How to build a better life
Dec 28th, 2011 by ljkim
Instead of buying ever pricier toys, or ever more elaborate and exotic vacations how about taking all that time and energy to design a great life instead? A life that’s so good you won’t ever “need” a vacation. A life that’s so good, so meaningful and comfortable that other people WANT to be in your life… to share in your world because you really know how to live. And I guarantee that if you have a happier life you will do better at work, find a better job, do better at personal goals like weight loss or getting fit, or saving money, etc. Why? The reason why we often fail at these things is because we’re not “happy” enough at the core – so we wind up using other things (food, vacations, toys, etc) to make ourselves feel better… So instead of chasing after temporary relief – let’s get our lives in order… How do you do that? Here are ten personal suggestions – take and use what makes sense to you…
10. Get a great routine… The most important parts of your life is not the things you do once in a while, it’s the stuff you do regularly. Make church a regular part of your life. Take a class, get season tickets to something and do that every year.
9. Throw out your television, you don’t need one. If you have must-watch shows, use tivo or DVD’s – that way your life doesn’t revolve around the network’s schedule.
8. Stop trying to make long distance friends a regular part of your life – instead invest in the people you have here… (Okay I know that one can come across wrong – but the people who are most miserable where they are, tend to be people who’s closest friends are living in different time zones. Live where you are, not where you’re not.)
7. Set up a Wednesday night dinner (or something like that) where you meet up with friends on a regular basis. Find friends that live close enough that they can do this… find someplace cheap to eat where they’ll let you sit around and not have to buy lots of drinks…
6. Stop telling yourself you’re moving someplace else next year. Maybe you will, later, but right now you’re here. As long as you’re here you need to build your life here… Otherwise when you move there, you’ll eventually do the same thing.
5. Spend time in God’s Word. Learn it. Own it. Live it.
4. Get in touch with your body. Notice how what you eat affects your moods and energy levels. Notice how right amounts of sleep and exercise helps change your energy levels in the following days. This requires a scientific mindset because cause and effect are usually not immediate. Take a multivitamin, don’t eat instant foods, get plenty of sleep, exercise.
3. Forgive people. This is not only for God’s sake, and it’s not only for the sake of the person you’re forgiving – but it will take a load off your emotional burdens. And long term it will teach you what it means that you too are forgiven.
2. Read good books. Read some Christian books too. I’ve always read a bit… but I never thought it was “mandatory” for other people – but I notice that people who grow usually read. People who stay the same either read only trashy books, or don’t read at all. So read something that will be worth reading in 200 years. Or, if it’s Christian literature, and you’re able, read stuff that is really really often read AND really really old.
1. Invest in your church. Make it (in a sense) your surrogate for God… Not that you should listen to your church “as though it were God…” no, that’s the mistake the Medieval Church made… Instead, take your love and devotion for God and direct it toward the people and the work of the Church. That’s what Jesus meant (I think) when he asked Peter “do you love me?” And then said… “feed my sheep.”
Got any other suggestions? Share the wealth in the comments section!
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