The longer I live, the more I realize that a life is always "UNDER CONSTRUCTION" so it's important to engage in the following:
1. Ask
2. Ponder
3. Dare
4. Dream
5. Imagine
6. Leap
7. Wonder
8. Listen
9. Pray
10. Breathe
11. Hug
12. Travel
13. Celebrate
14. Vote
15. Treat yourself to Sharpies in every color
16. Vary your routes
17. Walk backwards
18. Buy a bright green bike
19. Read in a new genre
20. Find every opportunity to say "I Love You"
21. Trust your intuition
22. Forgive your friends
23. Binge watch at will
24. Hand out cans of V8 Juice to the homeless
25. Tip generously
26. Push past fear's twinges
27. Tune in to TED Talks
28. Do more than you think you are capable of
29. Perfect the art of empathy
30. Don't forget to hug yourself
31. Support NPR
32. When in doubt how to respond, smile
33. Drop I can't, you shouldn't and but from your vocabulary
34. Pretend things are better than they are
35. It's trite, but each night when you crawl into bed, review the day and make note of three things you are grateful for
36. Break a disagreeable or daunting task into a series of smaller steps and tackle the easiest first
37. Throw an obit writing party and craft your own unique obit with input from your close friends
38. Re-read a favorite book or re-watch a favorite movie and note how your perspective has changed
39. Save the newspaper from the day each grandchild is born
40. Buy a bunch of Mason's jars and fill with fresh flowers
41. Buy local -- think global
42. Assume your adult kids love you even when they don't return phone calls or texts
43. Tweet, don't kvetch
44. Become the family story teller -- entice your grandkids with stories of your triumphs and your challenges and tell them what is important to you and why
45. Savor your first morning cup of coffee
46. Practice moderation
47. Banish coping -- live to soar
48. Carry yourself as if you've already lost those last five pounds
49. Be an ambassador of connection
50. Don't bend to others' expectations
51. Tune out distractions
52. Pick the two things that if achieved will bring about the greatest good in your life and concentrate solely on those
53. Utilize your talents and resources to be the best you can be
54. Lose the regret
55. Harness your power
56. March resolutely forward
57. Take a ride
58. Keep re-arranging your furniture
59. Stay hydrated; stay curious
60. Craft a personal mission statement
61. Write an ethical will
62. Hold yourself and others accountable
63. Get a good night of sleep
64. Read "Modern Love" every Sunday in the New York Times
65. Try doing Crypto quips
66. Write a personal note of condolence, sharing a story of the departed loved one
67. Balance on each foot two minutes a day while looking out the window at the trees
68. As President Bill Clinton noted: we have more yesterdays behind us than days ahead, so use those days wisely
69. Whiten your teeth
70. Encourage three friends to sign up for my weekly newsletter
Iris is available to speak on a variety of topics, focusing on self-help, self-improvement and self-empowerment. For more information, contact her at irisruthpastor@gmail.com
If you want more information about Iris's forthcoming book Tales of a Bulimic Baby Boomer, or to sign up for her weekly newsletter, visit www.irisruthpastor.com or follow her on Twitter @IrisRuthPastor.
You can find more from Iris on LinkedIn.
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