TODD: Cultivate relationships

good look and appreciate God’s creation all around you.

Tip 5. Seek out an adventure. Try something new. Get out of the “old rut.” Go somewhere and do something you have never done before. Take up a new hobby or do that project that you always wanted to do. Look forward to doing something different. Take “the road less traveled.” Look forward to waking up in the morning with a new appreciation of life.

Tip 6. “Spark joy.” A Spanish Proverb says, “Unshared joy is an unlighted candle.” Musician Richard Wagner reminds us, “Joy is not in things; it is in us.” We need to reflect on our relationship with our possessions to see whether they truly “spark joy” within us or they are holding us back. Try “downsizing,” clearing out clutter, clarifying priorities, and living joyfully.

Tip 7. Cultivate relationships. Let’s face it. Our Christian religion deals primally with relationships. Jesus told us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How are your relationships with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, parishioners and our local community? Where do you need to improve?

Tip 8. Nurture our relationship with God. Developing an inner spiritual life should be our primary daily task. We can do this each day through meditation, reading Scripture, journaling, reflecting on God’s gift of nature, or any other way we can tune into God’s will for us. Along with our weekly worship of God, we will discover our deeper selves, true happiness and joy.