4 Ways to Make Today the Best Day of Your Life
Have you ever wondered what the best day of your life looked like?
When I was a child, I collected memories. Happy ones — those that would remain with me for many years. These I stored in a mental jar which was labelled “the happiest days of my life”.
But as I grew older, I realised that the jar could no longer fit all these memories. There was no need to keep them all close to me — I could find happiness in each day. How is this done? Let’s look at four ways we can make every day feel extra special.
Treat Yourself like a Person you Admire
Remind yourself daily that you are worthy of reward.
You are intrinsically valuable, and no one knows that better than you do. So allow yourself the luxury of being treated as a special being whose time has come to be on earth and loved unremittingly.
You are already a unique marvel of existence, and what you do proves it. Have you not worked hard to be where you are? If by the power and skill of your hands you have earned some right to reward, take it! This is the essential reason for all your efforts: to bring value to others and comfort to yourself. What you have sown in toil, do not be afraid to reap.
Remind yourself daily for what it is you work: a satisfaction of seeing yourself grow in ability while being useful to others. If you do not appreciate your efforts and reward them generously, can you expect others to? Treating yourself as a person you admire at work, rest and leisure will empower you to continue being that person and soar to even greater heights.
Make a habit of rewarding yourself with gifts or experiences that enable you to continue shining brightly.
Count Each Day as a Separate Life
The line above comes from Stoic philosophy, which urges us to remember the finitude of life and never to take for granted the length of our days.
Life is an experience to be lived, and not simply a series of pressing problems. Find value in the journey of each day, for only the present belongs to us in its entirety. Don’t be shy of spending what you have today — tomorrow may never come.
As you press on towards your goals and dreams, remember to reward yourself along the way.
Caring for Yourself Brings many Benefits
Are you spending enough time, energy and resources to feel satisfied about yourself?
Find occasions throughout the week, month and year to treat yourself. This will lift your self-esteem (your opinion of yourself) and produce chemicals in the brain such as endorphins or dopamine to provide you an elevated mood and sense of wellbeing.
When you decompress from tense or pressurising situations, endorphins are released in your body to relieve pain, reduce stress and improve mood. You will recover a composure that enables you to savour the moment and return with renewed vigour to the task at hand. For this reason people often find unplugging from social media, detoxing from digital devices and retreating from busy social settings to be restorative of their mental balance. The means by which you reward yourself need not be merely consumerist — seeing a show, visiting a spa or going for a short camping trip are all ways to detach from the usual cycle of business. This is particularly true if you’re engaged in activities of high pressure and stress — looking after your body and mind requires that you take intentional breaks by doing things that rejuvenate them.
Giving your mind the peace and freedom to wander may in fact spark new ideas and help you forward in ways that were unforeseen. Biology often rewards us for tending to its needs. Regard any expense on recreation as an investment into your general health, which over time will lead to increased capability.
Richard Branson once said “if you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients”. The same applies to your body: pay attention and care for it, so it can do its best work for you.
How you Treat Yourself is Felt by Others Too
It is a distinct possibility that by engaging in regular self-care, you will develop more empathy for others in their struggles.
The kindness with which you treat yourself may lead you into greater sympathy with others to deal with them hospitably. This could result in a positive flow-on effect in your relationships. In addition, being generous with yourself sets an example for others to follow, giving them permission to do the same.
Your actions impact those around you, subconsciously or otherwise. By treating yourself right, you will encourage others to be kinder to themselves.
Investing in your own mental and physical wellbeing makes you not only a friend to yourself, but to those who associate with you as you show them how to live fully. You are consciously affirming your self-worth through considered acts of generosity, while making your days more enjoyable and memorable. Then, as the sun descends to the west, you may reflect on how the hours were spent with a quiet satisfaction, whatever fills the day that is to come. Today can be the best day of your life.
