4 Ways To Make Sure Your Life Matters
1. Put people first.
At the end of your life, it’s doubtful that you will wish you spent more time at the office, more hours studying, or more nights watching Netflix (Although I’m really loving PLL right now!). One of the best investments of your time is to invest it into people. Might you get burned? Yes, you might.
But some of the most beautiful things in the world are the people who make it up, their hearts, and their stories. And you have the chance to really know some of these people.
2. Spend your money on experiences instead of things.
There are very few things in my life that have stayed with me as I’ve transitioned into new seasons. My guitar has. My journals have. My bible has. A few friends have. But experiences? Experiences inscribe themselves into the walls of your brain and curves of your heart and they long outlast most things. You can spend your money on clothes you will eventually give to Goodwill or on experiences you will take with you until you die.
3. Figure out what you’re passionate about and do it.
In StrengthsFinder 2.0, Tom Rath gives an equation: Talent x Investment= Strength. If you focus all of your time on improving your weaknesses, you may see small change, but investing time on your talents multiplies that strength. You are much more likely to invest time into something you are passionate about. So, to make the biggest impact on the world, find the intersection between passion and strength in your life and run after it as fast as you can.
4. Unplug.
Put your phone down. I know it just beeped which means you have a text message which means you won’t be able to concentrate on this post until you check it, but bear with me for a minute. Wherever you are, be all there. That doesn’t mean half engage in a conversation as you are scrolling through Twitter. That doesn’t mean spending half of the concert trying to take a cool Instagram picture. That means appreciating the moment in front of you and realizing that you are never going to get it back.