Beat Boredom - Live Consciously!

For the past 2 1/2 years, I've been working at a job that really doesn't fulfill me in any way. I come in every day, count down the minutes until my 8 hours have been clocked in, then head home to enjoy the last little bit of my day. It's certainly not a terrible job by any means, but it pays me enough money to live a comfortable lifestyle and I'm comfortable doing my list of daily tasks...which terrifies me! Because, as you may or may not know, living a comfortable life puts you on a fast track to living a boring life. Before you know it, it's 20 years down the road and you find yourself living the same, boring life you never intended to live. You shake your head and think 'where in the world did the time go?!'

However, luckily for you and I, there is a way to break out of the cycle. The answer? Live consciously!

Living consciously can mean a lot of different things to different people, but the basic premise is that you live your life on purpose. Those who don't live consciously often get stuck in a monotonous routine and never figure out what makes them happy. Living consciously means paying attention to your daily life and spending as much time as you can doing things you love!

Everyday I try to work toward living more consciously. I'm still working the same unfulfilling job, but at least I know that it's leaving me unfulfilled. So, everyday I work toward making the next big move to improve my situation, while at the same time, I also spend time discovering the things I already do love about my life!

So, here are a couple of questions to get you started:

-What's going well right now? What can you celebrate?
-What's boring you?

What are things that bore me? My job, checking other people's Facebook pages, reality t.v., living in the same city for the last seven years...

What are some of the things I celebrate? My relationship with my husband, sweet tea from McDonald's, soaking up the sun, Voluspa Candles, walking barefoot through soft grass, sushi nights with my girlfriends, standing up for myself, karaoke with my family, fashion and popsicles... The list goes on and on!

The key is to waste less time on the things that bore you and spend more time doing the things you love! So, the next time I'm contemplating wasting half an hour of my life watching 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians', I think I'll throw a blanket out in the backyard and look at stars with the one I love instead!

“Celebrate what you want to see more of.”
-Tom Peters, American businessman

"If I Had My Life To Live Over"

“If I Had My Life To Live Over”

By Nadine Star

If I had my life to live over
I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.

I’d relax I would limber up.

I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would perhaps have more actual troubles
but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.

You see I’m one of those people who live
sensibly and sanely hour after hour
day after day.

Oh I’ve had my moments

And if I had it to do over again
I’d have more of them.

In fact I’d try to have nothing else.
Just moments one after another

instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I’ve been one of those people who never goes anywhere
without a thermometer a hot water bottle a raincoat
and a parachute.
If I had to do it again I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over
I would start barefoot earlier in the spring

and stay that way later in the fall.

I would go to more dances.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds.

I would pick more daisies.