I still remember the Sunday morning I woke up to the uproar of Beyonce’s Formation video. Through the excitement people got all in a polar opposite uproar, claiming offense. Two things that I was quickly reminded of about myself were that people surely can get on my nerves and they love to have a reason to complain. Sigh. Let’s switch gears.

Here is a quick and small science lesson for you. There is growth and  renewal occurring within your body. Every moment, at a cellular level, your cells are recreating themselves, becoming anew. When I learned this I was amazed. Without any need to express that I need renewal, that is exactly what is happening. My body instinctively knows that change is coming and will happen. My body embraces this without me having to remind it to renew, replenish, and revitalize. It’s time you put that same conscious and subconscious thoughts into your well being.

Here are 5 challenges that will change your life forever.

Put Your Phone Down

Y’all.

I had a doctor’s appointment some months ago. The waiting room was filled with about 15 women and 16 chairs. I walked to the desk and signed in and quickly went to find a seat. I could have sat on the floor. I could have sat on top of the table with the magazines. I probably could have sat on these ladies’ laps and they would not have noticed. Why, you may ask? Because, every single lady in the waiting room had their head downward at a 45 degree angle looking in their phones.

Now. Spend your time how you want. I blog and I do spend a good bit of time on my phone taking care of business. I also realize how much of the actual world is missed by spending so much time on our phones. I looked at these ladies and it looked like a room of slumbering zombies with their chin glued to their chest. It looked awful, depressing.

I finally saw what my husband sees when he says I have been on the phone past what he feels is normal. I don’t want to look like that. So I put my phone down and I do something a little radical now. I sit down next to people and say, hello. It is amazing what is reciprocated from a hello and a smile.

Read

Just in case you were wondering as to what you could do from all of that free time you gain when you put down your phone, you can always read. I am not talking about college textbooks or dictionaries. I am talking about engaging in sessions with you and a good story to mentally stimulate you. As I look around, it appears that we are deadening our mental capacity. People don’t think. People don’t engage in intelligent, factual or logical conversations. There’s a lot of things we just think we know and then we can repeat these things we think we know, no matter how true or untrue it is.

Reading opens up doors to explore a different way of thinking from your own. Reading is free entertainment. Reading improves your focus, concentration, critical thinking skills, memory, and knowledge. This is what you need to get through life. Not the scores of a football game or what happened this week in reality TV. Knowledge is the power we need. Reading will change your life.

Mentor or Be Mentored

In life you have to give to get. That’s just how it is. If you want get a good paying job, you have to pay for the education. If you want to see good in the world you it starts with you! There is a joy in putting a smile on someone’s face that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Pouring your offerings into someone else who can use those teachings and turn them into something great is an amazing investment of time.

Mentoring can involve someone of any age and deliver a multitude of skills. If you don’t feel yourself to be in a position to mentor anyone, perhaps you could use a mentor. And there’s nothing wrong with that. We ALL need guides along life’s way.

Get Your Passport and Travel

As a child, I was fortunate to be able to travel some places. It was great for me to see how other people lived. It made me appreciate my life and comforts. Traveling outside your home town, your home state, and even the country offers such a rich opportunity for personal growth. Traveling is life. Meeting new people is life. Learning is life. Being amazed at all that this world has to offer is life. Get out and see the world. Find yourself while you are at it.

Start A Business

I almost feel sorry, not sorry for my friends. Those who know me, know that I have entrepreneurial blood flowing through my veins. My mind is always spinning on thoughts of my next business venture and how to further and perfect my craft. Oh, the amazing way my mind works.

I end this list of challenges with my favorite challenge of all. Start your own business from something that you have created from your own intellect or hands. Present the world with your creation. Make some money along the way. You may even put yourself in a position to retire early. In conclusion, these are my challenges to you. Conquer them all or just conquer one. If nothing else. Just think about it.

What are some life changing challenges that have changed your life for the better?