refreshing life and living refreshed

Remember what’s important to you:
1. Family(Stay connected, call, write, visit. Don’t have expectations that the other party is always willing to do the same.)
2. Friends (Same as family. Take the initiative to create a connection.)
3. Continuing education (Find ways to attend school. Remember, you can always be a student – whether a student of school or of life. Be open to new ideas and discussions. Consider each encounter a free hands-on course, just be willing to listen.)
4. Developing a career (Try a few different experiences until having a broad depth of experiences. What careers suit you best? Which ones make you excited to wake up and work? Which ones highlight your strengths so that you can not only achieve personally, but are also challenging enough to keep you going back day after day? How can you be a superstar at your job? Note: Remember the 80/20 rule. 20 percent of the time you probably won’t love your job, but 80% is likely. Appreciate the 80 to bring you through the remaining 20.)
5. Becoming a professor (Give back. Initiate and instigate critical thinking among others. Pass on your knowledge so that the next generations are one step ahead. Show others the process – give them the tools and let them navigate their way through the world. Keep in mind that you’re not only a teacher, you’re potentially someone they can look up to as a person. So not only equip them with the tools to succeed, but also lessons. Humanity lessons. We’re all in this world together. One person can make a footstep, but a community can build a path.)
6. Getting married (Be open to love. Someday, you will meet that man. You will. Maybe you already have and let him go. Don’t fret, there’s a time and place for everything – including marriage. A core component to marriage is trust, faith, and hope. Trust in you, trust in your partner, trust in your relationship. These are the building blocks. You two will have your ups and downs, trust in these moments and the idea that “what won’t break you, will make you stronger.” Be strong. Have faith – in yourself, in him, in each other. You must have faith that you two will make it through the bad to see the good. Have faith in the feelings that first brought you together. Feelings just don’t happen to anyone or any two people. These feelings are sacred and hard to replicate. You won’t always be in love, but love will always be lingering. Sometimes you have to seek it out. Hope. Have hope in your future, hope in each other, and hope in yourself for the best. Don’t expect, but hope. Dream. Wish. Together. One is the loneliest number, be thankful for a mate to share your experiences with.)
7. Starting a family (Hard to believe, but yes, you will want to be a parent. You may have noticed that your maternal instincts have increased over the years. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t neglect them. Embrace them. Get excited to start a family with someone you love. Love. Compassion. Empathy. Care. Considerate. Parent. Keep in mind that you are first a parent, then a friend. Your child may hate you at the time, but will appreciate it later on in life when he/she can stand on his/her own two feet. Social crutches do exist and can usually be filled by friends.
8. Running (Some people relax through a short siesta. That’s some people, not necessarily you. Get off your rump and use your gift of legs. Be good to them and the rest of your body, and you will explore many places through a run. Motivate others to go running to. Use this activity to connect with others. There are no known international or national rules surrounding recreational running. Keep in mind that not everyone is a social runner. To each their own, but running is a craft that can be made extraordinary or extremely boring. You choose.)
9. Travel – maybe live in London again? (To play and travel, you must work. Work to enjoy and experience life to its fullest. When the dough doesn’t roll through as freely, remember how to be a tourist in your own city. Find byways through dead ends and surge. Seek opportunities, they hardly ever present themselves.)
10. Giving back more than I take (Unlike your perceptions as a youngin’, the world really doesn’t revolve around you. Honestly. This doesn’t mean that the world is about everyone else, but you must find the harmony that organizes this chaotic world. Volunteer – your time, your energy, your natural resources. Be a resource. The world is like a young child – needing some guidance but even more love and care. You don’t need to be another Mother Theresa, but there are little things each day that we can all do to make this world a better place. Along these lines – be conservative. Gluttony is the epitome of America, but it doesn’t have to be for you. Set limits. Be conscious of how much of the world’s resources you’re using. Do you really need to print that map? Can you copy the directions onto a smaller sheet of paper? How many drinks do you really need at the bar? Do you really need to supersize that order? Remember how much work goes into everything you purchase.)