1. Release fear.

Well, I went ahead jumped right in. We could all benefit from less humming and hawing over the ‘what ifs’ in life. If our hearts call out to do something, why do we analyze all the bad things that might happen, when so many amazing things could happen? Change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s wanted, sometimes not. Why not provoke some changes by facing fear, instead of waiting around for it to find us hiding in our own shadows? Life is awesome, confusing and unpredictable. Take a chance.

 2. Take it easy on yourself.

We’ve all made mistakes. We’re all flawed. The beauty is, that is how we connect with one and other. Funny how that works, we spend time looking for someone to accept us when what we need is to accept ourselves. Not one of us is destitute due to past mistakes. No path is ever as clear as it should be. Let us celebrate the seasons of our lives, reflect on how we’ve changed and grown, clear some space and turn a new page.

3. Take a vacation at home.

Think about what a vacation really does. We go somewhere we’ve never been before and look at things with new appreciation because they’re exotic and mysterious. We open up our channels and let in more joy, freedom, exploration, love and even a bit more food. What we’re really chasing is that feeling of excitement. That glimpse into the unknown and the unknowable. Those escapes from routine that comes once, maybe twice a year if we’re lucky. Those things we marvel in are commonplace and routine to someone else, who thinks our lives are spectacular. If we looked at our loved ones, significant others, pets and everything else we have available to us as though we were seeing all of them for the first time, they would be just as remarkable. Commit to a tiny shift in perspective once a day, where you open up to the newness of life and unblock those channels for more life to come in. It’s easier than we think.

 4. Say something nice about yourself.

We’re so conditioned against this. It’s promoted as some kind of conceit. It’s not. You’re good at things. Everyone is. If being self-defeating is supposed to make us better people, then why does it feel so terrible? Notice something you’re really good at, accept compliments and pass the joy on to others. They’ll likely pass the joy right back. It’ll be the happiest little chain reaction.

5. Ask for help.

Asking for help doesn’t make us needy, quite the opposite, actually. All the needy people I know never ask for help. They expect it. If we don’t do what is expected, we’re suddenly the root of all evil. (Dramatic? A bit.) Asking for help shows respect for the people in your life. We are recognizing that they have other things to do, but they’re really good at something that would help us at this point in time. Asking and accepting help is a great bonding experience. Instead of grimacing over the things in our lives that are undone, we could ask someone to breathe more life in by helping us. Asking for help is pretty lovely after all, for both the helped and the helpers

6. Give yourself a pat on the back.

Are you an avid reader, recycler, volunteer, dog-walker, thank you say-er or any other combination of attributes we often look at as responsibilities? We all provide value to our community and loved ones just by being ourselves. We all do way more than we think. And we mean more to someone than we know. Instead of trampling over these things to get where we’re going. Let’s take a look at the value we provide and commit to adding more value to others, the world and ourselves, because we have the space for it and it feels good.

7. Leave a little wiggle room.

We’re not perfect. Celebrate that! It is really amazing that we have a life to experience. Yeah, we may muck it up a little here and there. Consider the alternative, perfection… Um, like living in a museum or something? No thank you! I’d rather roll around in the mud, ruin my favorite dress, then go on to find a new favorite one to ruin. We are imperfect beings and this is an imperfect world. We can expect our fair share of late flights and spilled coffee, but the moments in between are pretty miraculous really. Live for those.

 

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Editorial Assistant: Cami Krueger/Editor: Bryonie Wise

Photo: courtesy Adrienne Leonard