Top Ten Tips for Rising This Fall

The summer is fading as we are bombarded by Back to Work, Back to School and Back to Real Life. Next thing we know, it will be Thanksgiving and the holidays are around the corner. Yet, life is not intended to be marked by bookends or as a highlight film, but rather as an opportunity to thrive and infuse the present with purpose and the mundane with meaning.

I have had the privilege of speaking about life optimization and legacy to thousands of people over the years, and one thing I know for certain: People want to thrive and not just survive. People want to slow down time, live inspired and create enduring impact. They want to know that they are not just counting the days to the next vacation but to making the days count.

To that end, I have created a list of ten strategies for maximal living and legacy. Take some time and try these top Ten Tips for improvement that will help your life and the lives of those you love every day.

To Inspire Optimism and Resilience

1. Never miss an opportunity to create memories: Sometimes the most spontaneous expressions of love happen by playing with your children even when you are busy. Finding time for a walk or a “unplanned” fun event will be the ones that will live in their hearts forever. Your children may not remember what you say to them, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

2. Embrace and teach the Art of Failing forward: What do you do when you hit a roadblock in life? Do you dwell on the disappointment or try to find a silver lining? Your attitude, whether negative or positive, will be contagious, and a positive one is the secret for life success.

3. Don’t diminish but discover: We all make mistakes. Be as forgiving of ourselves as we are with others. Insure your criticism is constructive and focuses on the act and not on the person. Mine for the gold rather than digging for the dirt.

4. Celebrate small victories and the journey: When one door closes, another door will open. Think of a personal experience and understand that each new day provides a new opportunity. Each morning we have this moment to choose life and get back on the road to success.

To Cultivate Courage

5. Develop the “good habit” muscle: Ask yourself, how do you behave when no one is looking? Do you listen to your “inner voice” or do you ignore it and do something you really shouldn't do, such as posting a snarky Facebook comment about someone else. Listen to that inner voice and do the right thing. You know what it is and one good choice energizes another. Remember, if you have children, they're watching you.

6. Bolster self-confidence: Think about a choice you made in the past week that made you feel good inside. What helped you make those choices? Who inspires you and motivates you to be your best? Is it some music star or is it perhaps an author, parent, or sibling? The testing ground for the heroic is the mundane. Each small decision you make shapes who you are and who you want to be. This is true and any and all ages.

For Embracing Gratitude and Giving Back

7. Living with radical amazement and wonder: Keep a gratitude journal. If you live with others, make it a habit to go around the table once a week and share a reason to be grateful. Do not repeat from one day to the next but find new blessings in your life.

8. Teach happiness skills for yourself and others: We each must learn how to find happiness in whatever the circumstances in our lives. Believing that happiness is dependent upon what happens to you will keep you bound up and limited. How you see the world around you is what makes the biggest difference.

9. Practice the art of gratitude by paying it forward: Volunteer by yourself or with others. Model and anticipate acts of kindness. There is no substitute for shared experiences in giving back, so if you have kids or other family members, do good things together. Help the homeless, stock a food pantry, start a Harvest Now Garden, volunteer at an event, visit an assisted living home, bake cookies for first responders... the opportunities are endless!

For Creating Joy and Memories

10. Try the “I’ll never forget exercise”: Write “I’ll never forget...” on the top of a page and write down the moments in your life you will never forget. Why do these thoughts emerge? How can you create such moments for your children as well?

Plus a Bonus Tip:

11. Values are caught not taught: Be the best role model you can be. What is the best way to create impact? Not to impose your values but expose people to your best self. You will realize that people will be inspired by your sense of passion, purpose and kindness, and one step at a time, you may not change the world, but you can change the world of one person each and every day.

A light rises in you. Don’t allow your light to falter and fall this season. Ignite your life. Make the most of every day. Your light is a candle that can light many flames. These ten strategies will enable you to ensure that we are not only counting the days until the next vacation but making each day count and making a difference in the world.

About Rabbi Daniel Cohen: Popular motivator, mentor, and inspirational speaker, Rabbi Daniel Cohen’s unique blend of authenticity, humor, wisdom, and insight helps anyone better navigate contemporary society and lead a life of legacy. Rabbi Cohen has served in the rabbinate for over twenty five years and is the author of What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone? Creating a Life of Legacy.