LIFE

Summer might have you dreaming about days at the beach, but it's secrely the best time of the year to dream even bigger. Why? The days are longer, the sun is shining, and have a little more free time, which means you can let your mind wander...in the right way. While everyone else is daydreaming about that cute lifeguard, you'll be thinking about ways to live your best life yet. Here are a few ways to help you get started...

Create a vision board
If you can see it, you can do it. Create a collaged poster board with lists and pictures of everything you want to be, want to do, or want to have in your life. Don't be scared to dream big, OK? We're just on step one! 

Keep a journal
A journal is a great place to write down all of your thoughts, fears, desires, and anxieties (it's also a proven way to become happier). Even if you're not a "scribble your feelings" kind of girl, a dedicated journal can be a great place to write about your ambitions and goals, and come up with lists and plans of how to achieve them. Wanna feel more at ease? Jot down some things that are calming to you, like painting, talking with your BFF, praying or meditating, swimming, etc. Want to achieve something major? Start penning your week-by-week or month-by-month plan to make it happen.

Embrace your sense of wonder
It's easy to feel like the eye-roll emoji sometimes. You know, like everything is kind of eh. But allowing yourself to feel in awe over the little things can make you feel amazing in the moment and give you some clues about what you want more of in your life. Maybe you can't believe your grandma can make such an amazing blueberry cake. Ask her for the recipe. Or perhaps you nearly get choked up over the summer sky, studded with thousands of stars. Have a camp out. Or maybe you feel super lucky that you and your BFF met in kindergarten. Remind her how much she means to you. Take time to examine those instances when you're happy/amazed/intruiged/etc. They can add up to a life you heart.

Be creative
We're not saying you have to break out the watercolors, but it's important to ignite the creative side of your brain with activities that make you smile. Being creative allows you to solve problems, experience taking little risks, and overcome some of your fears. Hey, it takes courage to pull on your tap shoes after two years away from dance, or publish a short story, or perform your first guitar solo at camp. Overall, being creative means breaking from the routine. And that can be a powerful thing.

Push through fear
Scared? You might be onto something. Dreaming big can cause some brains to start bubbling with questions like, how am I POSSIBLY going to do this? Or, everyone else who does this has x and I only have y. Or maybe, I'm  just [enter whisper voice] not good enough for this. Well, remember that FDR said, "the only thing to fear...is fear itself." It's not totally true, but he was onto something. Don’t be scared of what people think, don’t be scared to be different, and don’t be scared of failure. It's all part of this adventure, right?  

Most importantly: go for it.   
If you've ever talked to someone who achieved something major, the answer rarely is, "oh yeah, I just woke up this morning and I was suddenly in the life I'd always imagined." (And if someone tells you that, they might just be evading the truth....) Want to live the life of your dreams? Here’s the trick ... just go for it. Yes, you're going to have to start small. Yes, it might take a long time. Yes, you might change your mind about what your "real goal" is 65 times along the way. Yes, you might get rejected. But, trust us, living big is so, so worth it in the long run.

How do you keep a positive mindset? Share with us in the comments below!

by Mallory Paul | 7/15/2018