10 Things to Keep in Mind for Life

First off, I would like to say the number one piece of advice I can give you as a Christian, is to follow Jesus. It is the best choice I have made in life by far and it will change your life. However, I want this post to apply to everyone, regardless of beliefs. So, here are 10 things that will help you get the most out of life.

1. Take time for yourself. Pray, reflect, meditate, journal, blog, do something that is just for you to process and be with yourself. Life is busy and filled with people, and I think it is easy to forget how to communicate with just ourselves and understand what we are feeling. Take time to feed your soul and ask yourself the hard questions in life. Keeping in touch with yourself and your beliefs will help keep you focused on the important things in life. More importantly, taking time to be alone with your thoughts will remind you of the path you are on and why you are on it. It helps you see the purpose of living.
2. Work hard. Whatever you are working towards, I guarantee you that if you put in the work and time you will get the benefits. It may not happen the way you want, how fast you want it to, or how you pictured it, but it will happen. You will get there. It may be difficult and require a lot of sacrifice, but the best things do. You know what you are giving towards something. Whatever it is, earn it.
3. Know your value. Acknowledge who you are, and the unique presence that you bring with you. Appreciate the type of person you are and what you contribute to others lives. You are special, and it is important that you know and value yourself. If you can’t do this for yourself, it makes it hard to do it for others.
4. Surround yourself with good community. Stay close to those that push you to better yourself and help remind you of who you are. Keep friends in your life that truly want what’s best for you. Those that are willing to pick you up when you are down and humble you when you’re too proud. Your environment and community should be something that helps bring out the best version of yourself.
5. Love others and love them fully. Truly loving others is one of the scariest and best things you can do in life. It’s scary because it makes you vulnerable and can lead to you being hurt. But I promise you that it is always worth it to give with all your heart to others because the good moments that come from that, will always outweigh the bad ones. I believe that when you look back on your life you will never regret knowing that you loved with an open heart.
6. Have forgiveness. Holding on to a grudge or a hurt, regardless of who was wrong or right, is so detrimental to your health and well-being. It will only weigh you down and restrict your confidence in others. Forgiveness is the foundation of trust. Being understanding and forbearing with others frees your mind and relieves you from the burden of stress that holding a grudge can cause. If you let your animosity for someone or an event fester, it will turn into bitterness, spite, and resentment. Something that is sometimes harder than forgiving someone else, is forgiving yourself. If you can’t let go of things that have happened to you and forgive yourself and those that from your past, then you will never truly be able to move forward.
7. Be generous. This one seems straight-forward. Of course, I think there are plenty of benefits to sharing financially when you can to help those that need it. However, I urge you to consider being generous with your time and attention. I know for me one of the best things someone can give me is just some of their undivided attention. When you put away your phone and disconnect from the world and give your time to someone it is so meaningful and considerate. So, be present and engaged with people and deliberate with your time because it shows you really care.
8. Listen and Share. There is no avoiding hardship and struggle in life. No matter who you are there have been times in your life that are difficult for you to talk about. These times of adversity play a big role and shaping who we are but often scar us with silence. We need to address our silences and help others with theirs. One of the best things we can do for others is listen to their story. Be somebody that they can talk to and help them overcome the silence in their life caused by tragedy. As for yourself, find your voice to speak about the misfortunes that you have dealt with. The worst thing you can do is try to handle your hurt on your own. Don’t let the silence consume you. Share your pain and listen to others and you can overcome, and help others overcome, even the worst trials.
9. Be scared in all the right ways. If you’re scared of losing someone, failing, or not knowing what the future holds, then you are doing everything right! That means that you are fully committing yourself, your heart, and your energy. You have something to lose. I think that is the best place to be in because regardless of what happens, you are going to grow. You are challenging yourself and taking a risk. If you fail, then you learn from that and grow. If you succeed, then you learn from that and grow as well. So, get out of your comfort zone and get in uncomfortable situations, because that’s how you better yourself.
10.  Be thankful. It is so easy to focus on all the things we don’t have or the situations we want to be in, that we forget to be appreciative of the here and now. All the things I have shared here are good things to keep in mind. I would like to end on the point of being thankful because if you can be thankful when it seems things are at their worst, you are going to develop a joy that is unbreakable. Whoever you are with, be thankful they are there with you. Wherever you are, be thankful to be in that place. Even if circumstances aren’t the best at the moment, you can still be appreciative because you know things can get better.

I hope you have learned something or at least been reminding of something you want to work on in your life. These things are easier said than done and I know it is unreasonable to do all these things, all the time. But try your best to apply these in your life and I am sure you will notice a difference.