7 Ways to Freshen Up and Liven Up Your Life

Do you need a little spark to liven up your life?
Excitement fills us when our lives feel fresh and hopeful.  Ideas flow.  Energy swells.  And happiness abounds.
Our lives can sometimes become a little too routine, predictable and monotonous.
There comes a time when you need to freshen and liven things up a bit.  You need to throw a log on the fire of your life and get something burning.  I want to offer you a few ideas to help create the spark that you need to get yourself unstuck.

7 Lively Ideas to Freshen Up Your Life

"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it."
~ W.M. Lewis

You've got to get your blood flowing.  It is time to seek inspiration and reenergize.  What makes you come alive?  Go do that!  Don't wait to begin to live.
It has always amazed me at how slim the line is between a disappointing day and one that is enlivening and invigorating.  You don't have to sell everything you own, leave your spouse and run off to Borneo to have a great life.  Whew, isn't that good news?  It is much simpler than that.  You just have to decide to step across that line and find some inspiration to create that spark that will make you feel fresh again.
Here are seven ways you can freshen up and liven up your life:

1.  Go On a Local Adventure

You have adventure that can reinvigorate you right in your own backyard.  I'm certain that one or more of these is available to you today.  All you have to do is engage.  These are simple activities.  But, because they are different, out of your ordinary routine, they will stimulate your senses and leave you feeling energized.  You can then ride this wave of renewed vigor all the way to happiness.  Don't dismiss this.  Take action today and you will be amazed at the difference it can make.

2.  Try Something You Have Always Wanted to Do

What's something you've always wanted to do, but have never taken the time to try?  Well, make today the day that you do something about it.  A few years ago, I took scuba diving lessons.  I live in Oklahoma which is hundreds of miles from any ocean and I don't get to dive very often.  However, the sense of accomplishment and motivation I felt from mastering a new skill that I always wanted to learn was well worth the price of the lessons.  Plus, the memories I have from diving in Cozumel are priceless.  I highly recommend getting out there and trying something new.  What will it be for you?

3.  Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Travel is a fantastic way to freshen up your life.  The new sights, sounds and experiences are sure to awaken your senses and liven up your life.  You get to experience new food, new art and often a whole different way of life.  If visiting a foreign country doesn't stimulate you, then you may need to see a doctor to confirm you still have a pulse!  Make yourself a list and then head out to a dream location.  Getting off the couch and out of your comfort zone is a perfect way to liven things up.

4.  Make a New Friend

New relationships create all kinds of new opportunities.  A new friend will open your eyes to all kinds of things you hadn't seen or elected to experience before.  You'll be exposed to a new point of view, stimulating conversation and invitations that will motivate you to break out of your rut.  Start introducing yourself to new people.  As adults, we've built this up in our minds to be way too scary a thing to do.  We need to be more like kids on a playground.  Keep it simple.  Smile.  Tell them your name.  You'll be amazed at what transpires from there.

5.  Be a Wild and Crazy Guy (or Gal)

If you feel the need to liven up your life, then chances are you've become to uptight and stuffy.  It is time to let your hair down.  Get crazy!  Do something completely out of character.  Perhaps you should go dancing or go skydiving or sing your favorite song at a karaoke bar.  We stifle ourselves because we don't want to look stupid, but in reality, stupidity is letting your life become dull and boring.  Get out there and live.  The experience will make you laugh and it will give you a memory you can reflect on favorably for weeks.  Come on!  I know there is a wild and crazy guy or gal inside you.  Go show the world!

6.  Buy a New Toy

I put this one lower on the list because it is so common in our society to think that if I just had this or that, I would be happy.  This thinking leads people to spend money on things they can't afford and usually the stuff just winds up as clutter in their garage or storage closets.  However, despite these possible pitfalls, I still think it is worth mentioning.  Sometimes, a new toy is a path to other happiness-building activities.  For example, you might buy a new camera, join a photography club, meet new friends and then go on a trip to a foreign country to take pictures.  Does any of this sound familiar?  If you will follow through with a bigger plan like this, then buying a new toy might be just the ticket for you .

7.  If All Else Fails…

Okay, now if all else fails and you aren't willing to do anything else on my list here, then let me give you one last failsafe option.  I'm going to make this one as easy as possible because I want to be sure you do something to liven up your life.  If you've read this far, you obviously need a plan and you must like reading.  Soooo, the last thing I'll suggest is for you to find an inspirational book to read.  I'd much rather you get up and go actively participate in something, but if you can't bring yourself to do that yet, then at least find a great book and maybe it will inspire you to do more.

Go Live a Happy and Exciting Life

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
~ Mark Twain

I hope these little ideas will lead to big things for you.  It often takes just a spark to get something going in your life.  You can use these ideas as your spark.  I pray they will ignite a huge flame in your life.  I pray that you will explore, dream and discover like never before.  I wish you the best life ever!