Living your life and loving it

Yep, grass always looks greener from afar and it will always seem like everybody else is getting all the goodness out of life and you can’t seem to get your hold on it. I bet at times you get to wonder when that time will come when you actually get to enjoy your life. Enjoy it to the fullest like all the motivational speakers say you can.
First things first, you need to stop complicating everything and start understanding the fundamental principles of life and pleasure and you will surely feel fulfilled in all aspects.
It sounds easy, doesn’t it? That’s simply because it is. I’ve listed the top 10 happiness boosters that will give that fatigued face an instant lift. It will also get rid of those bags under your eyes because loving your life means you get enough sleep.

New Year happiness boosters

(1) Be grateful: For once, just make a list of every good thing that has happened to you for as far as you can remember. Think of the good education that you were given. Think of the time that your parents were there to watch and support you at a school tournament. Be grateful about your experiences that have made you who you are. Think of even the worst situations that could have built your character. Be grateful for the fact that you have been in and out of the fire. Think about how some people are yet to experience what you already have. Each night, right before you close your eyes, recall at least one thing that went well that day and each morning thank God that you are alive to see the sunrise again.

(2) Realise your self worth: Stand in front of the mirror (remove all your clothes if you have to). Take a good look at yourself. Study the texture of your hair, the colour of your eyes, your skin tone and your curves. Pick out the best parts of your body and accept your imperfections. From that moment start appreciating that the person in the mirror is you. Start appreciating that you are different from the other person who reads this article and is also looking into their mirror right now. Okay, now you are becoming a bit vain. Get away from that mirror. Sit down and list down your strengths, your capabilities and your talents. Now start on another list. Here write down your weaknesses. Don’t pretend you don’t have any. Do another list. This time it’s about your preferences. What are your likes and your dislikes? Understand that all these things put together set you apart as an individual. Know that being different means that you are special and you are rare. There is no replica of you (and you could never afford a clone if you were thinking of trying to prove me wrong).

(3) Get positive influence: Surrounding yourself with people who can influence you positively is a step in the right direction in terms of growth and development. Stay clear of gossip folk. Constantly gossiping means you are constantly looking into other peoples lives and wasting your energy on hating on their achievements instead of working on your own. Gossip folks are failures and want to pull you down with them in a tide of constant drama involving a whole lot of backstabbing. You could use your time involving yourself in social groups with people you share the same interests with.

(4) Forgive and release: Learning to let go of grudges might not make the people who wronged you better people but it will definitely set your mind and your spirit free. Commu-nicating with the people who have wronged you and opening up on how you feel releases the pain that might have been inflicted, though you might not entirely forget about the issue.

(5) Enjoy a bit of ‘me time’: Take some time to discover yourself. The modern woman should understand that her life rotates around six vital elements. These are her health, career, family, social life,  love life and most of all spiritual life. Create a balance between them.
Health
Regular physical self examinations and observations are very important. Understand your body and how it should function. Do breast examinations, feeling for lumps that could be possible signs of breast cancer. Visit your general practitioner often enough to do a general check on you. Eat right, get enough sleep and exercise. Have a relaxed mind and balance your emotions to prevent high blood pressure, stress and depression.
 Career
Don’t let anyone dictate your goals for you. Set your own goals and follow them through. Do not procrastinate. Be self-motivated enough to climb the mountain of success. Do not wait to be motivated by others because soon you will realize that there are very few people who are supportive and offer encouragement.
Family
It is important to know every detail about your family line. A number of physical ailments are hereditary. With this knowledge you will reduce your risk for disease and help your doctor pinpoint the symptoms. Spend time with some of your family members and learn to support each other where you have to.
Social life
Most women lose themselves in taking care of their husbands and children so much that they forget to have a life of their own. No matter how old you are and how many children you have, you need to have a social life. Have a few of your friends that you go out with and have a good time. Do not turn yourself into a party freak but try doing coffee for an hour after work with some good company. It’s also right to let your family know who you hang around with to avoid future drama.
Love life
Love with all your heart. Be the best person you can be for the love of your life. Make time for them and communicate how you feel about any issue. Learn to give them some space to breath as well.
To W4

Living your life, and loving it

From W3
Do not be too clingy or too dependent or else you are just giving them the platform to take advantage of you.
Spiritual life
Give yourself time for spiritual growth and be spiritually uplifted. Being spiritual can help you balance your emotions and make sense of situations.

(6) Look good, feel good: Make dressing up and looking good your new habit that you just can’t break. A lot of married people think that marriage means it’s time to lose out on trends and style. Don’t let it get to that but do it for yourself. Look into the mirror and feel confident about how you look. You can even get a hair cut just to change your look and revamp your appearance. Don’t neglect yourself. Be aware of what looks good on you and keep yourself well informed on what’s in and what’s out. Be eternally fashion conscious regardless of your size or your shape. Also keep fit and watch what you eat. Taking walks and dancing most days of the week will reduce a host of diseases and will help you gain energy and will slash stress.

(7) Make your money work for you: You should keep track of how much you spend. Break down your expenses into categories, e.g. try breaking it into bills, food, grooming. See how much you spend on these every month. Don’t be a slave to your money. Your money has to work for you. Trim down on expenses and try to save up a little at a time. Also make long term financial goals and stick to them.

(8) Laughter is the best medicine: Research has found that laughing works nearly as well as antidepressants. Do things that keep you joyful and surround yourself with comical or humorous people to lighten up your day and give you a good laugh.

(9) Charity work: Studies have shown that joining others to work for a worthy cause such as donating or assisting charities one way or the other keeps you content. This is from realizing how advantaged you are and it drives you to help others. It keeps you busy so it is as good for your health as regular exercise.

(10) Walk away from anything that’s bad for you: You don’t have to tolerate all the bad things that are done against you. Don’t make a scene out of it but simply walk away. Break free from abusive relationships. Don’t think twice about it. Yes, you can also walk away from that job that’s taking away all your energy for nothing. Your boss tries to lure you back with a better offer? Know that it will be short lived and do your two stepping out of that office. The best way to stay clear of anything that’s bad for you is learning to say no.

l For comments or questions and/or if you would like to be added on to our database, contact: missk@zol.co.zw