Welcome to part 8 of our blog series on the benefits of new experiences. If you haven't read our other posts you can catch them here.
In this post, we are going to talk about having a sense of purpose. If you look up the definition it is defined as a reason for which something exists or is done, made, or used. So why is a sense of purpose important to our being?
When we have a sense of purpose in our lives it creates all the feels! You develop increased optimism, resiliency, and hope. You will experience more joy, happiness, and satisfaction in your life. These are all the things we would love to feel right? Well, there are also some health benefits as well! All these feel-good emotions can positively affect your health. Just as bad feelings, negativity, and stress affect your health in a bad way, these positive feelings affect your health in a good way.
So what can you do to feel a sense of purpose in your life?
Donate what you can, whether it be time money, or talent. Take the time to go through your wardrobe and donate items you don't wear anymore to people in need. Cook a meal for a family who needs help, or donate some of your time for relief efforts. When you see people lose everything they have it puts into perspective that we don't need the excess we have sometimes. So if it's not being used by you, donate to people who will use it.
Listen to feedback. Sometimes we don't see what others can see. Sometimes we don't want to hear what someone is trying to tell us. But, listening and taking consideration from this feedback can help us move forward to our ultimate goal.
Surround yourself with positive people. The saying is true that what you surround yourself with is what comes at you. So if you are around negative people who complain all the time or everything happens to them, or even a toxic work environment, that will be what you are surrounded by. If you choose to keep company with positive people, people who try and make the best of things, who have something positive to say, are grateful, positivity will surround you.
Explore your interests. Are there things you are interested in? Then go for it! Learn more about it, try it, and do it. You don't know what you love until you explore and find it.
And discover what you love to do. Do the things, and discover what it is! We all know the difference in how we feel when we are doing something we love versus something we hate. Why wouldn't you want those good feelings more often?
We never know what path a particular experience we do will lead us down. Don't let your mind talk you out of trying that painting class, trying that new recipe, or *gasp* getting started on that new business idea that has been going round and round in your head.
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