Kelsey Sharpe

Last fall was my first semester of college.  Aside from the demands of Spanish 101 and Statistics, I opted to live in a cooperative living community at a school far from home.  Living with such a close-knit group amplified a lot of my internal and external conflicts.  I encountered aspects of my own character that I’d never confronted before and I decided that these conflicts must all be connected to a singular point of origin: values. 

The house’s shared values seemed to all boil down to compassion.  I noticed it in our policy meetings, which seemed to almost always conclude with, ‘You can do whatever you want, as long as you’re respectful of others… bottom line: don’t be an asshole.’  That’s when I decided I had to alter my approach and use this newfound knowledge not only in my social interactions, but also in my environmental and materialistic interactions, too.  Only then did I feel like my quality of life had improved immensely.  Below are the steps I implemented in my day to day that can help you begin to live your best life too!

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1) bSmart in Your Community

Ask questions

Whether it’s a friend, an acquaintance, a boss, or a love interest, every person you meet is like a vat of jungle juice waiting to be sipped.  Be open to new ideas and get ready to listen, cause with a good question, comes an answer (whether you like it or not).   

Get involved

Getting involved is key in improving the relationships with those around you and within your community.  The Center for a New American Dream, a non-profit founded by women, aims to re-instill the arguably forgotten focus of the American Dream’s ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ mantra.  New Dream focuses on bringing this same compassionate focus to all aspects of a modern-day American’s life, with community involvement being one of their core focuses.  Humans are social beings and feeling connected to those other humans who make up your environment improves overall well being.  Take a cue from The Center for a New American Dream and get involved within your own corner of the world.   

Do something you’ve never done before

Last semester, my friend told me he was going contra dancing and asked if I wanted to come.  I had no clue what contra dancing was, but I replied with a hesitant ‘yes’ and we went.  I learned something new, I was being productive while doing it, and it felt so good to finally go out on a limb and do something that was unconventional me.  Whether it’s learning a new style of dance, practicing yoga, or kickboxing, actual doing and connecting will feel so good, so fun and so right.  Get out there and make it happen.

 

2) bSmart with Your Environment

Go outside

Play outside.  Run outside.  Walk outside.  Just, be outside.  Breathe the air’s freshness and recharge your battery.  Trust me, you’ll understand once you do it.

Be aware

That chocolate bar wrapper you dropped on the ground under the premise ‘I’m only one in a million people who littered today!’ is not OK.  Excusing clearly not-OK behaviors doesn’t improve your well-being or anyone else’s around you.  Be aware of yourself and how your actions impact others, because love of self is what fuels compassion.

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          Love of self is what fuels compassion.

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3) bSmart with Your Things

Go beyond consumerism

New Dream conducted a study in 2014 to research why the American Dream is perceived as unattainable today.  Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed said, ‘We have a materialistic culture.’  New Dream’s ‘Beyond Consumerism’ initiative focuses on a new, alternative form of gift registry called ‘So Kind Registry’; a registry dedicated to giving gifts people can use and feel good about.  Learn more at SoKindRegistry.org.  Buy less, love more.

Give quality gifts

Don’t just get Pops another pair of socks or Mom another set of pearl earrings; make your gifts meaningful!  Cook Mom and Dad a thoughtful meal, take them on a trip, or make them a photo album!  Do something to improve your relationship with your gift’s receiver.  Why?  Because it feels so much better than those striped socks you got your dad on clearance fifteen minutes before you saw him.  Why else?  It saves YOU money!  Socks from Barney’s, or a home-cooked, well-thought out meal?  I’ll take the latter.  And your Dad will, too. 

Live your life compassionately.  From improving relationships with those in your community, improving your impact on the environment, and spending less and loving more, your quality of life can be the best if you make it the best.  Like the great Hannah Montana once said, ‘Life’s what you make it, so let’s make it rock.’

 

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