by Joann Conrad

Created on: January 09, 2009   Last Updated: January 25, 2009

Are you obsessing about your age and accomplishments? Are you beginning to admit you are miserable more then you want to be? With a reality check and an exercise or two to get you back in touch with being happy you can set some life goals. You have heard that you have everything if you have your health. Being healthy might mean sleeping more, or eating well, or simply loosing a few pounds. If you can make health your priority!

Many Americans are well off (healthy and wise) and make wish lists to visit foreign lands and scale mountains. But many Americans are homeless. Today if you are making lists to travel and be exotic rethink it. Plan to help others and secure the roof over your own head as well. You never know when you might need the help you offer others. Many organizations such as Habitat for Humanity are helping to make housing a reality. The local library can help you find the right organization to help you meet your needs.

If you are unhappy get to the root of this. Need a friend? Start at the library and see what groups exists for you! Many churches, and non religious groups meet regularly and welcome non members. You can find a group that will meet in your area of interest to provide support or just friendship listed in any local paper.

If you are working at a job that you do not like because you need the money realize this is what many of us do! But while you are doing this you need to develop your interest areas and perhaps turn them into your work. You might need to cut back on expenses and work less. You may need to totally downsize and work part time at two different jobs so you can get out of an unhealthy work situations. But if you are miserable you need to start changing. Take up an old hobby (writing poems, reading books, taking photos,...drawing).

If you have done all of the above and you are still feeling sort of shut off from the real you here is an exercise or two you may find worth while. For two weeks cut out pictures from magazines of things that make you smile , places you want to go, hairstyles you like for yourself and such. Things you would like to do to help others! After the two weeks are up put these pictures into groups as you can and write about what you liked. Now set a new goal based on a happy feeling from the pictures! (note: Many libraries give away boxes of magazines).

If your working on a lot of stuff and feel like you will never reach a goal get some exercise. Clean a corner of the house, take a walk...just refocus and move! You might need to be patient like Abe Lincoln and keep trying. Persistence does count for a lot because if you practice you can develop what you will need to change. Remember you are looking for things that elate you and make you want to yell "I have happy feet"! Steve Martin developed his whole career around a child hood love of magic. Remember you can find your magic just keep at it.

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