(ThyBlackMan.com) At the end of a day, how do you know that you lived the day with meaning and with purpose? And when you do, is there a reward for it? In most cases, the answer is no – there are few external rewards for a well-lived day.
From my experience, a well-lived day is an inside-out job with built-in rewards.
A day that is lived well is a day that leaves one with an ingrained sense of accomplishment and pride. It’s not always contingent on how much work has been completed, how many deadlines have been met or whether you’ve met the expectations of the boss.
Each day is filled with challenge, with change and with the unexpected; rare is the day that pulled from a script.
Our challenge, though, is to use those unscripted moments to extract new opportunities for making the best of what we’ve been given.
If you want to get more out of your daily experiences, here’s a five-point checklist of a well-lived day. At the end of the day, ask yourself:
Did I Think Positive, Radiant Thoughts?
Although we move about in a physical environment, our mental faculties play a significant role in our day. We now know that our imagination plays a crucial role in how we respond to the challenges of our physical environment.
Use your imagination daily. Our brain makes no distinctions between what we imagine and what is real.
Did I Smile?
Smiling releases a huge of amount of stress from our bodies. We don’t smile mainly because we feel overwhelmed by our problems.
When you smile, though, you ‘rewire’ your brain. A smile connects you to a universal frequency of well-being and contentment. You attract and give out positive energy.
Evidence also points to the fact that we can actually lower our blood pressure by simply smiling more often. If that’s the case, imagine what laughter would do!
Did I Compliment Someone?
Paying a compliment is a lost art. That’s mainly due to the erosion of friendliness in our society. Paying a compliment to others is the ultimate boost for a well-lived day.
Why? Because when you can reach across the aisle and pay a neighbor a compliment – while you are going through one of the roughest periods of your day – it says that you understand that it’s not all about you. Pay somebody a compliment and watch how your day takes off.
Was I Grateful?
‘Thank you’ makes room for more! Make a grateful list while sitting at your desk. Take a piece of notebook paper and jot down five things for which you are grateful. After that, write down five things that you want – even if you are not in possession of them at the moment. When you are grateful, you are bequeathing a spirit of hope and expectancy.
Did I Sweat at Least Ten Minutes?
Most of us are ‘de-conditioned’ – physically and mentally. A well-lived day includes physical activity. You should sweat at least ten minutes a day. When you exercise, you begin to feel, look and perform better. Enhance your day right now by taking a walk on or after your lunch break or by doing some squats or push-ups right at your desk. Get and stay active!
If you strive to answer ‘Yes’ to all of the above questions, you will discover your well-lived days are abundant!
Staff Writer; W. Eric Croomes
This talented brother is a holistic lifestyle exercise expert and founder and executive coach of Infinite Strategies LLC, a multi-level coaching firm that develops and executes strategies for fitness training, youth achievement and lifestyle management. Eric is an author, fitness professional, holistic life coach and motivational speaker.
In October 2015, Eric released Life’s A Gym: Seven Fitness Principles to Get the Best of Both, which shows readers how to use exercise to attract a feeling of wellness, success and freedom (Infinite Strategies Coaching LLC, 2015) – http://www.infinitestrategiescoaching.com.