“What have you done for YOURSELF this year to create a better life?”
– Jack Canfield
…was the question of the day. I found that question to be interesting because we are always paying attention to the things we can do to make someone else’s day better. Or, in the light of our own situation, we are always looking for the next thing we can do to make our own lives better. Very rarely are we asked to stop and think about the things we’ve done in the past year that has already made our lives better.
Today I set off on my drive back to Cape Cod with that question on my mind and I began to make a list. I decided the list could include anything that made my life better in any way – no matter how big or how small. Here is what I came up with:
1. I got a new car to make these trips safer and more enjoyable with Bluetooth hands free and Pandora radio.
2. I learned to make a simple chicken soup from broth, canned chicken, two carrots and a stalk of celery. Makes lunch quick and easy.
3. I bought an art table so I have a space to illustrate without having to clean up or mess up the kitchen counters.
4. I bought a new, natural gas grill and am putting in a new fire pit to make the backyard more comfortable for hubby n I and guests.
5. I added Koko Fit Club to increase my exercise level.
6. I meditated my way to liking myself for who I am and not requiring others to make me feel valued or complete.
7. I learned to make a simple sangria. (Everyone should know how to make a simple sangria.) Cut up some orange slices. Place in a wine glass with ice and pour some red wine over it. Yes, it definitely improved my life.
8. I put twinkly white lights on my mantle all year round. It makes me 🙂
9. I cleaned the basement!
10. I expanded my iTeach business working with both children and adults.
And…I bet I could go on and on. Guess what I just did? I made a gratitude list in less than ten minutes. Usually, when asked to make a gratitude list, after my husband, kids, and home I start bogging down and listing things like the white pebble on the beach. How different and how easy it was when the question was rephrased. Instead of trying to list the things you are thankful for, try listing the things you’ve done in the past year that have definitely improved your life and voila! – you have a list of all the things you’re thankful for beyond your family and home. Who knew? Change the wording, change your thinking. (I’m a writer – I should’ve known.)
So…what have you done for YOURSELF this year to create a better life? Get that list going and I guarantee you’ll get the energy boost you’ve been craving.
And so, as another day goes by, the soup is simmering on the stove as I speak, the sangria will flow as we build the fire pit, never underestimate the power of rephrasing, and…I have written.
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