Improving the Quality of Your Life

A good definition of quality of life is “a feeling of inner peace and contentment.” It has nothing to do with having lots of money, living in a big, new house, or owing an expensive car. These things are external and have nothing to do with whether life is good or bad. The things that make life good are intangible. They are based on more important things like our relationships with God and others, the nice things we do for ourselves and others, and being grateful for everything that is good in our lives.

With that in mind, the first tip for improving the quality of our lives would be – “Cultivate and nurture relationships with God and with others.” The closer we are to God, the more inner peace we possess. Even in the worst of times, we can have peace if we are in touch with God through prayer and meditation.

There is much that we can do in our relationships with others to get that calm feeling as well. Loving unconditionally is the single, most important thing we can in our relationships with others. If we love unconditionally, we don’t spend precious time trying to change them. When we look for the good in others, we begin to accept them for who they are and stop dwelling on their negative qualities. By doing this, we improve our own lives and the lives of our loved ones.

The next tip is – “Do nice things for ourselves and others.” Between work and kids and life’s distractions, it is often difficult to find the time to be good to ourselves, much less to others. It is, however, imperative that we carve out some time for this every day. Doing things for others is a great way to find that inner peace that we need so badly. Even the smallest of gestures count. For example, take the time to check on an elderly neighbor, call a friend that has being going through a rough time, or volunteer with an organization that you believe in. The opportunities available to help others are endless.

Being good to ourselves is the one that most of us forget. We are usually so busy that there is no time left at the end of the day – which is why time for ourselves has to be scheduled, just like all the other items on our to-do lists. Giving ourselves as little as fifteen minutes a day can help. More is better, of course, but fifteen minutes is better than no minutes! We then have to use this time to do exactly what we want to do. Take a bubble bath, read, write, enjoy the little things like the birds or flowers in the back yard, even stare into space – as long as we take that time.

Another way to be good to ourselves is to always have something to look forward to. The daily grind can leave us feeling negative, so we need something positive to focus on. It can be something as big as a vacation or as simple as going out for a hamburger. The little things in life are just as important to our well-being as the big ones!

Never forget the benefits of laughter. Laughing is a great way for us to be good to ourselves, so cultivate relationships with people who make your laugh. When choosing a movie or television program, opt for a comedy. We simply can’t laugh too much!

Even though worry can’t be erased from our lives entirely, we can promise ourselves not to waste precious time worrying about things we can’t change. Limiting worry is an important way to be good to ourselves and improve the quality of our lives.

The last tip is simple – “Practice gratitude.” We must focus on the good things in our lives instead of whining about the bad. Being grateful for what we have is a great way to improve the quality of our lives because it forces to focus on the positive instead of the negative. Instead of whining about our houses being too small, we must turn this around to being grateful that we have roofs over our heads. There is nothing wrong with working toward goals to improve our situation. Working toward goals is positive. But whining about what we don’t have is not. We must learn to be satisfied with and grateful for every blessing, no matter how small.