*4 Points to Remember in Life

Like everyone I've done some pretty bad things in the past. I don't necessarily believe that doing bad things makes you a terrible person, I believe that if you don't learn from these mistakes or bad behaviour, then yeah, you are pretty much a bad person. I have felt guilty for not giving people enough of my time. I have lied to people that I love. I have had moments where I was so caught up in negative behaviour, I had to step away and ground myself. These days I like to actively practice mindfulness and meditation. Sometimes we get so caught up and lost in the rat-race that we live in, we forget to balance things out. Here are a few things I try to remember now:

1. Make time for your loved ones.
   I cannot stress this one alone. While sometimes these people can drive you crazy, believe it or not it is also the number 1 regret people on their deathbeds will admit. They didn't spend enough time with their partner, children or grandchildren. Living overseas, timezone or city can sometimes hinder the relationship. Instead of sending a text though, pick up the phone and make some genuine time for them. I guess a real reason for me to also stress this one more is because of the unexpected loss, my husband and I had a couple of months ago. We moved overseas always thinking that maybe we would lose a parent or grandparent, but never in a million years did we expect the lose of a child in our family. It was fast and unexpected. It definitely was a shock to both of us that we do need to make more of an effort with family.

2. Do things you enjoy.
   I have never met a single person that would say "I wish I had more time for my job". A job is a job. Nothing more, unless it is your real passion. I can understand people that give more time to their business. Because it is what they are passionate about.
   A happy person is a person with interests. It could be animals, travel, nature, art, knitting, sport! It doesn't have to be something that makes you money. But it's something that makes you smile.

3. Sleep.
   I used to be guilty in saying "I'll sleep when I'm dead." But with that motto came a very moody, tired person. Someone that seriously needed some shuteye. I'm more mindful to get more sleep these days and if it's the weekend or a day off, I'm more than happy to take a nap when I need. Not to be a lazy person, but I have found that I'm a much happier person for it.

4. Laugh
   I do this everyday, even over the smallest things. I've been in situations where I could have cried or screamed. I choose to see the best in even the worst of situations or if something bad happens I take it as a learning curve. We choose on how to handle situations. It can be really amazing. As I mentioned before about losing a family member, even after only a couple of days the family sat around together and we were all laughing. Not because we saw the humour in the situation, but we were taking a break from mourning, because even when it seems to be the worst time, we need to be able to move forward.

While these points are very simple, we sometimes overlook the simple things, because we are over consumed with the complex. The simple things are the building blocks or foundations that can make life just that little more special. Don't take life for granted.