How You Can LOVE Your Life

You can LOVE your life–and learn from successful people.

Are you barely hanging on? Do you wonder where your zest for living went? We’ll use the F.R.E.E. process:

F – fuel
R – release
E – excitement
E – engagement

1. Fuel

When you want to feel free and enjoy your life, you’ll make sure that you have enough “fuel.” Without appropriate nutrition and sleep, you’re running on near empty. It just doesn’t work. How do you get enough sleep? I’ll share what I do: I keep a log. When I see that I have missed some sleep, I take steps to get more sleep on the next day.

Be sure you have enough fuel so that you feel good and strong. Exercise forms part of your “fueling system.” Regular exercise actually adds to your personal energy.

I find that reading is fuel to me. I stay excited about ideas and ways to help my clients, graduate students, and readers of my own books.

2. Release

Life can be tough. Things happen and we feel burdened by painful feelings. You simply need time to release the painful feelings and experience the good side of life.

Another way to say this is: “Plan your release.” What is a release? It’s something that you do to expel painful energy.

Exercise helps many of us release the stress we feel.

I purposely get laughter-time daily. I watch stand-up comedy moments on YouTube or view comedy-related shows on my digital recorder or DVDs/Blu-ray discs. Everyday.

Many of us find that quiet time or moments for spiritual connection (prayer; meditation) to be helpful.

3. Excitement

Are you just going through the motions? Are you dragging through life? It’s important to notice your daily mood and approach to life. And then do something to put more life into your life.

Unfortunately, a number of people allow themselves to fall into and remain in a rut. I’ve asked a number of people, “What are you looking forward to?” Two people routinely had nothing to say. One of them even resented that I asked the question. That guy is no longer part of my life (his choice)–and what a relief! What a miserable person!

But this is NOT for you.

Doing the same thing day in and day out can create the feeling of “blah.”

On the other hand, you have the choice to make something enjoyable and exciting take place.

Here’s a principle that I use: Make it a game that you can win.

Many people allow themselves to fall into a frustrating pattern of trying to control the actions of others. They complain about their disappointments; and they’re engaged in a game that theycannot win.

But we can control our own efforts. For example, earlier this year, on one particular day, I decided: “Today is the day I finish my new book.” And in that same day, I had my book up on Amazon.com as a Kindle book.

It was exciting for me to watch with anticipation for the time the book went “live” on Amazon.com.

Along this line, here are other principles for bringing some excitement to your life:

* Push on through so you can succeed somewhere. (Even a small success can give you the energy boost to keep going.)

* Aim for more than one thing.

* Have something new coming up.

* Enjoy today AND have something you look forward to.

Happiness is pretty simple: someone to love, something to do, something to look forward to.” – Rita Mae Brown

4. Engagement

I always remember a book I read as I completed my degree in psychology. The author Irvin Yalom proposed that the solution to the problems of life is one thing: Engagement. What does that mean? Get connected! Get involved!

Over several years, I have faced some tough times. (The suicide of a close friend is one of them.)

One powerful way I stay engaged is I make sure to make a contribution to the well being of other people. For example, when I talk about my work coaching graduate students and clients, I say, “I’m grateful for meaningful work.”

Perhaps, at the moment, you’re not pressing to find a job that’s more inline with your deepest heart. Then, consider setting up a situation so that you can say something like: “I’m grateful for my meaningful volunteer work on Saturdays.”

Or “I’m grateful for my meaningful hobby.”

So I’ve learned that a powerful part of engagement is having something to feel grateful about and to have some way to contribute to the well being of another person.

In writing 27 books, I have stayed engaged with serving the well being of my readers. I write everyday, so regardless of how the day goes, I know that I have had a personal victory in writing–even just a paragraph. I’m excited about my book Secrets of Awesome Dinner Guests: What Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Helen Keller, and John Lasseter Can Teach You About Success and Fulfillment — see a Free Chapter when you CLICK HERE.

Now, I invite you to put into your daily life something that keeps you engaged and feeling good.

As an Executive Coach, I work with my client over a series of months. The client takes his or her life to new levels of success and fulfillment. This takes stamina, and it helps to put something into your life that keeps you engaged and feeling good.

Answer this question: “What’s the ONE Thing you can do this week such that by doing it everything else would be easier or unnecessary?” (a question coined by Gary Keller)

I’ll add, “What ONE Thing can you do this week that will help you LOVE your life?”

Warmly,

Tom