We’ve been talking about ways to have more energy this week. If you missed the first two posts in this series, read them here.
13. Choose Gratitude
Your attitude can make or break your situation. You can choose to focus on what you don’t have or you can choose to be thankful for what you do have.
There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. When you have a thankful, grateful spirit, you’ll automatically have more joy, zest for life, and energy. It’s the natural outflow of gratitude. And not only will you have more energy, but I promise you’ll just plain enjoy and appreciate life a lot more if you choose gratitude.
Struggling to be thankful in the midst of hard circumstances? Try writing down a list of your blessings. As I’ve found, when you start writing down your blessings, you just may have trouble stopping!
14. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Don’t compare yourself to others. It’s never productive and it’s a great way to waste great amounts of time and energy.
I recently learned this lesson in a very personal way. Here’s a snippet from my post
It hit me anew just how easy it is to want what we don’t have–better hair, better decorating skills, a better personality, more creativity, more spunk… there’s always someone who it seems we’d like to trade places with because they have what we want.
But trading places with someone wouldn’t fix anything; we’d just inherit a new set of things we wish we could change. No one has it altogether. Everyone has struggles and difficulties.
Comparison only leads to discontentment.
We can’t change who we are, but we can make the most of our situation. We can’t choose the personality we are born with, but we can choose to be thankful–even in the midst of difficulty.
And we can choose to be intentional and purposeful in how we live our lives so that we make the most of all that we’ve been given instead of wishing we were someone else.
15. Wrap Your Life Around Things That Matter
When you spend your life dedicated to what really matters, you’ll have so much more energy and excitement for waking up and living each day. I try to ask myself often, “What will matter in 25 years from now?” And then I seek to wrap my life and invest my days into those things.
Live your life with outstretched arms. The more you live for others, the more you step outside your comfort zone, the more you give freely and generously of your resources and time, the more you’ll wake up feeling blessed, motivated, and inspired to life to the fullest!
At the end of my life, I don’t want to look back with a lot of regrets and wistful thinking. I want to give everything I have to this one life I have — because I only get one shot at life!
photo courtesy of BigStock
I appreciate this post. Thank you!
One thing that wasn’t mentioned in the series was seeing your doctor for an annual physical (or at least every other year). I don’t like going to the doctor, but I owe it to myself and my kids to stay healthy. Millions of American women are anemic and many more are deficient in Vitamin D and other vitamins. In some areas of the country, Lyme disease is very prevalent. Thyroid issues are another cause of low energy. If nothing seems to help, see your doctor to rule out medical reasons!
Great advice! I mentioned seeing your doctor to check and see what vitamins you should be taking as I completely agree with you that many women are anemic or deficient.
Thanks for chiming in!
#14…. need that today. I went to a Stella and Dot jewelry party last night at a client’s house. She has been very generous with me ( I do her hair) so I wanted to return the favor. She of course lives in a Pottery Barn-perfect home, all of her guests were skinny, gorgeous, witty. And I was the only one who didn’t spend over $100 on jewelry (the $35 I did spend about made me cry). I just felt so out of place the whole time! I drove home feeling like a loser, basically. I walked in my door and was mad that my home wasn’t as cute as hers. I beat myself up all night for not fitting in. I wished I could just be like them (yes, I’m 33 and not 13!). This morning I was still upset, and I just asked God to help me be content with who I am and what I have. Envy is a horrible thing to feel, and you’re right, it SUCKS THE ENERGY OUT OF US!
Yeah…..but just live YOUR life, not anyone else’s! Love YOUR life! I’m sure it is great, though not as catalog-perfect. My folks now have a gorgeous home, but all I see is “stuff” that weighs people down, not happiness. I miss the 1970s wicker furniture they used to have! It had more of a soul. So don’t for a minute think that those people are any happier than you. 🙂 Being witty is nice, but we weren’t all blessed with that as one of our main talents. I’m sure you have talents that are much more useful! Just remember that the people that judge you are miserable inside if that’s what they use their head/heart for, and as for the people who aren’t judging you—-if they aren’t, why are you judging yourself?!?!?!
I love that part about not comparing ourselves to others. Galatians 1:10
That’s one of the main themes of my book because it’s a theme God keeps teaching me.
I think it goes hand and hand with choosing gratitude.
I try to teach my kids, “Don’t worry about what they have. Be content with what you have.”
Thanks for sharing from your heart, Crystal. Always encouraging!
Thank you for this series of posts! I absolutely love how you put it about not comparing ourselves to others, “And we can choose to be intentional and purposeful in how we live our lives so that we make the most of all that we’ve been given instead of wishing we were someone else.”
I’ve done a lot of thinking on the second topic, of comparing ourselves to others. It played a huge role in Cain and Able’s life. It only leaves us with pride or self conciousness. Neither are really my cup of tea.
Thanks for number 14, been struggling with this one lately.
It’s amazing how having more energy involves so much more than physical things, like food, rest, and exercise. Our state of mind really plays such a huge role.
Thanks for these posts! You have shown me many areas where I can grow and hopefully increase my energy!