Venture out and add spark to your life

I watched something very inspiring on Youtube the other day. A prison officer, decided to audition for the very popular X-Factor television series.

During her first audition, this shy, unassuming, 36-year-old chose a very difficult song by Beyonce and then proceeded to awe everyone with her voice.

Thirteen weeks later she emerged as the 2013 X-Factor winner, thereby securing a £1million (136,500,000 million) recording contract.

She surprised everyone, most of all herself. The mother of three dared to dream and step out at age 36.

Surprise yourself

One of the best ways to jolt you out of a disappointing life is to do something completely different. Even if you think you might be terrible at it, give something new a try.

Whether it is signing up for Chinese language lessons, or hydroponic gardening or trying kick boxing, doing new things challenges us mentally and physically, and sparks a new interest in living by giving us a new reason to get up in the morning to a day that is fresh and full of possibilities.

Many people are afraid of trying new things. To some there is nothing new worth trying.

And then there is a whole different group of folks who say they hate surprises.

What they are really saying is that they are afraid of change and prefer familiarity.

Structure is good; however, most people would be pleasantly amazed at how trying something new would add spark to their lives.

Try something new, surprise yourself and start living.

Revisit that Living List

There are some things we may have always wanted to do. I would love to ride my bike to different parts of the world, seeing new sights and meeting different people.

My cousin also wants to travel across all the continents but by train. If you have a list of things you want to do before you die, do not sit around waiting for a reason to do them.

Find one thing on that list that you can accomplish and just do it. If your list includes an exotic adventure, but you cannot afford it, do not wait; start by looking for a more affordable option.The thing is, you will never go unless you start going. The best way to make life worth living is to find ways to ensure that you really are living. That is making every moment that we live and breathe count; appreciating that we are indeed living and breathing.

Take stock of the good and be grateful. You might not have the most exciting and challenging job, but in a troubled economy you at least have a job; so that is a blessing worth counting.

And even though your romantic life might be as exciting as a trip to the dentist, remember that there are friends and family that love you.

Recognise where you are fortunate and you will generate a sense of optimism that will spread into all other areas of your life.

Too often we take so many blessings in our lives for granted. We fail to take stock of the many good things. Instead, we focus on the handful of items that are unpleasant. If you take a few minutes to make a list of the positives in your life, you will soon see that the negatives are greatly outweighed by the positives and you have so much to work with and live for. Take stock, be grateful, and start living.

Find your serene zone

To live a peaceful, happy life, and I mean truly live it, sometimes you may have to do things that are totally against your nature.

That means if you are carrying around grudges from your past, it is time to let go and forgive those who have wronged you. The negativity harms no one but you, and letting go will be sweet freedom from pain that was simply unnecessary. So how do we forgive someone who damaged us and our lives?

• Get away from the problem. If you can relocate somewhere where troubled memories do not follow you wherever you go, you open the door to a new mindset, and that, coupled with a new environment, can lead to better things that can turn a negative into a positive.

• Work on your spiritual self. While some are best served by going to church to find their introspective side, others can head out into the wild and find a sense of peace that is a good move to clear thinking that does not invoke anger, regret, or despair.

• Use your bad experiences to help others. Share your story to prevent other people from making the same mistakes.

This has great therapeutic strength because you elevated yourself to a point where you can look at your past objectively.