Rafal Olkis via Getty Images
Recently I did a speaking tour on the East Coast of the U.S. and noticed that people were tired of the cold, snow, and dark gloomy days and wanted some relief. I promised everyone I’d deliver sunshine in my next blog post — so here goes! I encourage you to read, digest, live and share…
I often ask people: “If tomorrow was the last day of your life, how would you live it?” If that vision doesn’t match up with the life you’re living today, it’s time to make some changes!
Sometimes we get so caught up in old patterns and behaviors that we start to take our lives, other people, and situations for granted. Spring brings with it a sense of renewal, and I’ve found it’s the perfect time to reinvent your self. Shake off those winter cobwebs and take steps to reassess and renew your life!
Here are some tactics I use to freshen my perspective and stimulate positive change. Challenge yourself to try as many as you can:
1. Look at your life and pick out some behavior patterns you’d like to eliminate. There’s no time like the present — make today the day you kick those habits and make a change for the better.
2. Reset the goals you want to accomplish over the next three years. Three years is a perfect time frame for achieving significant goals — one year isn’t always long enough, but you can make great progress in three! Write your goals down and post them in a place where you’ll see them every day.
3. Reflect upon your life over the past few years. What you are most proud of? Take some time to celebrate your accomplishments. If you’re having trouble doing this, it might help to ask yourself this question: How many people’s lives have I changed for the better?
4. Spring cleaning your home is an easy way to gain a fresh perspective on life! Clean out the old storage boxes that have been sitting in the basement or garage for more than two years, or tackle a closet that you’ve been avoiding – freeing yourself from unwanted stuff (clothes, household items, papers, electronics) is amazingly liberating.
5. Move the furniture in the house, paint a room a fresh new color, hang some new photos or artwork to brighten up a drab corner. It’s easier to be a fresh new you when your surroundings feel fresh!
6. Try going 24 hours UNPLUGGED. Turn off your smart phone, computer and other gadgets and give yourself a day of reflection and renewal.
7. Go to a nursery and buy some plants and flowers for your backyard, home or windowsill. Take time, literally, to “stop and smell the roses.”
8. Do something nice for someone else. Help out at a hospital or shelter, perform a random act of kindness for a stranger, buy a greeting card for a friend or family member you have not spoken to in awhile.
9. Try out a new persona. Create a character and act like them for a day – change your look, your activities, and how you interact with other people. Take the opportunity to reevaluate a belief system you have. Examine the source of your feelings about an issue, and explore both sides.
10. Get inspired to learn something new. Visit a museum or historical monument. Go to your public library and walk through the shelves and see where you are attracted.
I hope you’ll try a few of these suggestions, or get inspired to come up with a few ideas of your own. Take advantage of the changing of the seasons to make a few positive changes in your own life. Happy Spring!
Follow James Van Praagh on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/JamesVanPraagh
More:
Spring Cleaning
Healthy Living Spirit
Renewal
Spring
Season
Personal Growth
Change
Gratitude
Screen Sense
The Third Metric
This Blogger’s Books and Other Items from…
Adventures of the Soul: Journeys Through the Physical and Spiritual Dimensions
by James Van Praagh
Unfinished Business: What the Dead Can Teach Us about Life
by James Van Praagh
