My wife and I are currently in the process of buying a new house. The actual move takes place soon, but now is the time to take care of all the small details that will facilitate that move. Things like home inspections, paperwork, mortgage processing, etc.
But without a doubt, the most daunting task has been the packing. And the packing. And then there’s the packing.
Now I don’t mean to imply that we have accumulated a lot of stuff over that past 7 years, but it’s probably safe to say that we could support a small village in Kenya. And a few of it’s neighbors.
Where do we get all this stuff anyway? And why do we think we need it?
It really is amazing how things just seem to seep into our lives, and rather than just let them go, we continue to hold onto them. Maybe we think it’s easier that way. Or maybe we think these things will serve us well at some point in the future. Whatever the reason, most of it ultimately just ends up being one big collective anchor.
And as you know, you can’t set sail with your anchor dragging along the ocean floor.
So let’s have a purging party! Yippee!
I’ll clean out my house, you clean out yours.
Just like we accumulate “junk” in our homes, we also tend to harbor things in our lives that we would be better off without.
Here are 4 areas that you might want to take a look at:
1. Habits
What negative or destructive habits have you latched onto over the years?
This is a tricky one, because it’s sometimes hard to identify your own bad habits. Enlist the help of your spouse or a trusted friend to point out your habits for you. Or consider daily journaling. This will help you to see any patterns that emerge in your behavior. If your life is repeatedly taking you places you don’t want to go, it’s likely that there is a consistent pattern of negative behaviors that you keep falling into.
Once you are able to identify these patterns, commit to changing them. Pay attention to the new results you are getting. If you like the results, reinforce the behavior. If you don’t like the results, change your actions until you are consistently getting what you want.
2. Diet
Most of us don’t think twice about what we put into our bodies. Yet everything that we ingest elicits a hormonal response that either fosters health, healing, and energy or exacerbates inflammation, auto-immune response, and cell death.
Jettison the Junk!
Strive to stick to a diet that consists primarily of real, whole foods. As much as possible, eliminate processed products found in boxes and cans. These types of “foods” are laden with known carcinogens, including preservatives, artificial colors and flavorings, artificial sweeteners, flavor enhancers, not to mention boatloads of sodium.
As a general rule of thumb, you should be shopping mainly the perimeter of the grocery store, where you will find fresh produce, 
meats, and seafood.
Most of us would benefit greatly from cutting way back on grains and dairy. Both are inflammatory to the gut, and can trigger allergic responses in a large portion of the population. I personally eat a “Paleo” type diet consisting primarily of lean meats and seafood, tons of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, berries, and healthy fats, such as coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado.
Clean up your diet for 30-90 days and track your progress. Note your energy levels, digestive response, mood, sleep patterns, body composition, etc.
3. Vocabulary
Your attitude and mood are influenced by the words you use. Studies show that your vocabulary can even determine your performance.
Are you doing “alright”, or are you “fantastic”?
Are you a “housekeeper” or a “domestic engineer”?
Do you wake to “the daily grind” or to “a new day’s adventure”?
Is your spouse “the old man/old lady” or your “soul mate”?
Trust me, you will come across enough people in this world who will try to talk you down. There is no need to personally pile on. It’s time to dump the negative, and even the neutral, words from your daily vocabulary.
Strive to expand your vocabulary. Read at least 1/2 hour every day, preferably something positive and uplifting.
Learn a new word every day. Here are a few online sources that you can utilize:
Merriam-Webster Word of the Day
Dictionary.com Word of the Day
When you expand your vocabulary, people will start to view you in a different light. More importantly, you will have a better impression of yourself.
4. Attitude
All of the above will affect your attitude, but this is so important that it deserves its own mention.
Zig Ziglar used to say that your attitude, not your aptitude, almost always determines your altitude. To put it another way, no matter how adept or skilled you are, it’s your attitude that ultimately determines how far you will go.
Do you consistently exhibit a positive, upbeat attitude? Do you exude enthusiasm? Do people love to be around you?
Or are you a “Debbie Downer”? The type of person who can clear a room just by entering it?
In other words, Lose the Bad Attitude!!
Your quality of life can turn on a dime just by changing the way that you think and react to the world around you. It’s been said that by looking at a person’s life, you are essentially looking into their thoughts. The reason being that what you consistently focus your thoughts and feelings on is what you attract into your life.
Want more heartache and despair? Keep talking doom and gloom, watching the evening news, and complaining about everything that happens to you.
Want more happiness and prosperity? Be thankful for everything you have. Give to others. See the positive in every situation.
Who you are is what you get.
There you go. 4 simple things to work on. Take them to heart and get busy creating the life you of your dreams!
*Images courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
