Stephanie's Life Rules

I have been thinking a lot lately about what I want.  That means a lot of different things to me but recently it has been less about goals and more about a bigger picture. How do I want to feel and more importantly what does that mean for me? 

Happy.  Challenged.  Secure.  Silly. 

Those are just a few off the top of my head but those feelings mean something different for everyone so how do I accomplish this in my own life, or better yet how do I continue it?

I found something recently and I really loved it.  It was detailed as a 2015 Manifesto but I think a more accurate title should have been “Stephanie’s Life Rules”

#1 Guard your time
#2 Let kindness rule
#3 Create good habits
#4 Choose to focus on the good
#5 Start each day with goals
#6 Find the best in others
#7 Be the best version of you
#8 Believe anything is possible

What most often makes me happy?  Puts a smile on my face?  Makes me feel fulfilled?
Number 2.  I am happiest when I am helping others.  I used to think that my sensitivity was a weakness.  I hid it and I did not show my feelings easily.  The older I get the more I love the fact that I am sensitive and the more I care about expressing myself and doing things just for the sake of making someone else smile- to hell with what anyone else might think of me for it.  The fact that I feel so deeply for people is a strength and I love that about myself.  I want a life surrounded with people who love this about me as well and know that I will always be there for support when needed.

What does it mean for me to be challenged?  Number 7.  I want my theories and opinions and outlooks to constantly be pushed.  I want to know that I am on the right track.  I want to be open to new things and experiences and most importantly I want to know that I have put forth the very best of myself for everyone and every experience daily.  That means forgetting fear, it means being open minded, it means being vulnerable.  It means doing the thing you don’t want to do or say the thing you are scared to say.

I want to take moments to be silly.  Life is far too serious most days.  You wake up, go to work, come home, and go to sleep, then do it all over again.  I can’t help others if I am not taking care of myself.  I want to lead a life of intent but some times that means being more intentional with my own well-being and not just putting my needs to the side.

Splurge on that manicure. Wake up a little early for work and bring a book to breeze over while you are waiting for a nice breakfast at your favorite place.  Go into the office but make it a point to visit with your staff instead of immediately diving into projects.  Send that text message when you are thinking about someone- people should know they are on your mind and you care.  Laugh as loudly as you want when you are amused and don’t care about what anyone thinks of your humor.

I guess really it is pretty simple- enjoy the little things and take the time to understand what makes you happy.  For me it’s time and the older I get the more I want to slow down so I can put more into the people I love, to experience love, and to enjoy each day and the small things that I probably miss because I fly through my days.

“To live with purpose.  To say the courageous thing.  To celebrate the simple gift. To follow your dreams.  This is a happy life.” 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Curveballs

Image
This picture always bring me back to a lot of happy memories.   It was New Years Eve 2017 and I had managed to convince everyone I love to get out for a night of shenanigans and debauchery, and it was probably one of the best nights of my life.   We sang, we laughed, we brought in the New Year together as a tribe and it is a feeling I will never forget. I held on to that memory a lot that next year.   It happens to all of us eventually- we have a defining moment in time where we realize that life isn’t within our control.   Try as we might (some of us harder than others), eventually experience and hurt catch up to all of us. I thought I had experienced that already.   Truth be told I had when my dad passed away suddenly as a teen.   It was a defining moment in my young life, and I remember that feeling of desperation and deep ache to never feel that lost again.   So, I crafted a tidy little life for myself.   I worked hard, I saved, I invest...
Read more

The 2025 Budget Reconcilliation Bill and What It Means for over 13M Americans

  I’ve been in a weird headspace since the House passed the budget bill that will make massive cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and snap. For those unaware, the proposal is for $200B in cuts to snap and $600B cuts in Medicaid that would also tie in Medicare within that budget as well.  As a matter of fact, that was the first thing I heard when I woke up Friday morning, and I cried for hours.  You see, both my sister and I are on disability for having multiple chronic illnesses and let me tell you right now for people who think that disability pays too much out- that’s absolute horseshit. The money that I make monthly barely covers all the medical expenses that I have as someone who is chronically ill and cannot handle traditional work (because contrary to popular belief, I’m still responsible for bills, including insurance even while on disability) and let me make it clear, the money I receive does not sustain me outside of what I pay monthly in medical costs and some food...
Read more

Know your worth

Just because someone desires you, does not mean that they value you. I posted this particular quote on facebook yesterday and the amount of shares and messages I received was surprising.  I shouldn't have been surprised though, this is a powerful statement and it hit home for me pretty hard which is why I posted it to begin with. This is such an important thing to remember.  We all want to be desired, to know that someone sees us and genuinely delights in being near us.  That is just human nature and it is OK to want this.  What we sometimes fail to see is that desire can be a selfish feeling, it doesn't necessarily mean that someone has your best interest at heart.  After all, it is about a need.  It is a want or a wish for something in our life.    Value is not.  Value is the regard in which something is held in importance.  It’s not about what someone wants for themselves but what they want for the people around them. ...
Read more