The end of another year is always a great time to reevaluate our lives and take stock of what's working and what could use some tweaking. That doesn't necessarily mean creating a laundry list of goals for the new year. Sometimes it's as simple (simple, not easy) as identifying what your priorities are so you can keep them in mind as you move forward.
Enter Living Your Five. :-)
Alyson, Tera, Becca and I are all going to be revisiting our Five this month and making tweaks to keep them current with where we are in our lives right now. It's something we encourage everyone to do, in fact! As our lives change, it's only natural that our Fives will change with them. What's super important today might not be as important to you in a different phase of your life, right?
In keeping with that, here's my new Five:
1. Embrace gratitude and pay it forward
This is a combination of two of my original Five. The more I work with gratitude and find ways to pay it forward, the more I realize that these are often two sides of the same coin. More often than not, the things I do to make a difference in one also make a difference in the other.
2. Choose kindness and harmony
One of Alyson's posts last year really got me thinking about how we relate to the world around us. It's not just about what we do, it's about how we do it. The how matters, in a big way. This part of my Five is my reminder that practicing kindness and encouraging harmony are two of the most basic, but profound, ways to make an immediate impact on the world around us.
3. Put family and friends first
Sometimes we spend so much time giving to others--often to people we may never even see--that we lack the time or energy to give back to the people we love most. As I looked back on what I accomplished in 2009, I was happy with the ways I paid it forward to the outside world. But when I looked at how much time I was able to devote to the people I care about most, it made me sad.
While it's wonderful to make a difference in the greater scheme of the world, it's just as important to make a difference to the people closest to you. As HGTV says, "Change the world. Start at home."
4. Seek out inspiring stories and share them with others
This is something I do naturally because I LOVE a good heartwarming story! And I have a lot of fun incorporating them in features like our Friday FiveSpots. But I want to do even more of this. Including the stories on my own You 2.0 blog, sharing them with my email buddies and my family... just spreading the word about all the great things people are doing to make their world a better place.
So much of the news is about what's wrong with the world. That's one of the things I love about Living Your Five: it's all positive, all the time. :-) We might not be changing the world every week, but we're making a difference in ways that matter to us. Lots of people are doing the same thing, day in and day out. I want to find those stories, cheer them on, and share the inspiration they offer with everyone looking for a bright spot in the world.
5. Live a greener life
This is another carryover from my original Five. And it's definitely one I plan to keep. I love finding new ways to cut my carbon footprint and embrace the reduce-reuse-recycle way of life. Every little bit helps!
So there you go... Kay's Five for 2010. :-) Do any of these resonate with you as well?
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