Don't Die Wondering

I love flamingos! They aren't the most attractive birds to look at with their thick awkwardly crooked bills, giraffe-like necks, and long skinny legs, but I've always been intrigued by their beautiful pinkish orange color, which I learned comes from the algae and crustaceans they eat that contain carotenoids. Enzymes in the flamingo's liver break down the carotenoids into pink and orange pigment molecules that are absorbed by fats deposited in their feathers, bills and legs. Captive flamingos, that would otherwise be white or pale pink, are fed a special diet that includes the pigmented crustaceans. In the wild, a well-fed healthy flamingo is more vibrantly colored, whereas a white or pale flamingo is usually unhealthy or malnourished. (How's that for a little Zoology Ornithology 101)

Like flamingos, the beauty of our "humanness" exudes from our very being as we "feed" ourselves with the things that bring us fulfillment and happiness and peace, without which, we become emotionally "unhealthy and malnourished". Regardless of the "not so beautiful" aspects of your life (let's be honest...we all have them), how do you feel about your life today...right now in this moment? Are you looking forward to what's coming next? Are you living your best life?

If not, there's no better time to begin than today! Here are some suggestions to help get you started:

• Begin each new day as a fresh new start. Don't hold on to what happened yesterday, last week or even 10 years ago. Today is a clean slate. Treat it as such.
• Stop complaining. Complaining doesn't solve problems; it only feeds feelings of unhappiness and dissatisfaction. 
• Don't dwell on the things you can't change...what happened, what people think, what someone said. Instead think about the things you can take action on. That is the most constructive approach to enjoying life and moving forward.
• Live more consciously. Life is to be experienced so get out of "auto-pilot" and notice what's going on around you.
• Be true to yourself. Live up to your values and principles. Don't "sell yourself short" or "throw yourself under the bus".
• Set goals. The more specific the better.
• Create a "bucket list" then get out there and make those things happen!
• Be positive. Is the glass half empty or half full? It's all a matter of perception.
• Don't be a bad mouth. If you have a bone to pick with someone, do it face to face in private. Otherwise don't say anything at all.
• Believe in yourself 100%. If you don't believe in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to believe in you?
• Learn to forgive. Forgiving doesn't make you weak...it sets you free.
• Spend more time with like-minded people. Surround yourself with people who make you want to be your best self.
• Do a random act of kindness daily. It doesn't take much effort. Give up that parking space, let someone in line ahead of you at the checkout, offer a smile to someone who walks past you. You'll be amazed at how it makes you feel.
• Stop procrastinating. It's such a huge waste of time. Just get it done and move on.
• Declutter your space at the office, in your home, in your car, in your yard. Just 5 minutes a day and you'll feel such a huge relief.
• Try something new. Take a different route to work, try a new hobby, learn a new skill. Try a new food. You might like it!
• Don't settle for a job you don't like, for friends who make you feel incompetent or undervalued, a weight you're unhappy with. Go after what you want.
• Enjoy the little things...ice cream on a hot day, watching the sunrise, the breeze in your face, a warm toasty fire on a cold wintery night.
• Take a break. Don't run so fast and hard that you forget why you're running. Slow down and just be still on occasion.
• Stop trying to change people. The only person you can really change is yourself.
• Loosen up. Dance in the rain, sing at the top of your voice, run barefoot through the grass, swing high in that swing in the park. Everyone needs fun in their life.
• Do something scary. Fears keep us in the same place and keep us from growing. It may still be scary, but it's SO empowering to overcome that fear!
• Don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed. Take one step, make one change, live one day at a time. Life is a marathon, not a sprint; pace yourself accordingly.

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times...life is too short for regrets!

I'm all in! Are you with me?