Take Time to Gaze at the Stars
It seems like everybody's in a mad rush every moment of the day lately to get
"important things" done. Our lives have become so busy that we just go through
the motions each day trying to cross everything off our to do lists. Is life really
about having a spotless house, working 60 hours a week, or otherwise
living up to someone else's standards? Perhaps we're not taking the time to look at
the big picture and to gaze at the stars once in awhile.
Live Your Dreams
Are you spending your days doing things that are directly related
to what you value and will help you accomplish your long-term goals
in life? Sitting in front of the television for hours each day or
simply going through a routine of going to work, cooking dinner, and
turning in for the night are not exactly ways to accomplish your goals,
that is unless your goal in life is to simply exist and nothing more.
If you just go through life blindly without a plan who knows where you'll
end up, but if you begin with the end in mind and make a plan you're much
more likely to succeed in the game of life.
Have you even thought about what you value and what your goals
are? I don't just mean thinking that you value your family or
a paycheck. I mean really evaluating what your life means to you
or what you want it to mean. You may envision your ideal future
in your mind but never believe it is something you can have, and if
you don't take action and plan out how to get to where you want to be
you very likely will never have the life you dream about. You make
the choices and you are responsible for the path you take in life.
Sitting down and writing out everything you care about and what your
values are will help you to determine your goals and then you can
make a plan that will help you get there.
Everyone has things they've always wanted to do or accomplish but
that they've been afraid to hope for because of the possibility of
what they believe to be failure. The truth is, you are failing by
not going after what you want just because you're "afraid." Living
your life without any direction or plan almost guarantees that you will
fail to reach your goals and live your dreams.
Think of what your life would be like if you lived each day with a plan
and filled your time with things that were directly in line with what
you value most in life and would help you to accomplish the things you've
always wanted. Now think of how much time you waste every day doing
meaningless tasks or simply sitting around doing nothing.
Tasks are meaningless if they are not in line with your values and goals.
It's not selfish to say no to people requesting that you spend your precious
time doing things that are not meaningful to you. I'm not suggesting that you
say no to helping someone out or volunteering your time for a cause that you
feel is worthy. I'm saying that, for example, when an emotional vampire
(a so-called friend who does nothing but take from the relationship) asks you
to spend your only day off listening to the same problems she's had for years
you shouldn't feel guilty about saying no. In fact, you should rid your life
completely of that "friend." On the other hand, if your good friend (one who
gives as much as takes from the relationship) asks you to baby-sit her children
while she goes to a job interview, you may feel that this is a worthwhile way
to spend your time since you determined that friendship is definitely something
you value and that you would like to build meaningful friendships. If you decide
on a particular career you've always been interested in, attending classes, studying,
and seeking employment in that field would obviously be good ways to spend your time.
Maybe you value health and your goal is to lose weight. Eating a pint of chocolate
marshmallow ice cream while watching old sitcoms because you're having a "bad day"
would certainly not be the best strategy.
Live each day with deliberate intentions. This doesn't mean you should try to
be perfect and spend every single waking moment filled with specific activities.
That would undoubtedly lead to stress and dissatisfaction with life. Most people
value their mental health and need to spend quiet time to reflect, meditate, or
just take time to unwind. Relaxation and recreation can certainly fit in with your
time management plans because you value your emotional well-being. Living with
deliberate intentions simply means that you spend the majority of your time doing
things that you have deemed important and worthwhile because they will contribute
to your success or nurture what you value. It's all about priority and what matters
most to you personally.
Change...
Think about why you do things a certain way. Is it because it's the way
you've always done it and you're comfortable with it? Do you go through
your day always doing things the same way and never thinking of ways to do
things more efficiently? Chances are, if this is how you approach life, you're
missing out on the opportunity to learn new things and to advance. Change usually
doesn't feel comfortable at first, but nothing great ever happens from resisting
change. We wouldn't have televisions, cars, or computers if people hadn't been
willing to take risks and think differently. Throughout all learning processes in
your life you may feel uncomfortable and afraid of the unknown, but eventually
when you decide to accept change or even embrace it, you will feel comfortable
and almost always gain from it. If you think of anyone who is successful, chances
are that person has taken a lot of risks and done things that were outside of
their comfort zone. It's all in your attitude and openness to learning new things
and willingness to consider new ideas. You will find that you will really benefit
from listening to the ideas of others, as well as sharing your own. Once you start
thinking this way, with each new success you will become more and more comfortable
with change.
Think About It
Would you look at the world the same if today was your last day on this
earth and would you quickly rush through the monotonous tasks of daily
life without stopping to appreciate the beauty around you if you would
not have another chance tomorrow?
Think about what would truly be meaningful to you if you had little time
left. What probably comes instantly to mind are cherished memories of
simple moments with those you love and care about and happy times you've
had. Suddenly it seems clear that our daily concerns with how the guy in
front of us is driving or how long we had to wait in a line are not really
very important after all. So much energy is wasted every day on worry and
stress over matters of little significance in the big picture. There are
so many small events that cause us such upset but are of such insignificance
when you stop to really consider the meaning of your life and what is truly
important. Each of us chooses how to live our lives and we are responsible
for our own happiness. You choose how you see a situation and how you react
to it.
Many of us do not fully accept or grasp the fact that our lives could end
abruptly at any moment. You could have decades left and pass peacefully in
your sleep at 100 years old or your life could suddenly end in a few years,
a few months, a few weeks, a few days, or even just a few hours from now.
Don't think of this as morbid and sad; rather, think of it as a way of
evaluating what you want from your existence in this world and making your
life full and meaningful, however long it may be. The hard fact is, our
destiny is not revealed to us until it is too late to go back and live
accordingly. Doesn't that seem like a good reason to live in the moment
and cherish each second of life as if it were your last?
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