Transforming
our lives into "purpose" can
be a most rewarding process. It can
be one of the most challenging, as well.
Living our lives with purpose means
we must live in the moment, not in the
past, nor in the future. It means to
live consciously in the moment. That
is the challenge! Too many of us live
in the world of "what ifs"
or in the world of "coulda, woulda,
shouldas." If you live in the world
of regrets, you will fail to see the
possibilities, hope, and transforming
energy in your life.
The following "8 Ways of
TRANSFORMING Your Life" are
suggestions you can use to find purpose
in each and every day of your life.
The suggestions are not some magical
formula, nor anything extraordinary;
they are simply purposeful actions
that each of us can do on a daily
basis to help us find purpose, meaning,
and create transforming moments within
our lives.
1. Journaling. Ah, the old
practice of journaling! A simple tool,
but most effective. Getting our thoughts
out of our head and onto paper is
a most helpful tool. It has the potential
to give you clarity around your thinking.
It allows you to put your thinking
into perspective and create a space
for redirecting negative thoughts.
2. Think Yourself Happy. Most
of us have heard the saying, "Fake
it until you make it!" "Think
yourself happy" is another twist
of that phrase. Happiness starts with
our thinking. Thinking is the catalyst
for our feelings; our feelings are
the catalyst for our actions. Happiness
starts from within, it does not have
to be dependant upon the externals
of our lives. Create happiness by
thinking "Happy!" Smile
more, laugh more, and think good thoughts.
3. Live for today. Think about
this for the moment. Can we really
have our thoughts dwelling on the
past or focused on the future, if
we are to live for today? To live
our life with purpose, we can only
live in the moment. The past is lessons
taught and the future never arrives,
only the present moment arrives. Our
choices today will influence the next
"moment" when it arrives.
We can't tackle the tomorrows, we
can only deal with today. Choose to
live today with purpose.
4. Make a plan. What a simple,
yet most effective process. The "To
Do List"! I call it the determination
list, things I'm determined to do
today. There is something edifying
about creating and accomplishing a
"Determination Plan of the Day."
By doing so, we begin to make better
choices about living out the day;
we recognize and better appreciate
our responsibilities; we don't just
float through the day, but live it
consciously; and we can eliminate
indecisive living. We take charge
of our lives, rather than letting
life take charge of us.
5. Honor your mind. One of
the key tools in helping prevent or
reduce the effects of some forms of
dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease,
is keeping the mind active. Be determined
to learn something new today; read
something that you've been wanting
to read for some time; create something
new. Exercising the mind is like exercising
the body, we need to put some exertion
into it to make it count.
6. Renew your soul. Our soul
is always in need of attention. It
finds pleasure in finding purpose
in our daily interactions with others.
Be determined to do something for
someone today without expecting recognition
for your good deed. Givers gain! Love
always comes back to us if we give
it away freely. Center yourself in
prayer, meditation, or through a simple,
quiet walk. Reflect on the moment
and relish it. Connect with your higher
power.
7. Invigorate your body.
Nourish your body today with exercise,
good food, and healthy choices. Walking
is the best form of exercise and the
most accessible for most of us. Begin
with short walks, working yourself
over the weeks into longer more meaningful
treks. Drink lots of water, your body
will love you for it. Decide to kick
a bad habit that is abusing your body
by creating an alternative habit that
is a healthy choice.
8. Create a quiet space.
Consciously create quiet time for
yourself within your day. Connect
with your higher power and get a better
perspective on the things that challenge
you. Reflect on the people you are
blessed to have in your life and give
thanks for the abundance God gives
you each day. Renew your positive
energy by meditating on your blessings
of the day and strengthen your resolve
to life a purposeful, conscious life.
"Learn to get in touch
with the silence within yourself and
know that everything in life has a
purpose."
----Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M. D.
