by Jerry Waxler
Talk
Talking brings thoughts and emotions out into the open for exploration.
Talking opens pathways among people, enhances our social support, and makes
us feel less lonely and more understood.
Listen
When we listen carefully to other people, we learn about them, and can
relate more intimately. By listening to others, we make them feel heard
and whole, and through this profound service to them, we feel more whole
ourselves.
Volunteer
Serving the sick and helpless, tutoring, cleaning a highway or helping
build a home lifts our spirits and gives us a sense of purpose.
Join
Belonging to organizations, whether religious, political, community, or
self-help, brings us together to share the wealth of our spirit.
Work
Work gives more than a paycheck. It connects us with peers, lets us use
our energy to serve others, and provides a focused, structured passing
of time.
Read books, listen to tapes
Reading books and listening to tapes exercises the verbal capacity of
our mind. Stories shake loose the cobwebs, stimulate insights, and open
our eyes to how others live.
Write
In the privacy of a journal, we connect with words that help us understand
our situation. Journaling daily provides enlightenment and satisfaction.
Pets and plants
The relationship with other life-forms satisfies some invisible thirst
and injects a spark of light into our lives.
Create
Dance, play a musical instrument, sing, paint, draw, write poetry. When
we express ourselves freely we open ourselves up to a deeper wellspring
of our Soul.
Exercise
Exercise improves our mood, blows off stress, uses up calories, and strengthens
our heart.
Moderation
When we eat, drink, watch TV, or gamble more than we want, we drain away
creative energy we could be applying to life's everyday challenges.
Harness habits
Once a habit is formed, it sweeps us along and gives us energy to do the
things we want to do. Build a routine that takes you closer to your goals.
Diversify
Hobbies, studies, sports, and other passionate interests in life enliven
and enrich us, hook us up with others, and diversify our portfolio of
accomplishments.
Think positively
The words we choose affect the way we feel. With practice and exercise,
you can replace angry, gloomy thoughts with optimistic and enthusiastic
ones.
Seek relationship with Higher Power
The universe can be a forbidding lonely place. Praying to a higher power
breaks down the walls of isolation, and gives transcendent purpose to
our lives.
Meditate
By meditating we practice letting go of distracting thoughts that take
us away from now. Developing the skill to be here now brings vibrancy
and focus to our everyday life.
Seek wisdom, mentoring
Connections with a supportive network of family, clergy, and mentors provides
unconditional love, insight, and collective wisdom.
Seek counseling
Collaborating with a counselor can help us learn about our thoughts, actions,
and feelings, and offer us new choices.
Last modified:
4/28/04
Copyright Jerry Waxler, 2004, All Rights Reserved