Live Your Values

When we are on track, living close to the things we deem important-the things we value-we feel

happier. This isn’t flash happiness, it isn’t the kind that lasts for a few minutes when we get a

new toy, or enjoy a concert. This is the kind that lingers in the background of our lives. The kind

that even in moments of sadness or frustration, never completely disappears, because if we are

living a values based-life we are also living with meaning and purpose.

-Polly Campbell

Live Your Values

When we are on track, living close to the things we deem important-the things we value-we feel happier. This isn’t flash happiness, it isn’t the kind that lasts for a few minutes when we get a new toy, or enjoy a concert. This is the kind that lingers in the background of our lives. The kind that even in moments of sadness or frustration, never completely disappears, because if we are living a values based-life we are also living with meaning and purpose.

-Polly Campbell

Make Time for What Matters

Been meaning to spend more time with your family? Are you putting off errands? Is there not enough time to volunteer, go for a walk, or make dinner? Make time. Once you commit to something and begin to make a habit of it, you will be more likely to continue instead of saying, “I would like to, but I don’t have enough time.” You have the time; you just need to find it.

Practice Random Acts Of Kindness (and Deliberate Ones, Too)

Random Acts of Kindness Day is always the week of Valentine’s Day. I love to hear how this meaningful movement has touched others’ lives. Artist and author Peg Conley shares her thoughts:

   You’ve seen those bumper stickers, the ones encouraging you to commit “random acts of kindness?” What they can’t tell you in that little space is how performing those acts can be a way of transforming yourself. When you begin to focus on extending kindness towards others, you’ll feel more kindness coming towards you. Not only will you make someone else’s day better, you’ll be surprised how well yours improves. It’s rather like the “Secret Santa” gift exchange that many offices and families adopt during the weeks leading up to Christmas. There is delight when you do something for another while keeping your identity a secret. When you watch a person receiving a surprise gift, you see their face change, the eyes open wide with delight, a smile bursting into a grin, and laughter erupting. They appear to feel sheer joy at the unexpected. The old adage is true: “It is in giving that we receive.”  The other part of the quote, which is by a San Franciscan writer named Anne Herbert, is often left out: “and (practice) senseless acts of beauty.” I received a text the other day from a friend who had taken a picture with her phone of a sidewalk outside a coffee shop where she works in San Francisco. Someone had written “ It’s a beautiful day” with colored chalk on the sidewalk and adorned it with butterflies and hearts. That, to me, is a senseless act of beauty. Think how many people walked on that sidewalk that day and smiled at the childish scrawl reminding them of the beautiful day.

  The Hebrew word mitzvah means a good deed or an act of kindness. Judaism teaches that the world is built on kindness. I recall what my Bubbe, a dear friend in Salt Lake City who was my son’s first caregiver, used to tell me about the importance of doing mitzvahs. She believes in the power of doing good for another person but not telling them about it. She is a perfect example of someone who practices random acts of kindness, and also one who sees and acknowledges the beauty in everyone she meets. I always feel better just by being in her presence. Entire campaigns focused on practicing random acts of kindness have sprouted up. This, along with “having an attitude of gratitude,” enriches my days in many ways. There are myriad ways you can practice random acts of kindness. Don’t forget to include yourself when you are doing them!

Think with Your Heart

Shortly after retirement, Leon Delong, a very thoughtful Seattleite, wanted to utilize his new free time and he decided to do something meaningful. When he heard that city office towers were routinely throwing away half-used rolls of toilet paper, he started gathering them and delivering them to a local food ban, where they were given to the homeless and those in financial need. Over the last 15 years , the 76-year-old delivered over one million rolls of toilet paper. “I’m amazed how much this mattered to people,” Delong said. “To me it was just a nice thing to do. Now, it’s my claim to fame.” What is your claim to fame?

Make Time for What Matters

Been meaning to spend more time with your family? Are you putting off errands? Is there not enough time to volunteer, go for a walk, or make dinner? Make time. Once you commit to something and begin to make a habit of it, you will be more likely to continue instead of saying, “ I would like to, but I don’t have enough time.” You have the time; you just need to find it.

Make Sure Our Elders Are Well Fed

One in six Americans over age 60 faces the threat of hunger, and Meals On Wheels is there to help. A total of 2.5 million seniors in all 50 states, many of whom have chronic health conditions, rely on the service. Go to mowaa.org to make a one-time donation ($35 provides 5 meals), or join the Next Meal Club to donate monthly.

Add a Half Hour to Your Day

    One of the most brilliantly simple pieces of advice I ever heard was from Peter Shankman at a publishing conference. He said it had transformed his life and it is simply this: get up a half hour earlier and use that to reach out to people. He said it can be as easy as wishing a happy birthday to your Facebook contacts, one meaningful phone call first thing in the morning, or writing a personal note to someone you have been meaning to be in contact with. I remember listening to him and thinking I really didn’t want to get up any earlier. My days were long enough (see July 14 on letting go-clearly I needed to do some right then!) and that did not sound appealing. But his sincerity and enthusiasm somehow broke through my “baditude” and I pondered the idea as I walked back to my car and drove across the Bay Bridge back to my office. I decided to try it and I can tell you, he is right.

    The extra half hour of every morning has been one of the best investments I have ever made, and so much so that I added an hour. It completely changed my life for the better. Try it!

Glad Days

    Let someone know that you appreciate having him or her in your life. Sometimes we forget how good it feels to be appreciated; yet we know how lousy it feels to be unappreciated. Go ahead and tell someone how thankful you are for his or her presence; it will only make you closer.

Get Out of Your Head and Back Into Your Heart

    Because the world we exist in today is very much about staying in your head, many of us have to make a concentrated effort to become grounded and in touch with our bodies and the natural world around us. Grounding is a technique for centering yourself within your being. Grounding is the way we can reconnect and balance ourselves through the power of the element of earth. When you see someone driving past talking on their cell phone, you know that they are not grounded. For deep grounding, we recommend a creative visualization or, better yet, a group guided meditation.

To Be of Service

    “To Be of Use,” Marge Piercy’s marvelous poem, suggests something of the human condition-that we all long to be useful, to help, to work together toward a common goal. This is surely the best part of the human spirit. Meditate upon this: 

    What is my true purpose? What am I here to do in this life? 

    I recommend that you contemplate this question deeply and for a very long time-days, weeks, months, and years, even. Let the answer speak through your service to others.

Please, Mr. Postman

    Look into a pen pal. Writing to someone in a foreign land- whether it be a soldier, a fellow student, or a long-lost relative-can really help you gain perspective and will do the same for the person you are writing to. Check out this website for more details on how to find a pen pal: penpalworld.com. Letter writing is more meaningful than an email or text- this beautifully old-fashioned tradition will bring lasting enjoyment to you and your pal.

Do What You Say You’re Gonna Do

    Remember my friend Nancy Fish I mentioned a few pages back? This is the guiding principle of her life and it inspires me: really commit. Saying you’ll do something and actually doing it are two very different things. Commit to something you’ve been meaning to do and take the first step today. If you don’t Nancy may track you down and hold on to it!

Make Time for What Matters

    Been meaning to spend more time with your family? Are you putting off errands? Is there not enough time to volunteer, go for a walk, or make dinner? Make time. Once you commit to something and begin to make a habit of it, you will be more likely to continue instead of saying, “I would like to, but I don’t have enough time.” You have the time; you just need to find it.

Power Your Life with the Positive

    When life gets you down, remember to look on the bright side-and there is always a bright side. Be strong not just for yourself, but for those around you as well. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “It is better to light a single candle than it is to curse the darkness.” Look into the meaning of this quote: focus on the light in your life- and if there is none, try to be that light.

Add a Half Hour to Your Day

    One of the most brilliantly simple pieces of advice I ever heard was from Peter Shankman at a publishing conference. He said it had transformed his life and it is simply this: get up a half hour earlier and use that to reach out to people. He said it can be as easy as wishing a happy birthday to your Facebook contacts, one meaningful phone call first thing in the morning, or writing a personal note to someone you have been meaning to be in contact with. I remember listening to him and thinking I really didn’t want to get up any earlier. My days were long enough (see July 14 on letting go-clearly I needed to do some right then!) and that did not sound appealing. But his sincerity and enthusiasm somehow broke through my “baditude” and I pondered the idea as I walked back to my car and drove across the Bay Bridge back to my office. I decided to try it and I can tell you, he is right.

    The extra half hour of every morning has been one of the best investments I have ever made, and so much so that I added an hour. It completely changed my life for the better. Try it!

Do You Know How Great You Are?

    Compliment someone today, and mean it. A genuine compliment can boost someone’s confidence and that is a great feeling. If you like your coworker’s blouse or new haircut (or both!), tell her. Open and honest communication works wonders for developing relationships and makes everybody’s day a little bit nicer.

Service

    “To Be of Use,” Marge Piercy’s marvelous poem, suggests something of the human condition- that we all long to be useful, to help, to work together toward a common goal. This is surely the best part of the human spirit. Meditate upon this: 

    What is my true purpose? What am I here to do in this life?

    I recommend that you contemplate this question deeply and for a very long time-days, weeks, months, and years, even. Let the answer speak through your service to others.

Go Forth and See the World

    Things are starting to get back to normal, and vacation plans are beginning to ramp up in numbers again. And after this past year, it's important to remember the importance of traveling, even if it means still wearing a mask and having hand sanitizer on your person after getting the vaccine.

    I am reminded of the peripatetic Phil Cousineau that travel is a very important tool for lasting happiness and creating memories to savor over a lifetime. Phil, author of essential guides to making travel meaningful, The Art of Pilgrimage and The Book of Roads, says its important to "go out of your way," and meet people that are native to the place you're visiting. He also reminds us to give gifts, simple tokens from your homeland, and gestures of goodwill that will be returned a thousandfold.

    Over 2,000 years ago, the sage Lao Tzu remarked, "The longest journey starts with a single step." Phil says to use "the eyes of the heart" when traveling to learn something about yourself and the wide world around you. Here are some of Phil's recommended practices for making travel meaningful:

    Imagine your first memorable journey. What images rise up in your soul? They may be a childhood visit to the family gravesite, the lecture your uncle gave at a famous battlefield, or the hand-in-hand trip with your mother to a religious site. What feelings are evoked by your enshrined travel memories? Do they have any connection with your life today? Have you ever enshrined travel memories? Do they have any connection to your life today? Have you ever made a vow to go someplace that is sacred to you, your family, your group? Have you ever imagined yourself in a place that stirred your soul like the song of doves at dawn? If not you, then who? If not now, when? If not here, where? Paris? Benares? Memphis? -Uncover what you log for and discover who you are.

    If you are traveling soon, make sure you are still practicing guidelines! Mask up, sanitize your hands, and keep six feet apart.

Live Your Values

     When we are on track, living close to the things we deem important- the things we value- we feel happier. This isn't flash happiness, it isn't the kind that lasts for a few minutes when we get a new toy, or enjoy a concert. This is the kind that lingers in the background of our lives. The kind that even in moments of sadness or frustration, never completely disappears, because if we are living in a values based-life we are also living with meaning and purpose.

    -Polly Campbell