This is a popular week for reflecting on life and giving thanks for our family, friends, and health. After all, these three combined have a huge impact on our daily lives. There are countless things I’m thankful for every day, and I hope you feel the same way. Now I want you to take a moment for yourself and reflect on the power of choices and change. They shouldn’t be overlooked when giving thanks!
Choose To Be Happy → Change Your Mindset
Happiness is a choice. It really is! Happiness doesn’t come from being rich or popular. Nor does it exist in material possessions. Happiness comes from within you and is absolutely free! If you aren’t already, please find a way to laugh every day and I guarantee your happiness meter will rise. Once you realize that you can control your thoughts, you can change your mindset and your life.
Choose To Get Educated → Change Your Career
It makes me sad and sometimes even annoyed when I hear people complain endlessly about how they hate their jobs. They get so entangled in their own negativity and nagging, and expect others to feel sorry for them. No thanks! Constant complainers waste so much precious time and often don’t realize that their attitude pushes others away. There’s SO much truth in the phrase “knowledge is power.” If you’re unhappy with your job or industry, don’t just sit there! Start researching, reading, saving, learning and change your career!
Choose To Travel → Change Your Perspective
A lot of people are scared to travel or assume customs are the same all over the world and never leave their comfort zone. I’ve been fortunate to do a fair amount of traveling and can vouch that experiencing other cultures is life changing. I believe there would be a lot less hate in the world if more people educated themselves on different cultures. Learning a foreign language is a fun way expand your horizons and there’s lots of free resources online and at public libraries. There are so many amazing places to see and people to meet domestically and abroad. Go exploring and change your perspective.
Choose To Get Active → Change Your Lifestyle
Whether or not you believe in fate, don’t rely on the universe to unfold your future for you. Cuz if you do, you’ll be stuck waiting a really, really long time! If you want to lose weight, start eating healthier and get up and exercise. Tired of being alone every weekend? Start making plans and fill up your social calendar! Want to be your own boss? Go draft up some ideas, make a business plan, and start a side business. You have the power to make choices and change your life.
Work where you want…Live how you want…Be who you want to be!
Untemplater’s Black Friday Giveaway
I want to send out a big THANK YOU to each of you for supporting Untemplater with your readership and comments. It truly means a lot!
I’ll be announcing a Black Friday giveaway to all Untemplater email subscribers in the upcoming newsletter this Friday so don’t miss your chance to win! Get an extra entry just by submitting a comment on this post. Not a subscriber yet? Just use the blue sign up form at the top right of this page, it’s easy!
Untemplaters, what are some choices you’ve made this year and what changes did they have on your life? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
I like the post, Sydney. We can be thankful for what we do have, yet also have the power to make some choices to improve different aspects of our lives as well. Good stuff!
Thanks Squirrelers. We’re all lucky to be able to make our own choices!
I really enjoyed this post. I definitely believe that happiness is a choice, and that we’re all in charge of change. Very empowering.
Thanks Jackie. We all go through ups and downs, and we have the power to choose to find the bright side in everything we come across.
Every day is filled with myriad little choices, all leading up to progressively bigger ones. You are correct, how we navigate this matrix rests with us.
And sometimes we make the wrong choices so it’s important we learn from our mistakes and not be afraid to try again if we fail.
Understanding the power of choice is essential. You may not always be able to chose exactly what you want, but you always have a choice. If we stop being victioms of our circumstances and start using the power of choice (no matter how small), we will soon see positive results. BFG.
“No matter how small” is right. Every step and every choice counts, and each one has an outcome and effect. There are always different options and directions we can choose to take.
I find that every part of this post rings true. For 2012, my plan is to become a better me, do what I love and find a way to make money at it. Choice is such an important part of our happiness. I think that if everyone lived their lives knowing that every outcome is the direct effect of a choice we made, no matter how big, or how small, so many would be a better position in their lives.
BFG
That is awesome Tiara! I wish you all the best and am happy to hear you’re looking to make some exciting changes in your life. 🙂
“If you’re unhappy with your job or industry, don’t just sit there!” +1 to that point, haha. Considering we spend 25% of our weeks at work (and maybe another 5% commuting to it or thinking about it) and another 33% sleeping, why put up with something you hate? I mean, I can see if your industry is contracting – that’s a different problem – but in normal times, you’ve got to evaluate your position.
Stress leads to all sorts of negative effects…
Stress has SO many negative effects, especially health issues. It’s a clever obstacle we have to consciously squash and push away.
This is a great post and I appreciate the perspective. I do think happiness is a mindset that can be cultivated – unfortunately, it isn’t an easy thing to do. However I feel like you’ve neglected to think about the fact that not everyone can afford the things you’re suggesting/have equal access. Not everyone has enough money to travel and the majority of working class america can’t really afford to follow their passion, but are working multiple minimum wage jobs to put food on their family’s table. A lot of people just can’t afford travel.
Of course, most of your advice definitely applies to the “Gen Y” -people like me who are twenty something, relatively economically privileged, have an education, etc. To our subset of the population, it does make a lot of sense. Thanks!
BFG.
Travel is just one example of the choices we can choose to experience, and yes it takes money that some people just don’t have. When I didn’t have money to travel I loved to check out photo books from the library on National Parks and foreign countries so I could experience the places through the pictures. Reading and watching videos at the library or on the web is a great way to learn about other places and cultures without having to spend any money. I still do this between my trips and it’s a lot of fun especially with the amount of content there is now.
“I believe there would be a lot less prejudice in the world if more people ventured out of their hometowns and saw more of the world.”
Isn’t this just a prejudice against people who don’t like to travel? Some people will travel with a closed mind and see only things that reinforce their stereotypes. Meanwhile, I don’t like to travel; I don’t like sleeping in strange beds, I don’t like feeling jet-lagged (when I moved cross-country, it took my body TWO MONTHS to adjust to the 2 hour time zone difference), and I don’t like crowds. But I like to think that I don’t have a bigot-ed bone in my body; I have a laissez-faire attitude about they way people live their lives.
Actually, it’s time and again on this site and the whole lifestyle design movement that the gravitates toward the idea of “if you’re not doing it THIS way, you’re doing it wrong.”
BFG
Fair point. I should have worded that better. People can appreciate other cultures without having actually experienced them. Being open to other cultures and environments is what I was getting at. Sorry to hear you had such a hard time adjusting to a time change. I’ve read that being out in direct sun can help the body recover from jetlag. I’m usually so excited when I travel that my body does ok with less sleep for a few days but I’m sure it can be exhausting for those who have difficulty changing their sleep schedule. Travel has changed my life in so many wonderful ways which is why I like to encourage people to try it. If you already know you don’t like to travel then by all means avoid it. No sense in doing something you don’t enjoy!
Oh, and that last comment should have had BFG in it also. 🙂
Some people need a little snarkiness in order to realize their faults. Complaining is a vicious cycle that can really trap people in a cloud of gloom and bitterness. Anyone who tries though can turn lemons into lemonade.
I just gave someone this same advice this week… although I think your version was much less snarky than mine. 🙂
I have lots to be thankful for this year. Getting married. Being healthy. The people I’ve met, like yourself. I’ve also learned this year that whatever we want is up to us. It’s not because of luck. It’s because we choose it in our lives.
Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
BFG!
You’ve had quite an impressive year Benny! I’m glad we connected online too. :). Being able to choose what we want is such a blessing and we disappoint ourselves if we don’t try. We may not always succeed but taking action is the only way we’ll find out!
I have changed my career and my mind more often than I changed my hairstyle or clothes 😀
BFG!
That’s fabulous James! There’s no reason why anyone has to stay on one career path. Life is too short to only do one thing!
I have just recently been saying this!!! If you want it go get it complaining does nothing!
Right on. I overheard a woman today talking about how her brother was complaining about not being able to find a job and he hadn’t even been actively trying. She took the initiative to write an email to a company she thought would be a good fit (pretending to be him) which ended up landing him an interview and then a job! Sure hope he thanked her a ton and appreciates now that it takes action to get results!
I have changed my career 6 times and I am constantly changing things I want to make better. What is the alternative? Complaining does not do any good. You have to take action.
I love that you are proactive with your career and take the initiative to follow your passions and do what you love. 🙂
Reminds me of Gandhi’s words: Be the change you want to see in this world.
Happy Thanksgiving Sydney!
Hey that’s a great quote, thanks for adding that. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Great quote…I think I have a better one though :)….“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 Our joy should be found in Him–happiness will come and go with life’s unending obstacles and circumstances….but joy can be permanent. It isn’t always easy, but I am thankful I have a Savior to rely on. (Philippians 4:4) Great post, and hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for sharing Jon. I had a great Thanksgiving and am enjoying the holiday weekend. I am so glad I stayed far away from Walmart. I saw some of the Black Friday stampede madness on video and wow were those people going crazy!
Happiness is a choice indeed. We don’t appreciate the happy people around us until they just start acting normal. Cherish those who are always smiling and know that they are elevating your happiness as well.
I love to see people do something about their careers, rather than complain. Awesome to see several Yakezie Members quit their job because.
Happy Thanksgiving Sydney!
Sam
Well said. I’m so glad that those Members are doing well and made the choice to follow their passion and go full time. It really shows how hard work and persistence pays off. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!