Do you enjoy life?

Are you happy? or are you miserable? Maybe 50/50? When you look at your life do you smile or do you just want to shut your eyes and go to sleep. It is very sad how many people in society don't even like their lives, let alone enjoy them. There are many "things" that we decide can make us happy or unhappy. Our career, relationships, families, school/grades, our finances are just a few that we often use to define ourselves. We often use these things to evaluate our level of success.

I would like to suggest a different approach to looking the way we look at life and to the way we live it. I will ask you to take a look at a few things in your life, and see if (in the words of Bishop TD Jakes) you may need to reposition yourself a little in order to enjoy life more.

1. When you get up in the morning do you look forward to starting your day or do you dread it? This is an important question to ask yourself. Many of us spend most our lives just getting through each day, dreading a new one, dreading a new week, etc. That is not how life is meant to be. No matter what job you have, where you live, how much you make, what your family situation is, you should not dread every day. If you are somebody who does, ask yourself, what is it that I dread? Is it something I can change.

2. Do you enjoy your job/career? For many of us, when we ask ourselves what we dread about our day, the answer is work. If this is the case it is important to begin to take some steps that will put you in a job or career that is more to your liking. Every one of us has passion, gifts and a calling to do something in life. To find what would suit you better explore the subjects and topics you are passionate about. What makes you happy? What makes you angry? What would you be so happy to do that you would do it for minimum wage if you had to, or even for free? Asking yourself these kind of questions will point you in the direction you need to go in that area of your life.

3. Do you feel like your day has a purpose? So many people I know go around aimlessly, doing this or that, never really satisfied, never really having a purpose or even goals. In the last section we looked at finding your passion, calling even. Once you have some idea about what your calling might be, start to do something to move toward it, be it taking some night classes, enrolling in school full time, starting to browse for jobs elsewhere, doing some volunteer work etc. Look at your options, set some goals, what do you need to do to further your purpose in life. When you live each day with a purpose and a direction, you begin to enjoy your days a little more and you stop dreading them. If you are a Believer you can even pray and ask God to give you direction and help you to understand what your purpose is in this world.

4. Are you thankful for the things you have? I have already written another hub on living with a thankful heart, so please read it for a deeper look on this subject but thankfulness focuses you on the positive in life. It takes us away from the worry, negativity etc. and helps us think about our successes and strengths, no matter how small.

If you are not really enjoying life, you can change it. You may not be able to do it overnight but some of the suggestions mentioned will help you to at least get on your way. Remember success is subjective, don't let others put you in a box. Find something to look forward to, live with passion and purpose and get a positive outlook. You were created with a purpose and you were meant to enjoy your life.