How to Be Great
Be passionate., Cultivate gratitude., Change what you can., Keep learning., Stay healthy., Take responsibility for your actions.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be passionate.
You want to bring passion to all parts of your life.
It will help you to be excited about what you do and what you experience.
Being passionate about things is also a great way to find friends and romantic partners, because people are drawn to those who are passionate about things.
Figure out what you like.
This could be anything from cooking, to video games, to saving the whales.
You should get out and try new things to figure out what interests you.
For example: you might go to a free lecture at your local university about global climate change and become passionate about saving the planet.
You wouldn't have found this passion if you hadn't gone outside your usual comfort zone and tried something new.
You can also share your passion with other people.
Get your friends interested in your interests, or go online and find like-minded people to get excited about your passions with.
There are tons of websites out there devoted to everything from rock climbing to knitting.
You can even look around your area to see if there's a group devoted to your passion, or a way to start one (like a writer's group, or a quilting circle). -
Step 2: Cultivate gratitude.
Being grateful for things in your life is a prime way to boost your mental and physical health.
It doesn't necessarily mean that everything is going swimmingly in your life.
In fact, many of the most grateful people are those who have experienced some trauma or life altering (usually "bad") event, like an illness or death of a loved one.Keep a gratitude journal.
This means that every day you write down between 3 and 5 things that you are grateful for.
They can be as simple as "the sun warmed me today" or "I got to have bacon for breakfast" or as big as "I got engaged today" or "my book got accept for publication." Make sure that you spend time thinking about the things that you are grateful for.
Say "thank you" to the people you talk to throughout the day: the server who brings you your lunch, the lady who holds the door for you, your son when he makes you dinner.
By spreading gratitude you are not only showing yourself everything (even the minor things!) you have to be grateful for, but you are also spreading that appreciation throughout all the people you encounter.
It is impossible to have both fear/anxiety and appreciation at the same time.
By cultivating your gratitude you are making yourself better equipped to deal with the more difficult aspects of life in a healthy, healing manner. , Lots of things happen that you have absolutely no control over.
This is why it's important to maintain control over the things that you do have control over.
These include: your attitude towards life, your job, how you spend your free time, the people who are in your life, and so on.
Attitude is immensely important.
You can be having the "worst" life ever and still live well, because your attitude is what is important.
Don't focus on the problems in your life, unless you're using them as a learning experience or in order to make changes.
Instead, focus on the good things.
This doesn't mean that you ignore when things go wrong, or even that you aren't allowed to feel upset about those things.
It means that you don't stay mired in misery over the things you cannot change.
Trust your instincts.
If the job you're doing, the place where you're living, the relationship you're in doesn't feel right, see if there is a way to make it better (i.e. talk to your boss about the job, discuss your relationship and so on).
If you can't make it better, it might be time to walk away from it and find a different job, a different apartment, or a different relationship. , Honing your mind and keeping your brain sharp is a great way to maintain your mental health, reducing the possibility of Alzheimer's, for example.
By continuing to learn and to grow as a person you open up further possibilities.
Learn from your mistakes.
Whenever something happens where you get rejected, where you screw up, where you fail, examine what went wrong and what you could do better the next time around.
Mistakes are not the end of the world and if you remember that, you'll be less afraid to fail.
For example: if you tried to make a souffle and the end result was completely deflated, you might look back through the recipe to see if you missed a step, or you didn't follow the instructions as you should have done.
It's the same for any sort of failure in life.
The more effort you put into learning about your passions the more likely you'll find other people who are interested in them, too.
By taking classes on a subject you really enjoy, or going to a convention, or joining a chatroom on the subject, you'll be communicating your passion while learning! There are lots of free or low cost ways to keep learning.
You could enroll in a free program like Open Universitywhere you can take free online classes in almost any subject.
You could also check out what your town or city has to offer.
Lots of communities have free lectures at museums or universities, or libraries.
They also sometimes offer opportunities to learn different things. , You'll need to keep your health as much as possible if you're looking to be great.
Again, there are certain things that can't be helped (like certain illnesses that come out of nowhere) but maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you manage these types of conditions.
If you don't have a serious illness, having a healthy lifestyle can boost your energy and make life easier to cope with.
Eat right.
Go for the good, healthy things like veggies and fruits, especially the leafy greens and the colorful veggies like red peppers, Swiss chard, carrots.
Get plenty of protein with an emphasis on the leaner meats like chicken.
You can also get protein as well as good fats from nuts (almonds and walnuts being the best), eggs, or soy.
As for carbs, avoid things with refined white flour and choose instead, brown rice, quinoa, oats, whole grains (Ezekiel bread is especially good).
Get enough sleep.
Most people, these days, are operating under a sleep deficit.
This means that you aren't functioning up the levels that you could be! Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
Have a set bedtime (preferably before 11:00 p.m.) and a set wake-up time.
Turn off electronics (cell phones, computer, iPod, etc.) at least 30 minutes before bedtime, so that you aren't messing up your sleep cycles.
Drink water.
Being dehydrated has a bad effect on your body.
It makes you feel sleepy and foggy, it can give you headaches and make it difficult to concentrate.
Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
You want your urine to be pale yellow in color.
Caffeinated or sugary beverages will only make you more dehydrated.Get exercise.
It's best not to use exercise as a weight-loss routine, but instead to use it for its health benefits.
Exercising releases chemicals, like endorphins, that enhance your mood so that you feel happier.Find an exercise routine that you like.
It could be anything from doing the climbing wall at your gym, or going for a run, or even putting on music and dancing.
Do this for 30 minutes each day., One thing that is incredibly important to being great, is to take responsibility for the things that you do and feel.
Remember, that no one owes you anything (not respect, not sex, not love) except civility and that the same is true of you.Don't blame other people when things go wrong.
Sure, they might have had a hand in it, but it is very unlikely that it was entirely their fault.
Owning up to your mistakes and taking responsibility for them will help people see you as a team player, someone who can handle things appropriately.
Again, remember, it's not the situation that's the problem, it's your reaction to the situation.
Even the worst situation can be handled in a positive manner.
For example: a lot of people who are diagnosed with severe and life threatening illnesses find that this strips away a lot of the pretensions from their lives, allowing them to live more fully and completely.
This is not to say that you aren't allowed to feel upset, or angry, or sad.
It just means that you don't place the blame of those emotions on other people.
No one can cause you to feel anything. (Of course there are instances where someone does irreparable harm to you , act in a way that gets you justice and allows you to heal.) -
Step 3: Change what you can.
-
Step 4: Keep learning.
-
Step 5: Stay healthy.
-
Step 6: Take responsibility for your actions.
Detailed Guide
You want to bring passion to all parts of your life.
It will help you to be excited about what you do and what you experience.
Being passionate about things is also a great way to find friends and romantic partners, because people are drawn to those who are passionate about things.
Figure out what you like.
This could be anything from cooking, to video games, to saving the whales.
You should get out and try new things to figure out what interests you.
For example: you might go to a free lecture at your local university about global climate change and become passionate about saving the planet.
You wouldn't have found this passion if you hadn't gone outside your usual comfort zone and tried something new.
You can also share your passion with other people.
Get your friends interested in your interests, or go online and find like-minded people to get excited about your passions with.
There are tons of websites out there devoted to everything from rock climbing to knitting.
You can even look around your area to see if there's a group devoted to your passion, or a way to start one (like a writer's group, or a quilting circle).
Being grateful for things in your life is a prime way to boost your mental and physical health.
It doesn't necessarily mean that everything is going swimmingly in your life.
In fact, many of the most grateful people are those who have experienced some trauma or life altering (usually "bad") event, like an illness or death of a loved one.Keep a gratitude journal.
This means that every day you write down between 3 and 5 things that you are grateful for.
They can be as simple as "the sun warmed me today" or "I got to have bacon for breakfast" or as big as "I got engaged today" or "my book got accept for publication." Make sure that you spend time thinking about the things that you are grateful for.
Say "thank you" to the people you talk to throughout the day: the server who brings you your lunch, the lady who holds the door for you, your son when he makes you dinner.
By spreading gratitude you are not only showing yourself everything (even the minor things!) you have to be grateful for, but you are also spreading that appreciation throughout all the people you encounter.
It is impossible to have both fear/anxiety and appreciation at the same time.
By cultivating your gratitude you are making yourself better equipped to deal with the more difficult aspects of life in a healthy, healing manner. , Lots of things happen that you have absolutely no control over.
This is why it's important to maintain control over the things that you do have control over.
These include: your attitude towards life, your job, how you spend your free time, the people who are in your life, and so on.
Attitude is immensely important.
You can be having the "worst" life ever and still live well, because your attitude is what is important.
Don't focus on the problems in your life, unless you're using them as a learning experience or in order to make changes.
Instead, focus on the good things.
This doesn't mean that you ignore when things go wrong, or even that you aren't allowed to feel upset about those things.
It means that you don't stay mired in misery over the things you cannot change.
Trust your instincts.
If the job you're doing, the place where you're living, the relationship you're in doesn't feel right, see if there is a way to make it better (i.e. talk to your boss about the job, discuss your relationship and so on).
If you can't make it better, it might be time to walk away from it and find a different job, a different apartment, or a different relationship. , Honing your mind and keeping your brain sharp is a great way to maintain your mental health, reducing the possibility of Alzheimer's, for example.
By continuing to learn and to grow as a person you open up further possibilities.
Learn from your mistakes.
Whenever something happens where you get rejected, where you screw up, where you fail, examine what went wrong and what you could do better the next time around.
Mistakes are not the end of the world and if you remember that, you'll be less afraid to fail.
For example: if you tried to make a souffle and the end result was completely deflated, you might look back through the recipe to see if you missed a step, or you didn't follow the instructions as you should have done.
It's the same for any sort of failure in life.
The more effort you put into learning about your passions the more likely you'll find other people who are interested in them, too.
By taking classes on a subject you really enjoy, or going to a convention, or joining a chatroom on the subject, you'll be communicating your passion while learning! There are lots of free or low cost ways to keep learning.
You could enroll in a free program like Open Universitywhere you can take free online classes in almost any subject.
You could also check out what your town or city has to offer.
Lots of communities have free lectures at museums or universities, or libraries.
They also sometimes offer opportunities to learn different things. , You'll need to keep your health as much as possible if you're looking to be great.
Again, there are certain things that can't be helped (like certain illnesses that come out of nowhere) but maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you manage these types of conditions.
If you don't have a serious illness, having a healthy lifestyle can boost your energy and make life easier to cope with.
Eat right.
Go for the good, healthy things like veggies and fruits, especially the leafy greens and the colorful veggies like red peppers, Swiss chard, carrots.
Get plenty of protein with an emphasis on the leaner meats like chicken.
You can also get protein as well as good fats from nuts (almonds and walnuts being the best), eggs, or soy.
As for carbs, avoid things with refined white flour and choose instead, brown rice, quinoa, oats, whole grains (Ezekiel bread is especially good).
Get enough sleep.
Most people, these days, are operating under a sleep deficit.
This means that you aren't functioning up the levels that you could be! Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
Have a set bedtime (preferably before 11:00 p.m.) and a set wake-up time.
Turn off electronics (cell phones, computer, iPod, etc.) at least 30 minutes before bedtime, so that you aren't messing up your sleep cycles.
Drink water.
Being dehydrated has a bad effect on your body.
It makes you feel sleepy and foggy, it can give you headaches and make it difficult to concentrate.
Try to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
You want your urine to be pale yellow in color.
Caffeinated or sugary beverages will only make you more dehydrated.Get exercise.
It's best not to use exercise as a weight-loss routine, but instead to use it for its health benefits.
Exercising releases chemicals, like endorphins, that enhance your mood so that you feel happier.Find an exercise routine that you like.
It could be anything from doing the climbing wall at your gym, or going for a run, or even putting on music and dancing.
Do this for 30 minutes each day., One thing that is incredibly important to being great, is to take responsibility for the things that you do and feel.
Remember, that no one owes you anything (not respect, not sex, not love) except civility and that the same is true of you.Don't blame other people when things go wrong.
Sure, they might have had a hand in it, but it is very unlikely that it was entirely their fault.
Owning up to your mistakes and taking responsibility for them will help people see you as a team player, someone who can handle things appropriately.
Again, remember, it's not the situation that's the problem, it's your reaction to the situation.
Even the worst situation can be handled in a positive manner.
For example: a lot of people who are diagnosed with severe and life threatening illnesses find that this strips away a lot of the pretensions from their lives, allowing them to live more fully and completely.
This is not to say that you aren't allowed to feel upset, or angry, or sad.
It just means that you don't place the blame of those emotions on other people.
No one can cause you to feel anything. (Of course there are instances where someone does irreparable harm to you , act in a way that gets you justice and allows you to heal.)
About the Author
Denise Williams
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
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