It’s Spring time which means a time of rebirth and renewal. I like to think that such renewal can occur between us and those we care about. Certainly, we can all strive to be better friends, spouses, and neighbors. No doubt in my life I wish I would have paid more attention to the small details that enrich our relationships. The good news is that it’s never too late to start fresh and help repair, heal, and nourish our relationships.

Over the last couple of years I have focused on daily steps that I can take every day to improve my relationships. I have come up with several tips that can help you in your relationships.

Be willing to change your mind – This means be more flexible. If you want to go to Place A for dinner but she/he wants to go to Place B. We open to other’s influence and be willing to change your mind. Flexibility and meeting people half way can pay off in many dividends.

Say Six Positive Things for Every Negative Thing – If we say six things for every criticism – we are able to focus on the positives a lot more and our criticism, when they occur, are more effective.

Spend happy time together doing things – Whether it means taking a way, going to the movies, or out to dinner – having fun time is important for sustaining relationships.

Make the most of your disagreements – While may never see eye-to-eye on everything we can make some positive gains on when we learn from our disagreements however intense they are. Staying positive, being open to learn from mistakes and forgive one another is essential to maintain a healthy relationship.

Life is full of surprises. Ups and downs – and sometimes things can get hectic. When things become hectic it’s hard to keep your life together. Certainly, we know that a hectic life can spin out of control. But fortunately, there are few things that can help you stay positive while you get through this turbulent time.

Exercise – Daily exercise can help you de-stress.

Meditation and Prayer – Mediation can help decrease your cortisol levels.

Nutrition – Our diet is an important way to nourish our bodies

Sleep – Getting 6-8 hours of sleep when things get hectic can be tough, but in reality, Sleep can be an excellent way to rest our bodies and mind.

Laughter – Laughter is one of nature’s best remedies against stress.

I like the words of Norman Vincent Peale when it comes to dealing with times of adversity.  Whether we are dealing with students, our family, or other life’s challenge, he keeps his advise simple: “Trust yourself. You cannot be successful or happy without the confidence in your own powers and abilities.”

As teachers or people who have reflected in life’s many challenges knows that sometimes attitudes are more important than facts. Sometimes creating excellent attitudes that are filled with confidence, hope, and enthusiasm can not only help us succeed in life, but also maintain or course during life’s occasional setbacks.

But how to do you get self confidence?

Mr. Peale suggests a couple of important steps including developing the mental mind-frame of success. This takes a bit of training, but teachers who have had a decent amount of education and success of their own can replicate, and even teach it. Additionally, whenever a negative thought or voice comes to mind, quickly replace it with a positive thought.

Norman Vincent Peale believed in God and he made it apart of his teachings. But he also believed in the power to “picture-ize” or visualize success. Training ourselves to visualize our success even in the most difficult times and when we face the most trying challenging, focusing on the visualizing success is essential.

File: Victor E. Acevedo

I took an early morning walk today. The air was clean. The sun was warm. The wind was cool. It is spring time and this morning’s walk helped me to shake off a bit of winter. The experience was simple but important to me because it affirmed a notion that we should all consider: Springtime should be a time that we renew are faith in ourselves and each other.

Some people like to do spring cleaning (I do), others like to put away the dark clothes, while others start thinking about their gardens – whichever way you choose to define it, Spring time is special.

I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to renew your faith in yourself. After the long winter, Spring is nature’s own clock that a new Season is here. Don’t fret about the past – mistakes or regrets – simply allow yourself to start fresh. That’s right – start over!

Make Amends with Those You Care About

Spring time is an excellent time to make amends with those who have hurt or disappointed us. When we forgive and put things behind us, I believe we’re able to make the most of our present. Living completely in the present is something that is ultimately intense and beautiful. Yet, we can’t really do that when we are holding on to the past so tightly.

It’s my goal this year to really focus on the present – that which is front of me. No doubt, I have spent a lot of time – many years actually – focused on my future or thing in my past. Really, they both serve as a distraction from what lay right before me.  Now, I am not saying that we shouldn’t plan for the future or shouldn’t remember the past – I think we should. However, we should spend more time enjoying those around us today. I think there is something beautiful about living in the moment – even though it gets relegated to doing something selfish.

Make Stronger Friendships

I think this includes making stronger friendships with family members too. We can always be better friends. We can always make room for another to sit at our table. Why not invite an old friend over for dinner? Lunch? If you live too far, sometimes a phone call would be a nice gesture. Sure we can buy ourselves another mocha or coffee, but why not buy a greeting card and mail it to your Mom?  These are just simple ideas that can make a big difference in someone’s life.

Let’s make this spring a spring of hope, renewal, friendship, and love.

No doubt, many Americans feel anxious, nervous, and frustrated. Each day, we’re more likely to come in contact with someone who is not happy. Our happiness really affects our quality of life – and our productivity.

In my years of teaching children and young adults, I found that those students that are the happiest, are more successful, more attentive, more willing to learn, and be more engaged. The same is true for adults. The happier we are, the more we get out of life.

So, deep down, I think we know what I’ve been saying. We instinctively understand that when we are happy, everything is just better.  But then, why aren’t more of us happy?

We all make mistakes. We all have regrets. We have made poor choices. We, at some point in our lives, have made errors. I have. But, I am willing to be that we have also made great choices. We have also made a positive impact on the lives of people

There is no “secret” to being happy. There are however, there are a few ingredients that we need and which I have been blogging about for some time.

1. Forgiveness. We need to forgive ourselves and each other.
2. We need to stop listening to the negative voices that come around (internally and externally)
3. We need to demonstrate love.
4. We need to have hope and keep things in perspective.
5. We need to choose to be happy.

While some of these need no explanation, I want to talk about the choice – the last number on the list. We most definitely have a choice. When good and bad things happen to us, our choice in how to react is important.

Most of the big problems that we have had in our lives five or ten years ago, don’t really matter much today. We may have struggled with them back then, but today, they may be just a faded memory. Keep things in perspective. The more I do this, the more I am comforted when I face a big problem.

If you are struggling with a big issue in your life, I simply want to offer you hope. There is hope – things always get better. Things always find their way to heal. It is my hope that you are able to forgive yourself and others, so that the healing can begin. That you find ways to demonstrate love and that you surround yourself with positive voices.

My coach back in high school always used to tell me, “You only got one life, make it matter.” Whether I was in college or years beyond, I was thought about my coach’s advice – and even though it’s simple it has been a challenge to follow through on.

How do we live life to its fullest potential? After all we get bogged down in our day-to-day activities – traffic, work, bills, trying not to be late – making sure the rent is covered at the beginning of the month. We are fortunate to pocket any “extra” savings, time, and effort to rest or catch up on more stuff.

The older I get and the more people that I have worked with over the years – I can tell one thing for sure: It doesn’t get better with age. In other words, we always have something going on in our lives (at whatever point in our lives) that can keep our mind and spirit buried in the sand. The question is how do we break away from that – and really, truly enjoy our lives?

I’ve always like the following quote by Victor Hugo.

“It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.”

So how do we live in a way that is meaningful? Well, there is really no “one” answer – if it was that simple, we’d all being doing it, right?

There are few things have helped me in my life that help me to live in the best possible way. I’d like to humbly share a few of those.

1. Let the past go. I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my life. I have some regrets, but carrying those regrets with us until we die is simply too big of a burden that is unnecessary – even cruel. Yet, we are our harshest critic. The criticism if fed by others who pine in and join in on the action of being judgmental.
2. Help Others: I have dedicated my life to help others. I have found that the best times in my life have always been when I have been doing things that make a difference in people’s lives. Whether it’s teaching children to read, helping someone to pay their utility bills, volunteering in my community, or simply helping a friend move out of his apartment, I really have benefited greatly.
3. Increasing my expectations on what life should bring: It’s okay to think big and to it expect good thing – even if you have messed up or made mistakes. It’s okay to try and get back on your feet from life’s ups and downs.  Learning to expect big things have reaped many rewards and pushed me further than I have ever dreamed.
4. Surrounding Yourself with Kind People – The people you hang out with – even on the weekends really make a big difference in our lives. Their energy, their influence, and their encouragement (or lack of) can really affect your direction. Surround yourself with people that are less drama, kind, and compassionate, and your life will instantly change.
5. Forgiveness – forgiving ourselves and others who may have hurt us is essential to living a life in peace. It’s not always easy, but it can be done. And once you’ve forgiven the world begins to open up.
6. Laugh – laugh often. It matters. It’s important. And it feels great.
7. Love – Show small gestures of love every day to your families, friends, and even strangers.

That’s it. Those are my humble tips to living a more fulfilled life.

Living Our Life To The Fullest Potential By Victor E. Acevedo