Sometimes the most important thing in life is to simply just be a good person… in fact almost ALL of the time that is the case.
The majority of our society gets so sucked into money, social media, stress, things that happened in the past, things that are not going to happen in the future, and worst of all things we cannot control.
I will not sit here and say I am perfect, never stress or never get sucked into things I should not be focused on because I have and I truly believe we all have. But what I will say is that I make a daily, conscious effort to get better and to be a more positive and happy person.
I have heard many people, mostly people I grew up with or who knew me when I was not so positive, tell me that I am never mad. They’ve told me that I am always the calm and collective one who is ready to solve the issue without losing my temper.
I think the reason they notice and tell me this is because I used to be the complete opposite of that by a long shot. I used to be the one who would get all fired up, would over react and worst of all worry about all the things I should not be concerned with.
So how did this all change? How did I become so positive and completely turn around my outlook on how life should be?
With these 5 daily practices:
- Find Your Passion– This is number one for a great reason, it is by far most important. If you do not have a passion or have not found what you are passionate about, make it your mission to figure this out. This gives us purpose, wakes up with enthusiasm every morning and gives us the drive we as humans need to excel each and every day.
For me, this became fitness and this is truly what begun my lifestyle transformation. Not only did I upgrade physically, but also mentally and spiritually and all those around me who I loved fed off of this and became happier along with me. The power of passion is priceless and so unbelievably important. It will be the fuel to ignite your fire and can be the biggest thing in that will lead you to a better and more positive lifestyle.
- Daily Rituals– Having something that you do every single morning when you wake up and/or every single night before falling asleep can simply put you at ease and start your day on the right foot.
This can be one of the most important things for just the simple fact that you can start your day in the least stressful mindset possible, but studies have shown that this can actually create a better work ethic and productivity and also improve the mood you will be in throughout the day. This will be huge not only for your success in your career, but also for the relationships you have and way you treat people each day.
Your daily ritual can literally be anything, because it’s YOUR daily ritual. So what calms you down, gets you focused and makes you smile? Make that your ritual.
My personal morning ritual upon waking is this:
-Drink coffee while talking to my girlfriend before she heads off to work.
-Listen to an audio book (right now its Mastering Influence by Tony Robbins) while cooking and eating breakfast.
-Read and study 30-45 min (right now reading a couple different Lyle McDonald books on nutrition and studying Precision Nutrition)
-Answer all e-mails or messages in my inbox and get any programming needed for clients finished.
-And then…. TRAIN!
This is the same, each and every day. It gives me a system and a way to stay consistently on track with the things I need to get done on a regular basis.
- Give Compliments and Help People– I believe in this so much and it will stay that way until the day I die. First of all, telling someone something nice to make them feel good will ALWAYS make me feel good. That right there is enough for me because it makes me happy, so the same feeling they get I actually get immediately in return.
But that’s not the only reason it is important. It’s important because that’s what positive people do and people who are positive to others receive positivity back. Now I would never tell someone to do something just so you can get something in return, and maybe I am on my own when I say I actually believe in good karma… but why not make someone feel good? It will make you feel good too and good things are bound to come back around to you as well.
On top of it all, Mamma always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”… Looks like she was right, once again.
- Create “ME” Time– This is also a big one and can directly link to your daily rituals. Everyone needs to set aside at least an hour a day to themself to do what they like to do, even if that means doing nothing at all.
This is what I would consider my nightly ritual because by the time I get home from work and have handled everything that was a necessity to get done, its time to chill. Usually this means Netflix with my girl, but if she’s already going to sleep or not around it will end up being studying, reading or watching YouTube videos relating nutrition or fitness. Now to you that may not seem like “ME Time”, but to ME it really is.
With “ME Time” I believe in two types and I believe they’re equally important to have in your life in order to create happiness. The first being the daily ME time and the second being a “Get-Away” type of ME time. I believe everyone needs a vacation, a weekend off or simply just a couple days every few weeks to zone out and do something fun.
This could be camping, sightseeing, hitting the city, going out with friends, going out of town, etc. This is simply just needed! It will release so much stress that could have been building up and by the time you get back your mind is at ease and refreshed to be more productive for what you need to get done.
- Be Active– Not only do I think it is important to be active physically, but also believe you should be active socially.
To be active physically you do not need to hit PR’s in the gym on sumo deadlifts once a month or enter a powerlifting competition. All’s you need to do is something! Go hike, play a pick up game of hoops or simply walk your dog. But whatever you choose to do, make a habit of being consistent with it!
Being active socially is important because it will let you be YOU. As adults we wake up, work, go home and eat, then pass out. If you’re lucky you were with friends, do something you enjoy or are part of a community or group that allows you to have some fun after work hours are done. But many don’t get to experience the joy of that.
So go out on the weekends, meet friends for lunch, plan activities to do with family, just go do something! It is crucial and very important for our sanity to never stop being who we are and having fun.
Now…. Go implement these five things, add to these five things if needed and most importantly strive to be happier on a daily basis!
