With our hectic lives and severely over-packed schedules, we often find ourselves lost somewhere along the way. We work so hard to live passionately and abundantly, yet that same work so often becomes nothing more than a time crunch that creates scarcity and a lack of zest for life. Luckily for us, we don’t have to stop working entirely to reclaim our excitement for what is around us. We only have to take a little time to slow down and, as they say, smell the roses.
Starting with the smallest and ending with the most profound, here are some tips that will help you in your quest to bring back that sense of wonder and joy you had when you were a kid. We’re going to start with – what else? – something you can do each morning.
Make your own morning coffee (or tea!)
Don’t let the instant mix make it for you. And especially don’t let anyone else (including Starbucks) do it for you. If you do, you are missing out on a vital chance to not only shake off some of that sleepiness, but also to quiet your mind and appreciate a process that sustains you.
Sure, there’s a lot of work to be done, so you could just grab that $5 latte and be on your merry way. Or you could wake up 15 minutes earlier and start your day off with wonderful aromas and a sense of accomplishment.
Why not start your day with joy? You might even miss the morning rush.
Have lunch with a friend
If your version of lunch includes typing away at a keyboard while taking time-efficient bites out of a McDonald’s hamburger between keystrokes, then brace yourself: this one is going to be tough.
I’m talking about actually getting off the computer for at least 30 minutes at a time – or maybe even an hour – and spending that time eating and socializing with someone you like. You’ll find that your mind will naturally start to slow down and you’ll begin to enjoy yourself. And as an added bonus, you’ll have renewed creativity and, of course, productivity.
Speaking of restaurants, check out this next tip:
Eat at a new restaurant
One of my favorite things to do is combing purposes for things I enjoy. For example, I like eating, and I like new things. I find that they both allow me to slow down and appreciate what is around me. So why not combine them?
Not only could you find your new favorite place to grab a bite to eat, but the new setting will cause you to take in more of your surroundings, resulting in increased attention to detail and overall well-being. You could even combine the last tip and eat at a new restaurant with a friend. How’s that for time management?
But enough of being so social. Part of enjoying the mystery of life is turning inward and taking a look around the ol’ attic upstairs. And don’t mind if you find any cobwebs – we will clean those right up.
Take a walk by yourself
If this doesn’t make you feel good, I don’t know what will. I find a lonesome walk through the park to be a necessity at times. The key to this tip is knowing when to use it. You know that moment when you’re feeling so stressed out that your head is about ready to burst and you can’t find a minute to take a drink of water, let alone a leisurely stroll?
Well, that’s exactly when you need to take a walk. Under no circumstances should life ever become crazy enough that you lose that precious inner sense of joy. The moment you forget about that, you’ve already lost perspective. Anything you do from then on will be much more prone to error and failure. Work from positivity, not negativity.
Oh, and about your walk – be sure to turn off your cell phone. I know, I know – just do it.
Get rid of one thing a day
This may not make much sense of first, but it will soon enough. The truth is, we have so much clutter surrounding us at any given moment (at the office, in our cars, in our homes) and we’ve become so accustomed to it that we no longer notice how it affects us. If you start cleaning up some of that external clutter, a lot of internal clutter will go away immediately.
However, chances are you don’t have a lot of extra time to spend cleaning up junk. And spring cleaning is what, like two seasons away? The solution: choose one (or two, or three) items each and every day and get rid of them. You will be surprised at how much you’ve accumulated over the years.
It will be difficult at first, so expect some resistance. But after some time you will begin to learn to let go of your packrat tendencies, and your mind will thank you for your efforts.
BDST: 1732 HRS, Nov-01, 2014
