Finding fulfillment in life is beneficial for your mental health and self-esteem. According to performance coach Neel Raman, it gives your life greater meaning and clarity. Moreover, you’ll boost your confidence and happiness levels while preventing people from determining your self-worth. However, a General Social Survey revealed that only 29% of Americans are happy with their lives. That said, here are some practical ways to live your best life starting right now. 

Surround yourself with positive people

Positivity helps you to lead a happier and healthier life while reducing your stress and anxiety levels. For these reasons, you may want to surround yourself with positive people. Moreover, they inspire you to focus on the good things you have while supporting you through tough times. What’s more, they challenge you to grow, learn new things and become better. You may start by eliminating toxic people from your life. You can also smile more to attract the right people and develop your interpersonal skills like respect, honesty, acceptance, paying attention, and active listening. 

Take charge of your happiness 

Although external factors can contribute to your happiness, your fundamental sense of fulfillment comes from within. Also, it might be frustrating to depend on others to feel good about yourself, as they might fail you at some point. Therefore, it’s prudent to be in charge of your joy and avoid short-term methods for feeling fulfilled. The first step is to accept who you are and forgive your mistakes as nobody’s perfect. It’s also prudent to also face challenges instead of complaining and work towards your goals. By all means, always put yourself first, and refuse to live according to other people’s standards. 

Lend a helping hand to others 

Recent psychological research indicates that helping others can boost your overall sense of identity and purpose. Moreover, it controls your emotions while reducing your anxiety and depression levels. Therefore, you may consider helping people out in any way you can. Fortunately, little acts of kindness can lift people’s spirits while making you fulfilled. For example, you may help someone with their grocery shopping or mow your neighbor’s lawn if they can’t do it for some reason. You can also volunteer at schools for hard-of-hearing students, but be sure to research hearing loss communication tips to help you out. 

Set tangible goals

According to motivational speaker Brian Tracy, you’re more likely to succeed if you set achievable goals. Besides, they can make you more productive and fulfilled. Therefore, you may create goals for whatever you wish to accomplish, either in your personal or professional life. For example, you may set a timeline for weight loss, going to college, or healthy eating. First, however, you need to create a working plan to achieve your set goals. Tools like Vision Board and Milestone Planner are excellent goal-setting tools to leverage for success.

Celebrate your accomplishments 

According to psychologist David DeSteno, celebrating your successes can enhance your confidence and fulfillment while motivating you to do more. Therefore, you may reward and acknowledge yourself each time you accomplish something. For example, you can buy a nice meal or your desired outfit after completing your daily tasks. 

Self-fulfillment doesn’t only come with more significant deeds; little acts can make you feel good about yourself. Hopefully, you’ll follow these tips for a more purposeful life. 

The longer any of us stay alive, the more we have to think about aging and the effects it has on us. We live in a society where a lot of thought is given to growing old, especially as it pertains to healthcare. Facing the reality of advancing years can lead any of us to become worried. It’s become fixed in the general conversation that aging leads to failing health, which is a huge part of the reason people fear the advancing years.

But how much is that level of worry warranted? As you look to the future, is it genuinely necessary to feel a sense of foreboding. Are the most common age-related health fears actually worth being concerned about? Below, we’ll look at some of the concerns that people have with regard to age, and see if they are anything you should be worrying about.

Osteoporosis

If you fall over when you are ten, you spring back up and laugh it off. If you fall over when you are 40, you might get a little embarrassed. But you’ll still typically be up and moving again in no time. But as you get towards 65 and over, a fall can be something that sends those around you onto high alert. This is because bone density and the potential complications from a fracture come into question. The truth is, there are things you can do to keep osteoporosis to a minimum. Eat plenty of fruit and veggies, get enough exercise, and avoid too much alcohol. Favor sources of calcium in your diet, and osteoporosis never needs to become an issue.

Losing your sight or hearing

It’s somewhat likely that your eyesight and hearing will become less sharp as you age. In fact, you’re liable to notice yourself squinting a little to read as early on as your 40s. As long as you take the hint and get glasses when you need them – and go for regular optician checkups – it needn’t go far beyond a little lost sharpness. Equally, your hearing will not be as good at 70 as it was when you were 20. In fact, one in three of us will experience noticeable hearing loss by the age of 65. It’s more likely if you spend a lot of time in noisy areas or use medication that is deemed to be ototoxic. But if you see an audiologist and do something to mitigate it, hearing loss doesn’t need to become a major concern.

Dementia

The greatest fear that most of us have when it comes to advancing years, dementia is certainly not a condition anyone wants to experience. It is frequently portrayed in TV dramas, to the extent where it’s easy to imagine that dementia is much more common than it actually is. Even into our 80s, just one in six people experiences symptoms of dementia. By managing lifestyle conditions such as diet, mental activity and physical exercise, it is possible to dramatically reduce the chances it will happen to you. You may still have forgetful moments, but this does not equate to dementia, which has a specific medical diagnosis that goes way beyond mere forgetfulness.

There’s no doubt that as we get older, health issues become more likely. But that’s due to the fact that health issues happen, and the longer we live the more likely they are to happen to us. As the above examples show, health issues can happen to you as you age, but there’s no reason to assume they will happen, or that they’ll be as bad as you imagined if they do.

One area of focus many people forget to pay attention to is their oral health routine. Do you pay enough attention to it? Here, we’re going to look at the daily and more long-term routine habits you need to make sure you’re keeping up with.

Make sure that you brush for long enough

Simply put, a lot of people are very hasty and quite sloppy about their teeth brushing. It’s easy to think that simple once over is enough, but the truth is that you should brush for about two minutes, all together. Though often designed for kinds, teeth brush timer apps can be used by just about anyone if you want to be extra thorough. A lot of people tend to not give the back teeth the attention they need, as well, so starting at the back can make sure that you do so.

What should you do after meals?

You might have heard conflicting information over this. Indeed, it used to be recommended that you brush after every meal. However, that’s no longer recommended by most dentists since it has been found that brushing too much can cause damage to your enamel and gums. What you can do after every meal, however, is to rinse your mouth out. Even basic plain water will work. Chewing sugar-free gum can also help dislodge any stubborn food particles that can get stuck, as well. But you don’t need to worry about taking the toothbrush out to the restaurant.

At-home cleanings aren’t enough

Brushing, rinsing, and flossing are key to keeping your teeth in good condition. But, when it comes to cleaning your teeth, these aren’t the only steps that you need to take. If routine check-ups and in-chair cleanings with your dentist aren’t a part of your oral health habits, now is the time to change that. There are some forms of debris, like tartar, that can’t be easily cleaned at home and your gum health can really start to suffer if you don’t do something about them.

Clean your toothbrush

A lot of people stick to using the same old toothbrush for longer than they should and, even worse, never wash their toothbrushes. It’s recommended that you switch to a new toothbrush every three months, not just for hygiene’s sake, but to make sure the bristles don’t wear down. However, a bigger concern is the bacteria that can gather on toothbrushes. They can gather both bacteria from the bathroom and from your mouth, meaning you should take the time to wash them in hot soapy water, then wipe them with a disinfecting wipe at least once a week.
Even if you take care of your teeth with great care on a routine basis, you should still know when you need to visit the dentist. Routine care helps to prevent a wide range of issues, but it doesn’t guarantee you against them.

In terms of achieving goals, making excuses gets us nowhere. Yet many, including myself, use them. They offer a temporary reprieve from responsibility. Like a tease, excuses lure us in with their false sense of comfort in a given moment. But, and it’s a big but, eventually we realize that they come with consequences.

Making excuses is an expressed behavior that hurts our own performance and motivation. Basically, making excuses is sabotage! Overall, making excuses on things that are important to us stunts our growth potential. It also can severely hurt our self-esteem. How? Well, think about how excuses affect others. If someone is counting on us to do our part in something and we toss out an excuse instead or a result, respect is lost. That doesn’t feel empowering.

So why do we do this?

Reasons we keep making excuses

We fear:

• Failure
• Shame
• Success
• Change
• Risk
• Responsibility
• Messing up

Resulting Consequences of Making Excuses:

• Stagnation
• Regret
• Loss in credibility
• Mental blocks
• Pessimism

Essentially, if we want to grow, we need to stop making excuses. Excuses are useless and only stand in the way of progress.

An Interesting Quote

I came across this quote on a friend’s Facebook profile and it rang so true for me. “If it’s important you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.” Ryan Blair

When we deem something important, we’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen. Whatever our focus, be it health, friends, family, learning, business, or reading, we’ll always find a way to carve out time for things that are important to us. Some things like starting a new business or enrolling in a graduate program can seem daunting. But, if it’s critical, we’ll make it happen. No excuse in the world will hold up to it.

With this in mind, it’s important to understand our priorities. If something aligns with our priorities, we’re less likely to make excuses to avoid it. So, if something doesn’t align with our priorities, instead of making excuses, just say no. It’s okay to say no, and even more so, it’s okay to do so without offering justification.

Staying in tune with this distinction will help us to know what to say yes to. Here’s my rule of thumb: if I’ve said yes, I fully commit and leave the excuses behind.

A Closer Look at Priorities

As human beings we’re hard-wired for survival. If our survival, be it emotional, spiritual, or physical, depends on our being able to sit and read a good book or to spend quality time engaging in conversation and laughter with friends, then we will see to it that it gets done. We will overlook the pesky dust on our furniture, the lure of gossip, and the urge to snack on Cheetos if a run better solves the important need of, say, health. No excuse will get in the way.

If you find yourself making excuses over and over again, it might be worth examining whether you’re procrastinating because it’s simply not that important to the core of your life. If it’s not, and it’s reasonable to do, move forward with other things that are more affirming to you. Look for ways to help yourself move forward. I’ve seen a lot of Meet Our Therapy Dog posts that have helped people with anxiety. Don’t stay stagnant. Look for ways to grow.

Here’s a personal tidbit:

I used to be really hard on myself to learn everything I could about opening up a hair salon. This was important to me since the day I started cutting and styling hair. But, then, life took a different turn. I fell deeper in love with writing. I was in the middle of finding a publisher for my novel, The Fiche Room, when I began to question my future.

As my writing career took off, I would find every excuse not to research the hair salon business further. I’d made so many excuses, I felt bad and it started to affect my writing. Finally, after a good long analysis, I realized that my goals had changed and I wanted to focus solely on writing. I let go of the hair salon dream and, in so doing, freed myself up to be more creative and productive as a novelist. Being a novelist is obviously more important to me! I retired a former goal and gave rise to a new one. By shifting, I stopped making excuses and got to work!

How to Stop Making Excuses

Accept that you have a choice.

You can choose which way to go once you land in front of that intersection. You can turn towards an excuse and be off the hook. Or you can turn the other way and face reality. Take responsibility for the choice. Turn it into a thoughtful decision, carefully weighing the pros and cons of each choice.

Remind yourself that excuses can hurt you.

What are the consequences of that excuse? Is it more painful to deal with the result than doing the thing you’re making excuses for? Are you making an excuse not to go to the gym because you didn’t get enough sleep the night before? Are you trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle? If so, and you’ve committed to that, skipping the gym will now place you at two losses: lack of sleep and exercise.

Admit that you’re making an excuse.

Be honest with yourself. Have a heart-to-heart and discuss it with yourself. Ask why you’re making the excuse. Own up to it. If you come out of it knowing you made it because it doesn’t align with your priorities, then don’t commit to such things again. If you made the excuse out of fear, laziness, etc. and the excuse is keeping you from your goals, power up and get it done.

Bottom line is you have the power of choice. You can decide right now what you’re willing to do and what you’re not. If you find yourself plagued by excuses, then it’s time to sit down with a pen and pad and figure out what’s most important in your life. Decide now so when challenges arise, you’ll know what you need to do to get the job done. Control your life so no one or nothing else can.

Over to you. What is your strategy for staying tuned into your goals and not making excuses that will sabotage them?

Whether you’re dealing with a personal crisis or feeling stressed, it’s important that you’re able to put things into perspective. While this does not mean that you should minimize or otherwise try to ignore your problems, assessing the wider picture is useful when it comes to dealing with any emotional turmoil and when working towards a quick solution. However, changing your perspective is not always easy – and it can be hard to stop negative thoughts and feelings from worsening once they have already taken root in their mind. 

With that in mind, here are some easy ways in which you can begin to change your perspective when things get tough. 

Think about the wider picture.

It’s easy to let even the smallest of issues or problems interrupt our entire day. After all, we don’t often plan for things to go wrong – meaning that when they do, it can feel as the worst possible thing has happened. As a result, it is important that you are always able to put things in perspective by thinking about the wider picture. For example, you should think carefully about how much of a lasting impact this situation will have upon you. Will you still be dealing with the effects in a week? A month? A year? If the situation is clearly not permanent in any way, this can help you realize the importance of not sweating the small stuff – as you realize the ‘giant’ problem is not so big after all. 

Keep an eye out for positive inspiration.

It can be hard to break out of a negative mindset on your own. As a result, you must keep an eye out for inspiration that can lift your mood and provide you with hope and guidance moving forward. For example, this could include researching peaceful grace quotes sayings and later displaying them in your home. For example, if you choose to display a peaceful quote above your bed, it will be one of the first things you see each morning. This, as a result, can have a positive impact on your mindset for the day. 

Listen to others.

Another easy and straightforward way in which we can begin to put things in perspective is by listening to those around us. For example, asking a friend or family member for advice could help you resolve a problem much quicker, as they may be able to observe it from a more impartial angle. This is because they will be able to apply their own perspective to the situation, which may differ from yours considerably.

Try to give back.

Whether you are dealing with a busy home life or a hectic work schedule, it’s easy to get wrapped up in our own lives without giving much thought to others. However, giving back to others by volunteering or working with local charities is a great way to put things in perspective. Seeing the issues that others have to deal with can help you realize that your own problems are not as severe as they may initially seem.  It can also provide you with the skills and techniques you need to overcome your own struggles. 

Know that it’s okay not to be okay.

Changing your perspective does not mean that you have to become the kind of person that is positive 24/7. This is due to the fact that this person simply does not exist – no matter what social media will have you believe. As a result, while it’s important that you don’t let your problems consume you (i.e, you find an appropriate way to deal with them), it’s equally important to remember that it’s okay not to be okay. 

Step away from negativity.

While some issues are unavoidable, we are often guilty of placing ourselves in situations that are inherently negative. For example, we may choose to spend time with people who we know make us unhappy. This could be due to a myriad of reasons – perhaps we feel we have known them too long to cut ties, or we feel as though they could change in the future. However, the more we continue to put ourselves in these situations – the more they will continue to impact our mindset and perspective. This is particularly true if they are the kind of person that seems to seek to drag you down through negative comments. As a result, if you are looking to change your perspective and start taking better care of yourself, it’s important that you cut them off at the source. Instead, focus your time and energy into people who will support you. 

Acknowledge your own mistakes.

When your perspectives on a particular situation begin to change (i.e., you begin to view the scenario through another person’s eyes), you may realize that you are actually at fault. For example, you may have engaged in an argument believing you were right, only to realize later that it’s not quite that simple. Whenever this happens, it’s important that you acknowledge your own mistakes and apologize sincerely.  While this could be a little embarrassing, it’s essential if you wish to repair your relationship with the other person. Furthermore, holding yourself accountable is the only way in which you can learn and develop – meaning your perspective of the world will only deepen and mature.

Focus on the positives.  

There can be something positive to take from every situation – no matter how unlikely that may seem. As a result, if you want to change your outlook on life, it’s important that you begin to look for the positives in each situation, even if they seem rather small. For example, while getting let go from your place of employment is often a cause of great stress and worry – there are a few positive elements to the scenario. It means that you’ll get to start afresh somewhere else, enter a new career entirely and meet new people. It also means that you get to challenge yourself by stepping outside of your comfort zone.