Are you longing to live richer? Do you ever feel like a hamster on a hamster wheel? Is it hard to tell one day from the next because your days all blend into each other with seemingly no purpose?
It doesn’t have to be this way. You can be more engaged in your life and live a richer life! By being intentional about living a richer life, you won’t find yourself aimlessly watching the days pass by. Rather, you’ll be taking initiative to plan your days and your life according to your values, dreams, and goals.
Why live a richer life?
If you’re an active participant in your own life, you’ll be able to design exactly the kind of richer life you want.
You won’t wake up one day and ask yourself what happened to all the years that seemed to fly by. You’ll know what happened because you will have planned out your days to live your life on your terms!
What does it mean to live richer?
Some people think living a richer life means making a ton of money. Others think living a richer life means the freedom to do what they want with their days. And still, others think living a richer life is having a life filled with the love of good friends and family.
For most people living a richer life is probably some kind of combination of all 3 ideas. So, spend some time in self-reflection to think about what living a richer life means to you and your total wellbeing.
9 Tips to live richer
We all want to be happy and fulfilled. Unfortunately, sometimes this doesn’t happen automatically. If you need some help coming up with a plan to live richer, check out these steps you can take to live a richer life.
1. Be present
Today is all we have. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is not guaranteed. The older I get, the more this rings true! There is no point in dwelling on the past because there’s nothing we can do to change it.
And, while it’s certainly important to plan for the future, it’s not a great idea to focus so much on the future that you lose sight of the present.
Today is here and now. To live a richer life, make the most of your today. How can you live in the present? Some experts suggest practicing gratitude and even creating a gratitude journal can help keep us in the present.
Others suggest using positive affirmations to help focus on the present. So, work on being truly present and experience how it helps you live richer!
2. Live your truth
Life can be difficult even in the best of circumstances. Often we’re our own worst enemy, which is especially the case when it comes to living our truth.
It’s hard to not pay attention to what other people think we should do and be. But to really live richer, we have to let go of other people’s opinions of ourselves and live our truth.
So whatever your truth is, draw your line in the sand and own it. At the end of the day, only you know what’s in your heart. You’ll live a much richer life once you embrace it.
3. Assume positive intent
Try to find the best in every situation. It’s so easy to look for negativity and be defensive, but there’s no reason for it. Why not challenge yourself to go into every interaction assuming positive intent? If you go in with the mindset that everyone is trying their best, it’s much easier to have a positive interaction.
After all, most people have a lot going on, and many people are privately going through challenges in their life, just like you might be. So to live a richer life, give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
4. Do meaningful work
To live a richer life, everyone needs a purpose. A meaningful life is how to live richer! So find something that really excites you - something that makes you jump out of bed each morning!
Whether it’s pursuing a passion project or volunteering for an organization that’s close to your heart, figure out what matters to you and get involved!
If you’re struggling to discover your passions, do what I did and draw on your childhood! What did you really like to do as a kid? For me, it was writing and messing around with the camera.
So I started a blog! It’s my total passion - borderline obsession-and working on it makes me so happy! I also love to interact with kids, so I help out at church. Think about what you want to pursue and do it. Meaningful work is key to living a richer life.
5. Never stop learning
I graduated from college when I was 40 years old! While I was working full-time and raising two boys! And I got my degree in history even though my day job is in finance! Why am I telling you this? Because my point is it really doesn’t matter how old you are or what you study.
The point is to never stop learning! You can’t grow if you aren’t learning new things, and growth is essential to living a richer life. And don’t think that you have to do formal education in order to learn. Learning opportunities are everywhere.
So, in addition to traditional college courses, think about learning a new skill for fun. Things like cooking classes, dance classes, and even learning new software programs will allow you to flourish!
Also, look into community learning opportunities like Meetups to connect with other like-minded people. Learning new hobbies and skills is an easy way to live richer!
6. Cultivate your relationships
Life is nothing without relationships! It doesn't matter how much success you have or how much money you have in the bank. If you have no one to share your success with, what good is it?
So whether you’re married, have a partner, or are totally single, cherish your relationships. Put in the work needed to make your relationships with friends and family the best they can be.
Seek out ways to nourish your friendships. And make sure the people closest to you are the people that make you feel your best!
7. Say no to things that are cluttering your life
Life is short and time isn’t infinite, so why waste it on doing things that you don’t enjoy? Unfulfilling obligations can take over your life if you let them. Decide what you want to be involved in and be very selective about saying yes to other things.
Saying yes to only those things that bring you joy will allow you to have more time to spend on the really important things in your life. Learning how to say no can help you stop wasting precious time.
8. Spend time in nature
One of the best ways to experience a richer life is to spend time outdoors. It’s proven that nature is good for the soul. In fact, being out in nature has a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.
Going fishing, hiking, bird-watching, gardening or just sitting on your deck reading a book will help you destress and make you feel better! So take time out each day to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.
9. Work with kids and animals
A great way to help others and yourself is to do something that enriches the lives of others. In fact, some people think helping others is the secret to happiness. For me, working with kids and animals are awesome ways to make me feel richer and more fulfilled.
There are so many kids out there that need the attention and encouragement of successful adults. And the same goes for tons of animals. They need love, too.
So think about getting involved with a school, church group, or kids organization. Or volunteer at your local animal shelter. You’ll bring joy to all the sweet dogs and cats, and they’ll light up your life as well.
Set the intention to live richer!
To get more meaning out of life, it’s beneficial to strive for a richer life. Everyone’s meaning of a rich life is different, so spend some time figuring out what a rich life means to you.
Once you have it nailed down, create a plan to live your richer life and be intentional with your actions to make your plan a reality.