Wellness Wednesday: 10 Ways to feel GOOD

I found this over on Life is Beautiful a couple of weeks ago, and boy, if there were ever to be a Top 10 List of how Lee (tries to) Live Her Life it's here:

Feeling good about your life involves just 2 parts. Really! One is to learn to think about yourself in healthy ways. This is a learned skill, ladies and gentlemen, not something that a lucky few were born with.

The second part of feeling good about your life involves “making things happen”. Seeing yourself being successful - at anything! - builds the blocks of confidence. When you build confidence with things you do well, the next time you are faced with a difficult task, you have effectively taught yourself that you can handle it. Count those successes!

Here are 10 Ways To Feel Good About Your Life:

1. Never stop questioning. Every time you feel frustrated with a task, ask yourself, “How does this task fit in with my ultimate goals?” “How can I do this better, faster, easier, simpler, and even more fun?”

2. Don’t give up on life. Be interested and curious about yourself and about others. Don’t assume that’s “just the way it is”. Look for the choices behind your results.

3. Accept your weakness. Don’t deceive yourself by thinking you’re the only one with difficulties in their life. Everybody has them (yes, everybody!). Instead of spending your time and energy trying to “overcome” your weakness, make friends with it and make it work for you. Where would NYPost Columnist Liz Smith be without her “weakness” for gossip?

4. Don’t stop learning. The brain is a muscle just like any other, and it will stagnate if you let it. Make it your rule to learn something new every day. Then USE what you learn to make your life better.

5. Expect nothing; expect the best. Paradox? No. It just means that you don’t want to miss out on what’s wonderful in your life right now, while you spend all your time peeking around the next corner.

6. Don’t lie to yourself. Telling lies to yourself is the most harmful form of disrespect. Write out ways in which you are untruthful to yourself, and how to correct it. “I will no longer pretend that overspending my budget is ok”.

7. Do plant what you want to grow. Many many people are (figuratively) wondering where the roses are in their life, yet they spend all their time planting and nourishing weeds. You reap what you sow. That’s just the way it is.

8. Don’t live in the past. Let go of things that are draining you. There’s nothing in the past that you can change or correct — that can only be done in the present. Use Today. Today, change what you need to change, and move on to feeling good about your life.

9. Swim with the current. Don’t waste your time complaining about what you can’t control - like other people. Concentrate on what you CAN control, like who you hug, what you read, when you smile, how much you laugh, where you go, what you do, what you think about.

10. Stand like a Rock. You know what’s right for you –be willing to stand up for what’s right for you.

10 Ways To Feel Good About Your Life
By Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach

(I tried to find a link to Kathy Gates but was unable to locate anything current or accurate. No matter, the list is still brilliant!)

Can you release all those activities that drain you of your energy? All those things that steal your chance to be positive and reap good things? I know there are a couple on the list I struggle with every day. But it really is a great guide. If I could manage all ten? Consistently? Wow.