Don’t keep doing the same things in the same places on and on.  Try new things.  Even simple things like taking a different route to work one morning or going to a new restaurant can bring new life to your day.

I am the type person who can be content with same – such as eating the same thing for breakfast for weeks at a time, choosing the same item from the menu at my frequented restaurants and wearing the same basic color clothes.  However, as I have sought to get out of my comfort zone in the tougher things, I find that thinking outside the box in the simple things makes a big difference in how I feel.  It makes me feel more alive and happier!

Maintaining an attitude of gratitude is key to living an abundant, fulfilling life.  Amelia Earhart said, “The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one’s appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship.”

Clearly, branching out to do new things causes us to be able to do more which causes us to have a greater appreciation for what we have.  This gratitude allows us to enjoy life more.

Have you ever purchased a tree at a nursery to plant in your yard?  Most likely that tree looks more like a stick, possibly with a few smaller limbs on it.  If you properly plant the tree, water it and fertilize it, then it grows larger.  New limbs begin to branch out from that stick.  A few years later you have a beautiful, full, thriving tree.  Now the tree serves a purpose.  It brings enjoyment and beauty to your lawn.  It serves as shade to sit beneath on a sunny day.  Or it may be a fruit tree that can now bear the fruit it was created to produce so that it fulfills its purpose.

What kind of tree are you?  Are you branching out and growing?  Are you bringing beauty to your world?  Are you fulfilling your life’s purpose?  Are you living your life to the fullest?