Five simple words that are life-changers. Here they are:
Breathe.
Breathing is calming. It’s beneficial to take some time every day to focus on your breath. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do it three times for a mini-break or do it for 20 minutes for a real meditation. The health benefits of breathing —calming ourselves really–are well known, and it’s a little thing, easy to do. Very easy. So why not do it?
Listen.
Each of us wants to be heard, that’s all. Don’t you think that’s true? All of our relationships get better when we simply listen to what the other person is saying. Active listening, with the intent of understanding, not half-listening as we prepare our own response. On this I am a work in progress. You?
Forgive.
I once read that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Ain’t it the truth! Forgiveness is a process, I have learned by my own life. We don’t get there by simply saying that we forgive someone. We actively work on it. This could well be the hardest thing to do, because hurt and pain are powerful things. It’s easy to hold on to them. But we don’t have to live with that poison coursing through our veins. Forgive. Work at it, and it will come. I promise.
Love.
Love is everything. Love is all there is, in the end. Love yourself, love your family, love your friends, love your pets, love nature, love animals. Love the world. Love makes everything better, don’t you think?
Believe.
Maybe you don’t have spiritual beliefs. Well, consider this: A belief in something greater than ourselves is a logical response to appreciating the world around us. How did it get here? Something had to start it all off, it didn’t start from nothing at all.
And why are we here? It’s only logical that our complex society developed for a reason. It didn’t just happen. For me, the existence of a higher power just makes sense.
So that’s it. The five words I believe are life-changers.
Great post, Carol, you may have just inspired me to do one of my own…
For me, I would say believe (in yourself)… love… do ( whatever you want in life just do it, no excuses!)… release (same as forgive, but to me this also means freeing yourself from the pain of carrying that emotional baggage and I have this really awesome quote that taught me that lesson)… and inspire!
Carol, I love this post {here from Grow Your Blog}. The Forgive took me years to figure out.
The Believe is always my favorite. I would add Laugh, I always say we have to be able to laugh at life’s surprises and at ourselves. 🙂
I love them all!
Forgiveness tends to be the toughest one for me — in my head, it’s tied to forgetting, so I know I have to keep working on it. They say we can forgive even we don’t forget, but there are some people in my life (family) that keep stirring up the memories and the challenge to forgive starts all over again.
The best I can do sometimes is breathe. 🙂
Excellent words for life! I have the hardest time with “breathe,” for some reason. I’m perpetually holding my breath, waiting for something or another apparently.
I love the reminder to breathe. So often I forget to stop and pause. Believe is another big one for me. Along with that goes faith for me. Faith that things are always changing, evolving, growing and moving forward towards something greater.
I love all of these – a great reminder! My favorite saying is “This, too, shall pass.” I think of it often during times of stress or when I find myself losing sight of what is truly important in life.
Hope. Kindness. Compassion. Patience. Confidence. Let’s add them all together, mix them in the world pot, dish it out to all it’s inhabitants…and pray.
I love these words! Each are so different yet, when used together can create happiness in your own life. I love how the first word is ‘Breathe.’ A breathing technique I use is breathing in for 4 seconds then out for 4 seconds, in 4 out 6, in 4, out 8. I believe that once we are in a calm state from good breathing we can then be able to better listen, forgive, love, and believe.
I love your five words especially “breath” because I get hyper and excited… and sometimes I have to stop what I am doing and do just that… breath in slowlyyyyyyyy and then out slowlllllyyyyyy and it helps so much and “belief” – without my beliefs and hope I wouldn’t enjoy my life at all! Thanks for sharing!
These words are truly life changers! It’s so easy to forget in the heat of a moment. I feel like making a big, beautiful sign with these words on it to prompt me when I forget to breathe, listen, forgive, love anbd believe.:)
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I love your five words, and of course they are some of mine! Hmm…
Love. Compassion. Kindness. Breathe. Forgive.
Yes, of course!!
Cathy, I really agree with your five!
Great post, Carol, you may have just inspired me to do one of my own…
For me, I would say believe (in yourself)… love… do ( whatever you want in life just do it, no excuses!)… release (same as forgive, but to me this also means freeing yourself from the pain of carrying that emotional baggage and I have this really awesome quote that taught me that lesson)… and inspire!
I love your 5 words.
Just breathe.
Thank you, Wendy!
Five beautiful words.
Not sure if my comment stuck. Love those five words. Everyone put them to use.
I moderate first time posters.
Excellent, Carol. I often forget the simple ways to clear my befuddled head: just breathe.
Don’t we all!
Carol, I love this post {here from Grow Your Blog}. The Forgive took me years to figure out.
The Believe is always my favorite. I would add Laugh, I always say we have to be able to laugh at life’s surprises and at ourselves. 🙂
I love them all!
Forgiveness tends to be the toughest one for me — in my head, it’s tied to forgetting, so I know I have to keep working on it. They say we can forgive even we don’t forget, but there are some people in my life (family) that keep stirring up the memories and the challenge to forgive starts all over again.
The best I can do sometimes is breathe. 🙂
Excellent words for life! I have the hardest time with “breathe,” for some reason. I’m perpetually holding my breath, waiting for something or another apparently.
These are indeed life changing words. Easy to implement in our lives, too!
I love the reminder to breathe. So often I forget to stop and pause. Believe is another big one for me. Along with that goes faith for me. Faith that things are always changing, evolving, growing and moving forward towards something greater.
Those are five wonderful words. I would add Trust, Hope and Accept. Love to you, my friend.
5 words for Heart : Mind : Soul ; how accurate! =)
Heart is for Breath
Mind is for Listen and Believe
Soul is for Love and Forgive
I would only add kindness.
I love all of these – a great reminder! My favorite saying is “This, too, shall pass.” I think of it often during times of stress or when I find myself losing sight of what is truly important in life.
Five little words, but you have said a mouth full!
Oh yes. The belief in something greater, wiser, and more loving than myself opens the doors for the other four.
I would add compassion. But it’s weaved in there with forgiveness and love. This is a wonderful list Carol.
These are simple lessons in life we all lose sight of. It’s so great to be reminded of them.
I love this list. I can’t think of anything I could add, either. <3
Such simple but powerful words. Right now my favorite word is Breathe. 🙂
LOVE THIS! I will add: Charity and kindness. My Mom’s two favourite words! 🙂
P.S. I’ve been missing your posts! Are you no longer posting on Midlife?
I do–every day!
Great list. I would add the words “yes,” “possibilities” and “acceptance.”
Hope. Kindness. Compassion. Patience. Confidence. Let’s add them all together, mix them in the world pot, dish it out to all it’s inhabitants…and pray.
I love these words! Each are so different yet, when used together can create happiness in your own life. I love how the first word is ‘Breathe.’ A breathing technique I use is breathing in for 4 seconds then out for 4 seconds, in 4 out 6, in 4, out 8. I believe that once we are in a calm state from good breathing we can then be able to better listen, forgive, love, and believe.
I love your five words especially “breath” because I get hyper and excited… and sometimes I have to stop what I am doing and do just that… breath in slowlyyyyyyyy and then out slowlllllyyyyyy and it helps so much and “belief” – without my beliefs and hope I wouldn’t enjoy my life at all! Thanks for sharing!
These words are truly life changers! It’s so easy to forget in the heat of a moment. I feel like making a big, beautiful sign with these words on it to prompt me when I forget to breathe, listen, forgive, love anbd believe.:)
I love this <3
Amplify
Elevate
Embrace
Adapt
And just so you don’t think I only respond to words that start with vowels, LAUGH!
Love this list, this exercise, and you!