TOP of our game. Life circumstances affect all that we do. Perhaps this person needs a bit of encouragement. Tell them you know they’re working hard and putting in a great effort and thank them for that. Acknowledgements can shift our thinking, which, when we’re trying to resolve an issue or come up with an idea, can really influence the outcome of our efforts. If you don’t know anyone who fits this scenario, what about YOU? When I’m trying to figure something out and I’m not getting it right, I’m not failing. I’m just finding the ways that don’t work. Cut yourself some slack. You’re working at it and you will find the way that does work.

8.   Go for a walk. Get out in nature. Really take it in and as you do, you’ll find your heart will open, your body will relax, your creativity will start to flow and your mood will lift. Even if you’re already in a happy state, you’ll increase your endorphin levels which will prolong that state of positivity. Be aware of what you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste. You can taste the air. You can feel it on your hands and face. What is nature doing? Take notice and give thanks for all that you see, feel, hear and for being able to take time to acknowledge it all.

9.   Throughout the day, as you meet with others, over lunch or during appointments, BE with that person. You chose to allocate this time with this person for whatever reason. Now, BE with them. Listen. Enjoy the interaction. Admire their qualities, the stories they tell, the statements they make, the points they bring up. Paying attention to others is so important in building and sustaining healthy relationships. They’ll feel good, you’ll feel good – it’s a win-win.

10.               Do you have a spouse, significant other, child or pet? Hug them, at least once, every day. The human touch is so important to our life. We crave it. We need it. It’s vital to our existence. A hug, be it gentle, strong, small, big, short or long, is a sure sign, that the person hugging wants you to know they love you and you matter. When you hug someone, it’s usually returned in kind and that action releases endorphins that once again, bring about positive feelings. It’s hard to declare war on someone when you have love in your heart. As for your significant other – a 10 second kiss in the morning and again in the evening is crucial to letting that special someone know, whatever the day brought, they’re still you’re number one person. It’s also fun and playful and romantic and  . . .again, all good stuff.

 

At the end of each day, reflect back. Did you really put your best effort into ONE of the steps? Think about it . . . be honest. Re-live it and acknowledge how well you did. Give thanks when you determine that you gave it your best. Give thanks when you recognize you didn’t because you now have that knowledge, you are aware and you have the option to start anew tomorrow. 

Want to make changes faster? Each night, write down 5 things about the day for which you are truly grateful. It can be anything. The sunshine, the rain we needed, a door held open for you, the fact that you found a space quickly in a full parking lot, the unexpected check in the mail, the smell of freshly mown grass, the list is endless. Maintaining a gratitude journal is a great way to increase and quicken more positive things coming into your life.

When we give thanks at night, prior to sleeping, we get a better nights’ sleep and we wake up more rested and refreshed. Take note of how that gratitude imbues your entire being. SMILE and rest well. 

When you do ONE thing for just ONE week, you’ll see a difference in your life. If you feel to, go ahead, add more. The more you incorporate the more of a difference you will notice and the more you will find yourself in the true flow of your life.

Be Happy – Give Gratitude!