Small Steps

At times I feel bombarded by messages online to join the movement to make the world a better place! Someone has opened up a plastic-free grocery store or printed an actual 3-D tiny house for the homeless. I start to examine my own life purpose amongst these larger-than-life projects. 

What can I do I ask? Well the answer came to me suddenly while sitting outside this evening on my porch - Be Happy! Once I accomplish this goal, I am free to help others which can lead to my life purpose or projects. 

• Being happy requires work. First you need to take care of your basic needs like food, shelter, clothing along with employment or retirement, transportation, maintenance. These things can be very time-consuming! But I find I have a routine to minimize my time. For example, I do all my laundry in one afternoon instead of daily. Also, I keep a To Do List giving priority to such things as getting the car fixed. See what works for you.
• Schedule social activities. All work and no play makes Johnny or Joanne a dull person! Plan at least one event you can look forward to during the week. It can be meeting friends for a meal or going to a concert in the park. Just put something on your calendar even if you just plan on browsing books at the mall.
• Help others. It is true helping others leads to happiness for you. How cool for everyone! Look for opportunities to help others. It can be as simple as letting someone in the grocery line go in front of you. Sometimes someone at work or in your family will ask for help. There is your call! Afterwards you feel a wonderful sense of peace and accomplishment.
• Now you are ready for other projects. Think about what is important to you. For me it is recycling. It all starts with me! So I figured my first step is not using straws or tops when I order drinks. I tried that last week and the soda tasted fine without the extra plastic. I am hoping others will follow. It all adds up with hundreds of people changing their habits. 
• Give yourself time. Just take a small step toward your goal. Later, you can open up a recycling company or write the best-seller. For instance, I have several half-written stories. Instead of beating myself up as to why I have not completed a book, I have decided to blog. I enjoy blogging and it keeps me writing! The big stuff will come later. 

That's it folks and have an amazing rest of the week!