Southside Elementary School

9 Ways to Improve Our Lives

9 Ways to “Improve Our Lives.”

1. Believe: belief is the most powerful, positive life-changer in the arsenal. Believe that you are a valued person with something to contribute, and chances are you will.

2.   Know where you’re headed: The cliché goes like this – if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else. Goals, both short term – (“I’m going to spend 15 minutes tonight studying my spelling words”) and long-term (“By Christmas I will make 4 new friends”) are necessary for purposeful change.

3.  Locate a better reference point for success than the culture of what is popular: Know that our standard for a successful life is found in serving others, being respectful, responsible, kind, and cooperative– these standards are more conducive to satisfaction than “He who dies with the most toys wins.”

4.   Value relationships as #1 – “Family First”: No one is a failure who is loved and valued. That principle extends to our family, neighbors, friends and co-workers. To care and be cared for, is the cure for the common life.

5.   A dependence on anything external for happiness is unnecessary: When we “need” honors or achievements - to feel worthy, or happy in any way, we are selling ourselves short. Be happy knowing you’ve done your personal best.

6.   Live in the moment: “I’ll feel like I’ve achieved something when ‘thus and such’ has happened.” “Just let me get that new game system and I’ll be good.” This kind of thinking ensures we’ll remain dependant on “more” for satisfaction. Be grateful for what we have.

7.    Learn to defer short-term thrills in favor of long-term rewards: We often confuse fluff and bling with substance. When we believe we are dependent on external things for genuine satisfaction, then we will sacrifice what is real (relationships, stability, respect, hard work etc.) for what is superficial.

8.   Always continue learning: Life-long learners adopt the ongoing posture of reinvention and redemption. Learners ask questions rather than act as if they know all the answers. It will simplify life when you are humble and open to new ideas.

9. Don’t sweat the small stuff: Knowing what we value puts it all into perspective. If we know what is important in our life, then we’re not so likely to get fooled by the trivial.