30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself

I’m not in the habit of directly copying someone’s post content, but Marc and Angel’s Hack Life‘s “30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself” was just too good not to share it in its entirety.  Please read…guaranteed nodes and smiles to follow.

Remember today, for it is the beginning.
Today marks the start of a brave new future.

Here it is, a positive ‘to-do’ list for the upcoming year – 30 things to start doing for yourself:

1. Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways.  They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.
2. Start facing your problems head on. – It isn’t your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them.  Problems will not disappear unless you take action.  Do what you can, when you can, and acknowledge what you’ve done.  It’s all about taking baby steps in the right direction, inch by inch.  These inches count, they add up to yards and miles in the long run.
3. Start being honest with yourself about everything. – Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed.  Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become.  Be honest with every aspect of your life, always.  Because you are the one person you can forever count on.  Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are.  Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
4. Start making your own happiness a priority. – Your needs matter.  If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself.  Remember, it IS possible to take care of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you.  And once your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those who need you most.
5. Start being yourself, genuinely and proudly. – Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are.  Be yourself.  Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else.  Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms.  Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.
6. Start noticing and living in the present. – Right now is a miracle.  Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.  Right now is life.  So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future.  Stop dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past.  Learn to be in the ‘here and now’ and experience life as it’s happening.  Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now.
7. Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you. – Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress.  If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not learning.  Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again.  Appreciate that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing and improving.  Significant achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of failures.  One of the ‘mistakes’ you fear might just be the link to your greatest achievement yet.
8. Start being more polite to yourself. – If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?  The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.  You must love who you are or no one else will.
9. Start enjoying the things you already have. – The problem with many of us is that we think we’ll be happy when we reach a certain level in life – a level we see others operating at – your boss with her corner office, that friend of a friend who owns a mansion on the beach, etc.  Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there you’ll likely have a new destination in mind.  You’ll end up spending your whole life working toward something new without ever stopping to enjoy the things you have now.  So take a quiet moment every morning when you first awake to appreciate where you are and what you already have.
10. Start creating your own happiness. – If you are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you’re missing out.  Smile because you can.  Choose happiness.  Be the change you want to see in the world.  Be happy with who you are now, and let your positivity inspire your journey into tomorrow.  Happiness is often found when and where you decide to seek it.  If you look for happiness within the opportunities you have, you will eventually find it.  But if you constantly look for something else, unfortunately, you’ll find that too.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
11. Start giving your ideas and dreams a chance. – In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance.  You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work.  Most of the time you just have to go for it!  And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be.  Either you succeed or you learn something.  Win-Win.
12. Start believing that you’re ready for the next step. – You are ready!  Think about it.  You have everything you need right now to take the next small, realistic step forward.  So embrace the opportunities that come your way, and accept the challenges – they’re gifts that will help you to grow.
13. Start entering new relationships for the right reasons. – Enter new relationships with dependable, honest people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be.  Choose friends you are proud to know, people you admire, who show you love and respect – people who reciprocate your kindness and commitment.  And pay attention to what people do, because a person’s actions are much more important than their words or how others represent them.
14. Start giving new people you meet a chance. – It sounds harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made.  People and priorities change.  As some relationships fade others will grow.  Appreciate the possibility of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work.  Trust your judgment.  Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering into unfamiliar territory.  Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.
15. Start competing against an earlier version of yourself. – Be inspired by others, appreciate others, learn from others, but know that competing against them is a waste of time.  You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself.  You are competing to be the best you can be.  Aim to break your own personal records.
16. Start cheering for other people’s victories. – Start noticing what you like about others and tell them.  Having an appreciation for how amazing the people around you are leads to good places – productive, fulfilling, peaceful places.  So be happy for those who are making progress.  Cheer for their victories.  Be thankful for their blessings, openly.  What goes around comes around, and sooner or later the people you’re cheering for will start cheering for you.
17. Start looking for the silver lining in tough situations. – When things are hard, and you feel down, take a few deep breaths and look for the silver lining – the small glimmers of hope.  Remind yourself that you can and will grow stronger from these hard times.  And remain conscious of your blessings and victories – all the things in your life that are right.  Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
18. Start forgiving yourself and others. – We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and by others.  And while the pain of these experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long.  We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go.  Forgiveness is the remedy.  It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened.  It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.
19. Start helping those around you. – Care about people.  Guide them if you know a better way.  The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.  Love and kindness begets love and kindness.  And so on and so forth.
20. Start listening to your own inner voice. – If it helps, discuss your ideas with those closest to you, but give yourself enough room to follow your own intuition.  Be true to yourself.  Say what you need to say.  Do what you know in your heart is right.
21. Start being attentive to your stress level and take short breaks. – Slow down.  Breathe.  Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and move forward with clarity and purpose.  When you’re at your busiest, a brief recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity.  These short breaks will help you regain your sanity and reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.
22. Start noticing the beauty of small moments. – Instead of waiting for the big things to happen – marriage, kids, big promotion, winning the lottery – find happiness in the small things that happen every day.  Little things like having a quiet cup of coffee in the early morning, or the delicious taste and smell of a homemade meal, or the pleasure of sharing something you enjoy with someone else, or holding hands with your partner.  Noticing these small pleasures on a daily basis makes a big difference in the quality of your life.
23. Start accepting things when they are less than perfect. – Remember, ‘perfect’ is the enemy of ‘good.’  One of the biggest challenges for people who want to improve themselves and improve the world is learning to accept things as they are.  Sometimes it’s better to accept and appreciate the world as it is, and people as they are, rather than to trying to make everything and everyone conform to an impossible ideal.  No, you shouldn’t accept a life of mediocrity, but learn to love and value things when they are less than perfect.
24. Start working toward your goals every single day. – Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  Whatever it is you dream about, start taking small, logical steps every day to make it happen.  Get out there and DO something!  The harder you work the luckier you will become.  While many of us decide at some point during the course of our lives that we want to answer our calling, only an astute few of us actually work on it.  By ‘working on it,’ I mean consistently devoting oneself to the end result.  Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
25. Start being more open about how you feel. – If you’re hurting, give yourself the necessary space and time to hurt, but be open about it.  Talk to those closest to you.  Tell them the truth about how you feel.  Let them listen.  The simple act of getting things off your chest and into the open is your first step toward feeling good again.
26. Start taking full accountability for your own life. – Own your choices and mistakes, and be willing to take the necessary steps to improve upon them.  Either you take accountability for your life or someone else will.  And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own.  You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life.  And no, it won’t always be easy.  Every person has a stack of obstacles in front of them.  But you must take accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles.  Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime of mere existence.
27. Start actively nurturing your most important relationships. – Bring real, honest joy into your life and the lives of those you love by simply telling them how much they mean to you on a regular basis.  You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be everything to a few people.  Decide who these people are in your life and treat them like royalty.  Remember, you don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of.
28. Start concentrating on the things you can control. – You can’t change everything, but you can always change something.  Wasting your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control is a recipe for frustration, misery and stagnation.  Invest your energy in the things you can control, and act on them now.
29. Start focusing on the possibility of positive outcomes. – The mind must believe it CAN do something before it is capable of actually doing it.  The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.  Listen to your self-talk and replace negative thoughts with positive ones.  Regardless of how a situation seems, focus on what you DO WANT to happen, and then take the next positive step forward.  No, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you react to things.  Everyone’s life has positive and negative aspects – whether or not you’re happy and successful in the long run depends greatly on which aspects you focus on.  Read The How of Happiness.
30. Start noticing how wealthy you are right now. – Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.”  Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective.  You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.  You didn’t go to sleep outside.  You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning.  You hardly broke a sweat today.  You didn’t spend a minute in fear.  You have access to clean drinking water.  You have access to medical care.  You have access to the Internet.  You can read.  Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.

Choices…in Life…& in Presentation

XKCD puts out some of my favorite comics.  Their combinations of romance, sarcasm, math, and language are amazingly brilliant.  This recent 5 part series was too good not to share.  For me, they not only illuminate a great message, but also show how the use of simple illustrations can really send a point home – conveying more then we could with words.  Next time you’re designing a workshop, presentation or lesson, remember to put yourself in the audiences seat.  What would catch your attention?  What visuals would help you understand your keys points?

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” ~Albert Einstein

 

Anyone want to go fly a kite with me?

 

Dancing Makes Everything Better…

Today’s Inspirational Find:

A fellow classmate of mine from Antioch University posted this video from Dancing without Borders this morning.  Not only is it put together well, but its message is one that warms you from the inside out.  I think everyone should watch it.

 

The Legal Landscape of Social Enterprise & the Sharing Economy

Today’s Inspirational Find:

Video by Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC)’s Janelle Orsi and Jenny Kassan discussing the new legal landscape: lawyers helping people share, cooperate, barter, foster local economies, and build sustainable communities.  I first meet Jenny at the Slow Money Gathering last month & then later meet Janelle at a the Legal Eats Food Enterprise Workshop the SELC hosted in October.  These are amazing ladies doing some amazing things!  Check out the video to understand what I mean.  It’s about a hour & totally worth the time!

 

The Legal Landscape of Social Enterprise and the Sharing Economy from Margie Bushman on Vimeo.

Exploring Resilience: A Look into Self-Practice & Process – Episode 5

This week’s process interview is with Jen Matthews.  Jen is a doctor at Oakland Children’s Hospital.  Passionate about helping her patients, Jen partnered local food justice advocates to help grow Phat Beets Produce – a collective committed to creating a healthier, more equitable food system in North Oakland.  When not in the clinic, market or the garden, Jen can also be found hiking or playing music with her husband Zac.   And without further a due…our interview!

In your daily/weekly life, what do you do to learn about yourself?

Talk things over with friends. Do yoga.

How do you connect, interact and communicate with your community to get feedback and seek value or meaningfulness?

Share food/meals. Cook together. Exercise with folks – hike, ride bikes, go to yoga. Play music. (A lot of interaction over the computer, but I don’t place too much value on this as meaningful, just the way things work now).

What activities do you do that help center you, clarify your mind, assist your flow, or get you to that flow state that assist your ability to be introspective and communicate well?

Sleep. Yoga. Running. Play music.

Are there other tools you use in your daily/weekly life to have a more resilient, sustainable self?

Rely heavily on friends, colleagues, and family to discuss things/process.

What are you passionate about? What lights you up or gets you excited? What makes you get up in the morning?

Passionate about my family, friends, my patients.  Passionate about making the world a better place.  Passionate about food.  Passionate about skiing-being outdoors in the mountains and endorphins flowing!  Excited about playing music, eating good food and drinking good wine with friends, trying new adventures, skiing on a powder day.  What makes me get up in the morning?  My patients, my loving husband, my family (my nephews).

How did you come to know what you are passionate about? What was your initial spark of inspiration?

Feel like it has always kind of been in there, and then had enough experiences and encouraging folks to reinforce and develop the spark. The journey to this place in my life has not been straight forward, but I feel lucky and blessed to have the opportunities that I have.

Are there people who inspired, guided or coached you? If so, who & how? Can you give an example?

Yes!  My parents – just good people, that care about others, taught me by example to care for other people.  Some physician mentors – go above and beyond for patients and showed me how to care for people.  Friendsfolks – who are so passionate about what they do.  Patients – so many of my kids face overwhelming challenges and keep on going.

Who in your field of interest is doing what you want to do? What question would you ask them?

Not sure.

How do you feel about collaboration?

Only way to survive.

How are you are pursuing your passion(s)? What obstacles & challenges have you encountered? What aha & success moments have you have?

Through the garden work with the teens.  My other passion is to work outside more with medical work – going to start taking some classes in wilderness medicine – I have been talking about it for so long, and finally realized, I just need to sign up.  Obstacles and challenges – not enough time, not enough money.  Aha/success moments – the look on the kids faces at the end of the day

What do you do in your spare time?

Sleep. Play music. Cook. Exercise/play outside.

What advice would you offer someone seeking & exploring his or her passions?

Keep going. Don’t listen to the negative voices in your head and other people. Connect with folks that support you and your passion. Work your butt off.

Thanks Jen!!

Stay tuned for the next episode of ‘Exploring Resilience: A Look into Self-Practice & Process!’

Until then, dare to wear your soul on the outside.  Live your legacy.  Unfold your own mythos.