27 Tips for Vibrant Living

Celebrating You!
27 Tips for Vibrant and Successful Living

Isn’t that what we all want…to live a vibrant and successful life?

Celebrating ourselves is good for us. It’s good for our families, our friends and our communities - that positive energy is both life affirming and infectious. What better way to celebrate than to find little ways to indulge yourself and those you love? Women sometimes get so caught up in “taking care of” others that often we are the last to be cared for. Let’s start with taking care of ourselves and each other. Here are some suggestions to get you started. As you go though this list, write down the ones that speak to you, as well as the ones you think of in your journal.

1. What are you grateful for? Start a gratitude notebook (or section of your journal) and list all the things you are grateful for. Read it whenever you are feeling overwhelmed by life.


2. Plant a tree in honor of someone you care about. Better yet, plant an orchard.


3. Giving does wonders for yourself and others. Consider volunteering at your local school, senior center or library.


4. Do you have a tub? Candles? Some quiet piano music? Can you say “aahhh”?


5. Become a blood, organ and/or bone marrow donor.


6. Daydream! This is vitally important.


7. Manifest your life! Visualize what it is that you want. Get all the colors, smells and textures, emotions involved. Bring it to life. Remember we are what we think about.


8. Be in silence.


9. Send yourself flowers.


10. Exercise! Being physically fit is the ultimate way to vibrant living!


11. Make bubbles.


12. Invest in yourself (savings or retirement account, education)!


13. Go out into the night, away from the city lights and watch the meteor showers.


14. Be outrageous in all that you do.


15. Throw a party FOR your best friends.


16. Don’t wait for tomorrow.


17. Invite a special friend and splurge on a good meal.


18. Run through the sprinklers!


19. Find a photo booth in a mall and take some fun pictures of yourself.


20. Treat yourself to a spa day. Don’t forget the pedicure.


21. Learn to accept gifts from your friends.


22. Have breakfast in bed.


23. Have a belly laugh!


24. Curl up, in front of the fire, with hot chocolate and a really good book.


25. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen, food bank.


26. Adopt a park, beach, or community space in your town.


27. Be the first to venture outside after a snow storm.

© 2004 Barbara C. Phillips, NP

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Laughter and Medicine

“Always laugh when you can.

It is cheap medicine.”
Lord Byron

Intention of Words

We all know how words seem to have the power to make or destroy our day. Our words, our intentions are very powerful. Our subconscious mind seems to take them at face value, not putting the little nuances to them as our conscious mind does. For example, if you tell yourself "how stupid! I should have known that", your subconscious mind hears "I'm stupid", not that you made a silly error.

Words have the power to make a person healthy or ill. I'm sure most of you have had the experience of saying something and having it come to pass. For instance, when I was a child, I did not want to go to school (a rare event I assure you!). I told my Mom (who is reading this by the way), that I was sick...I really faked it. Imagine my surprise to find myself ill later in the day. All of us are just as powerful as that 10 year old child was.

Caren Goldman has written a lovely book on the power of words and how they can heal. This grew out of her own battle with breast cancer and her interaction with our Western medical system.

Consider the words: Gratitude, Joy, Peace, Optimism, Comfort, Joy, Wisdom, Silence, Play, Wellness, Spirit...and many more.

Incorporating these words into your daily life WILL positively impact your health and well being. Not only that, but imagine how these words can affect you on your journey to successful aging.

Healing Words for the Body, Mind and Spirit: 101 Words to Inspire and Affirm" by Caren Goldman

Lessons from Arthur C. Clark

Consider this:

"When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong." Arthur C. Clarke

How many of us are open to new thoughts and ideas? How many times have our ideas been squished because of the nay-sayers in our lives?

Visualize yourself having the most positive, vibrant and life affirming successful aging experience…what does that look, feel, smell, like? What do you hear? What are you doing? What are you experiencing?

Now…who says it’s not possible?