What would it take for you to have a Great Day, every day? Is a Great Day Everyday even possible? Probably not. But you can make most days Great Days. All it takes is some kind of combination of 5 High Impact Options. Check it out.
I’ve just emerged from an extended period of feeling bored and useless. Every day was not a great day. In fact, every day sucked! Why? I think I expected to experience something special each day. Perhaps I was simply trying too hard.
The 5 Tips at a Glance
I woke up this morning thinking, “What really matters in my life?” Here’s what came to mind almost immediately…
- Love: loving and being loved
- Learning: embracing life through books and experiences
- Usefulness: being useful or productive or helpful
- Kindness: and a host of other virtues
- Health: body and soul
You can easily practice these 5 simple things. In fact, if you were to put these simple things on an everyday checklist, you would discover more daily satisfaction and contentment.
Is this list arbitrary? Absolutely. It just came to mind this morning, yet the more I review the list the more I believe it will work for you and me. Not only will you experience personal gratification but you will make a difference in the lives of others as well. How cool.
Exploring the 5 Tips
LOVE: Duh, kind of obvious, isn’t it? We all need to be loved. In fact, it can easily be argued that Love is your greatest of all needs. In the same way you also need to give love. Few things are more gratifying. You’re familiar with the adage, “it is better to give than to receive.” Written 2000 years ago, it merely reflects a universal human truth. The act of giving love will often result in you getting back more than you gave.
LEARNING: I like this word much more than “growth” or “maturity.” You can’t keep score of learning like you tend to do with growth and maturity. Learning does not imply improvement. Instead it’s all about satisfying some almost indefinable need residing deep in your soul. And the beauty is you have a never-ending supply of learning opportunities. I learn by reading, traveling, movies and documentaries, experimenting with a new hobby or becoming an expert in a fun new field.
USEFULNESS: Oh my! If I am not useful or helpful in some way I feel almost worthless. Do you feel the same? What’s new for me is that I’ve discovered I can be useful in almost unlimited ways. In the past, I taught myself to think that I must make a huge difference in an organization or in someone’s life. Now I’ve concluded that big is not better. “Big” only requires more effort.
Thirty years ago I joined a new start-up church and was excited to help in any way I could. When one of the leaders invited me to be a Chairman I was honored and a bit prideful… until I discovered that the duties of a chairman were to set up and take down chairs in the gymnasium of the high school we rented. Haha.
KINDNESS: Although kindness is closely associated with “love” I still think it deserves its own category. Kindness is simple: Just Be Nice!
HEALTH: Five years ago this would not have made my list. But the older I get the more I realize just how critical it is to intentionally maintain my health. A few years ago I was informed that after 60 we lose 1% muscle mass annually unless we exercise. Wow. Without exercise and nutrition by 80 years old I will have lost 20% of muscle mass. No wonder we see older folks with broken hips and hunched backs. I HATE WORKING OUT!!! But my option is premature aging. No, no. I have too much to do!
So What Now?
Okay it’s that time in the post for suggestions. I have offered 5 Tips for enjoying a Great Day, Every Day.
- If you touch at least 3 of the 5, you will most likely have an excellent day.
- If you do all 5, which is quite easy because all 5 are so normal, you can expect a Great Day!
Make a Great Day
Your New Normal
Photo courtesy of TakakoWatanabe at istockphoto
Thanks for the tips, Mary
I’m glad you found the post helpful Mary. I review that list daily.