How to Live Life to the Fullest

by Unknown 11:17 PM 0 comments

 

1.     Recognize that life is a journey, not a destination. This saying is a cliché, but it’s also true: life is as much about how you get where you’re going as where you go. Living your life to the fullest is a process that will take you your whole life to develop. Don’t get frustrated if it takes you awhile to learn some things, or if you experience setbacks. This is a natural part of life. 

 

2.     Be honest with yourself and others. Dishonesty saps away energy and happiness. When we aren’t honest with ourselves, we hold ourselves back from learning and growth. When we aren’t honest with others, we damage trust and intimacy.^[1]

• We may be dishonest for a variety of reasons. Research has shown that sometimes we lie because we’re jealous and want to hurt others.^[2] Sometimes, we lie because we’re afraid we will be hurt if we reveal the truth, or we’re afraid of a confrontation.^[3] It can be hard to be honest, especially with yourself, but doing so will help you live a fuller, richer life.

3.      Learn to accept yourself. All too often, we spend a lot of time looking at what we don’t like about ourselves, what we’d like to change, what we think should be different. Spending all your time focused on what you don’t like or what happened in your past means that you aren’t able to focus on your future. Make a conscious decision to learn to love yourself, just as you are.^[4]

• Make a list of your strengths. What are you good at? These can be lofty achievements, such as inventing a new technology, or “everyday” skills, such as being friendly to others. Paying attention to what your strengths are can help you continue to develop them without focusing on yourself as a “failure." 

4.     Determine your values. Your core values are the beliefs that shape who you are and how you life your life. They may be spiritual beliefs or simply deeply-held beliefs that are important to you.^[5] Reflecting on your values will help you set goals for yourself that are “value-congruent,” meaning in line with your values.^[6] You are more likely to feel fulfilled and happy when you’re living in accordance with your values.

• Stand up for what you believe in and don’t let others push you around. It's possible to do this and still be open to other people's ideas, as they may surprise you.

5.     Challenge negative self-talk. Sometimes, society confounds self-criticism with helping yourself improve. However, much research shows that the more hostile and critical you are of yourself, the more likely you are to be the same way toward others. Negative self-talk and self-criticism don’t help you become a better person or achieve your goals.^[7] Try self-kindness and self-compassion instead.

• For example, if you find yourself consistently telling yourself what is wrong with you or what you don’t like about yourself, be purposeful and challenge those thoughts with positive ones. Replace thoughts like “I’m such a loser” with “That situation didn’t go exactly the way I’d planned. I’ll go back to the drawing board and think of another way to approach it.”
• Try to think logically about your self-criticisms. Criticizing ourselves can be all too easy. The next time you notice yourself being harsh, try to find a rational response to that criticism. For example, if you found yourself thinking “I’m so dumb, I don’t know anything in this class and everyone’s smarter than I am,” examine that thought logically. Is everyone really smarter than you, or are some individuals just more prepared for the material than others? Is your performance in the class related to your intellect (not likely) or is it because you may not have the preparation you needed to excel? Are you studying effectively? Would you benefit from a tutor? Breaking things down in this logical manner can help you figure out steps to take to help yourself improve without writing yourself off.