At the end of your life, the most important things will be how you loved others, how they loved you and how you seized every opportunity that came your way.
No matter what stage of life you’re in, you always should be growing.
Maybe life sucks for you right now, and you want to take all the broken pieces and rebuild it into something bigger. There’s no better place to start than from the bottom. Or, maybe your life is great right now, and you want to continue to live it to the fullest.
Either way, here are some ways you can improve your life right now—and no, I don’t mean with yoga and smoothies.
Recognize all the people around you.
You should never go through things alone. We were not created to do so. Realize all the people who are in your life and cherish them. One day, they may not be there anymore. Talk to them and absorb wisdom from them. Spend time with the people you have been too preoccupied to get to know beforehand.
Take time to develop your talent and skills.
Think about something you have always wanted to learn to do or something you’ve been wanting to get better at. Maybe that’s learning to paint, learning to play a new song on the piano or finally reading that book you’ve been eyeing. Why haven’t you done it yet? We think we have endless amounts of time, but we don’t. Take time to grow intellectually, physically and spiritually, and that will ripple into all other aspects of your life.
Rewire your thinking.
This is something I don’t even feel I have the liberty to write about because I am so bad at it. Coming from a tragic over-thinker, it is so easy to focus on one scenario and let it overcome your thoughts. This isn’t healthy. The hardest thing to do is learn when you can no longer control a situation or predict an outcome, let go and focus on other things. It’s what is best for you.
Throw yourself into all opportunities possible.
This is so important, especially if you are trying to heal from something. Even if something does not particularly interest you, do it anyway. It will keep you busy and keep your mind from wandering. If something scares you, do it—especially if it scares you. You will grow the most through these things. This is also an amazing way to make memories with people who you didn’t even realize you loved so much.
Learn what to let go of and how to pick your battles.
Choosing to live a positive life doesn’t mean your life is going to be positive all the time. Hard circumstances are inevitable. It is about learning the distinction between what deserves your energy and what doesn’t. If you want to live a happier life you must learn what situations deserve an emotional reaction and which ones need to be let go of.
Pour yourself into others.
You can only spend so much time focusing on yourself and your situation. Don’t forget all the other people around you. They are all going through things they are not going to talk about.
No matter how bad things may be for you, try to serve other people. This will bounce back and have a positive influence on you as well. It can be as simple as asking a friend to get coffee, not to talk about your problems but to listen to theirs.
Have faith.
Remember, as badly as you want to see the future, you can’t. You can’t skip to the end of the chapter without reading the pages. You have to embrace the struggle and use it as an opportunity to grow. When it gets hard, remember that you are being cared for. You will end up exactly where you’re meant to be.
People love to talk about self-care in terms of bath bombs, face masks and a good workout routine. I’m not saying any of these things aren’t important, but I feel that a lot of people forget that one of the best ways to heal yourself is by pouring yourself into the world and people around you.
At the end of your life, the most important things will be how you loved others, how they loved you and how you seized every opportunity that came your way.