55 Inspiring Ways To Start Living Your Best Life (Free Ebook)

What are the secrets to start living your best life?  Is the timing right as our world is going through a crisis?  How can I live every day full of excitement and purpose as a Christian?  What does that look like? Living your best life is something that we should strive for daily, regardless of what is happening in your life.  But how? Why?  

 

I am excited to share with you a free ebook that I have written.  You’ll be able to grab that below.  This blog post is part of that ebook.  So as you dig into the first 25 ways to start living your best life, just know that the remaining 30 will come in the form of a free download.  I’m simply sharing that info for full disclosure.  I know that once you get through the first half of the tips, you will be excited to get to the “rest of the story.”

 

What is the meaning of living your best life?

 

According to the website, Live My Best Life, the question is answered about the meaning of living your best life.  “It means to live up to my potential. As soon as I am living up to my potential, I continue to set the bar even higher. Creating the life I want requires a commitment to personal growth. Living my best life also means living a balanced life.”

 

Can we live to our full potential, and create the life we want as a child of God?  

 

Of course you can!  In fact you should. God doesn’t want you to live a life of mediocrity.  How can you be a great witness for Him if you never stretch, grow, serve Him and aim for the best you, that you can be?  I don’t believe that you can.

 

We are all searching.  We want more money, a better job, a better body.  You name it, we always seem to be below the level of contentment that we want.  But we also want to be living a christian life, don’t we? The key, however, as the Apostle Paul says, is to be content in what we have.

 

Philippians  4:11-12 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

 

Does contentment mean we cannot do all to the glory of God?

 

I don’t think that that means that we can’t do all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).  We know that our time here on earth won’t truly be our “Best Life”.  That will come later. (Titus 2:13 and 1 Peter 1:3-5).  But for now, we should strive to follow the commandments of Jesus, which is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40).

 

 

1 Corinthians  10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

 

Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

 

1 Peter 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

 

Matthew 22:36-40 “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

 

 

55 Tips to start living your best life

 

So what are some tips to start living your best life as a Christian?  I know this list is not conclusive. We could add so many more tips. But I believe it’s a great start.  A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “does this fall within the 1st and 2nd commandment?” It’s a great gauge for everything we do, right?  So without further ado, here we go!

 

Be your own original child of God 

 

Your first step is to follow God in all you do.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).  You are created with a purpose. Delight in the law of the Lord and live His Word to your full ability.

 

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

 

Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

 

Choose salvation 

 

God sent His only begotten son.  He was born of a virgin, to live a sinless life and die on the cross at Calvary to pay the debt for our sins.  By accepting His free gift of salvation, we are promised everlasting life with Jesus.  It’s free, yet so many people don’t choose to accept it.  Don’t risk your eternity. There is no other way whereby we can be saved.  Being a good person won’t save you, neither will good works. Why? Because then it’s all about you, not Christ.

 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

 

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

 

Choose faith 

 

My friend, without faith, you will live a life of fear and anxiety.  You’ve got to face the fact that you are not in charge. God knows all, sees all, and has all power over heaven and earth.  I know how hard it can be to let go and let God. But if you can’t trust Him, who can you trust? Check out some great tips to grow your faith.

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

 

 

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

 

Live in a constant state of kindness

 

Kindness, it’s an action that we should show at every opportunity.  Regardless of what you’re facing in life, showing kindness to others will pick you up and inspire you.  Kindness is an opportunity to show love towards others. These are just a few of the many benefits of showing kindness to others.

 

As a Christian, we are commanded to love others as ourselves.  For tons of ideas of ways to show kindness to others, I’ve compiled a huge list.  Pick something every day and shower love on those you know and on strangers alike.  It’s a great way of living a Christian life.

 

Embrace your spouse and children with your whole heart

 

Your family is special.  They are a temporary gift to you from God.  He has entrusted you with these special people.  Love and appreciate them like the blessings they truly are.  When you’re with them, give them your full attention. Just as you devote your full attention to your job when you’re working.

 

Raise your children to love and have a relationship with Jesus.  Don’t just take them to church, teach them. Lead them to accept Jesus as their Savior, teach them to pray and study their Bible.  But don’t just teach them, lead by example. Because the best way to love your family is to help them have a relationship with the Lord.

 

Love others

 

As we learned earlier, the second commandment is to love others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39).  We also have to treat others the way we want to be treated. Sometimes this is referred to as the golden rule.  Living your best life means loving others, even those people who cut you off in traffic or hurt you in other ways.

 

It is our job to love others the way Jesus loves us.  We do this by forgiving, turning the other cheek, being a servant to everyone.  Show kindness everywhere you go.  Encourage, edify and give in every way you can.  The saying “what would Jesus do” is truly the roadmap for living your best life.

 

Luke 6:31 “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”

 

Stop finding fault

 

It’s so easy to find fault with others when things go wrong.  But if your intention is to start living your best life, then finger pointing is not part of the process.  Understand that mistakes happen. It’s a part of life. Accept it and move on.

 

Stop complaining

 

Why do people complain?  According to Psychology Today, “Most chronic complainers truly see their lives as full of hardship and challenge.”  As sad as that is, Everybody’s lives are full of hardship and challenge.  It’s when you recognize that your neighbor has it just as rough as you, and you take on some empathy for the needs of others, you’ll realize that complaining isn’t going to change your situation.  In fact, in my mind, it will only make things worse.

 

So make the decision TODAY, that if you want to start living your best life, you’ll stop complaining and find the blessings that you’re surrounded by.

 

Show appreciation to the important people in your life

 

It’s so easy to take the important people in your life for granted.  Take conscious thought about what every important person who’s in your life does.  Recognize them and appreciate them. Say thank you, offer to help where you see a need and tell them how much they mean to you.  

 

Do you really hear enough “I love you’s” from those you’re closest too?  Think about how it makes you feel when someone shows their appreciation for you.  Make it a point to reciprocate that feeling. Life passes in a flash. How horrible would it be to lose someone and realize that you never shared how much that you loved and appreciated them?  That’s something you can’t take back.

 

Be thankful, live a life of gratitude

 

Gratitude is one of my favorite action words.  I could be grammatically incorrect. Especially because Dictionary.com tells me that gratitude is a noun.  But in all things be thankful. Do it, show it, act it.  Sounds like action to me.  

 

Every day is a blessing.  Every day we also struggle, suffer and have challenges.  But I encourage you to look for the blessing in every trial.  There’s a lesson there in something to be thankful for, if only you’ll look.  Oh sure, it’s easy to be thankful for our home and our family.  Those who regularly keep a gratitude journal know that looking deeper, you’ll find a whole lot more to be thankful for.

 

 

In my 40 Day Gratitude  Challenge, I offer a great printable calendar with 40 days of prompts to get you thinking about things to be thankful for.  I urge you to check it out.

 

Related post:  6 Great Stories of the Power of Gratitude

 

Walk through open doors and windows 

 

I’m sure that you have heard the phrase, “When God closes a door, He opens a window”.  That simply means, when you find yourself at a roadblock, try something new. Seek new opportunities!  Yes, most of the time those new opportunities are outside of your comfort zone, but that’s not a bad thing.  I believe that growth always comes when you push the limits of your comfort zone and do something that makes you uncomfortable.  

 

Don’t close those unexpected open windows and doors just because they weren’t what you had expected.  Some of our greatest adventures come when we find ourselves on a detour. So take the detour as you’re living your best life,  and enjoy the ride and the scenic view.

 

Live with intention

 

What does living with intention look like?  To act with intention, simply means to act on purpose. But I believe that living with intention means that you’re living out your faith by following God’s commandments of loving God first and loving everybody else as you love yourself. 

 

Live with purpose and making plans for living an intentional life helps to narrow your focus.  There are many areas of our lives where living with intention will make things better and easier.  Check that link above for some steps to take to live your best life on purpose and with intention.

 

Seek to grow and learn

 

Louis Holz said “In this world you’re either growing or you’re dying, so get in motion and grow.”  Isn’t this true? In all things, there is room for improvement. How many times do you turn to Google for answers to things that you don’t know.  It’s certainly a great resource.

 

But in your job, is there more that you can learn?  Since I started blogging, truer words haven’t been spoken.   There is so much to learn so that I can build the best blog to serve you.  Then I have to learn about how to promote my blog posts, how to optimize my site for Google and Pinterest, how to make graphics.  Truly, if you saw my to-do list, you would be amazed. And for each thing on that list, I have to learn how to do it.

 

Most of all, have you learned everything about the most valuable resource of all, God’s handbook for living, the Holy Bible?  I certainly haven’t. So every day, I dig into His Word to learn what He wants for my life and how I should be living for Him.  There is always something new to learn. So dig in and enjoy the process.

 

Find God’s will for your life 

 

There are so many things we should be doing to serve the Lord.  But I believe that in order to follow His will, we should wrap everything up in three sets of scriptures. To paraphrase, we need to love God first, everybody else second.   We need to share the Gospel, join a New Testament church and carry out the Great Commission. And we need to be not conformed to this world, but live a Godly life. Easy peasy, right?  Not so much. But that is the will of God, and with His leadership, we can certainly get there.

 

Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

 

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

 

Roman’s 12:2 tells us “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

 

Live God’s will 

 

Now that you know what God’s will is, it’s time to live it.  As for things like your life and your job, use the talents that God has given you to provide for your family.  Then live for Him in everything that you do. Remember what it says in the book of James?

 

James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

 

Show others how to love Jesus through your own actions.  Love and serve others, be kind in all things, encourage others.  Give more than you receive. Forgive and forget. Treat others the way you would like to be treated.  And remember, living a Christian life means to always be ready to share the Gospel.

 

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

 

Embrace your mistakes

 

The best part about making mistakes is the opportunity to learn from them.  Failure, as much as we don’t like it, is so important for living your best life.  In his book, Failing Forward, John Maxwell, says “The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.”

 

 

“Because in life, the question is not if you will have problems, but how you are going to deal with them. Stop failing backward and start failing forward!”  In other words, learn from your mistakes and grow. By embracing your mistakes, you’ll find greater success in whatever you do.

 

Choose joy and happiness

 

I believe that there is a very real difference between happiness and joy.  Joy is a belief of the heart. It’s an internal emotion that never changes regardless of your situation. Now happiness, on the other hand, is a surface-level emotion that is based on external circumstances. 

 

You will find true joy when you have Jesus in your heart.  He gives you peace in all things, no matter your circumstances.   Happiness is a choice. I love how we can choose to be happy. When you go through difficult circumstances,  you can simply change your thoughts as easily as changing the channel on your TV. Check out my post called, What is True Happiness?  Plus it includes a 30 Day Happiness Challenge you’re going to love.

 

Related Posts: 

 

20 Inspiring Bible Verses for Happiness and Joy 

 

50 Joyful and Inspirational Quotes about Life and Happiness 

 

 

 

Step outside of your comfort zone every single day

 

Your comfort zone is that place in your life where there’s no risk or anxiety.  But you know what they say, where there’s no risk, there’s no reward. Check out some great ideas for stepping outside of your comfort zone, including a Comfort Zone Challenge.  Living every day by pushing your limits helps you grow and bloom.  What a great way to start living your best life, with a challenge!

 

 

Study your Bible

 

The Holy Bible is God’s handbook for living your best life.  It’s a great idea to know what’s in there, especially if you want to live God’s will.  How can you know God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit if you don’t open the Bible and study it?  There are all sorts of different study plans available. I’m doing the Bible Project’s, through the Bible in 365 days on the YouVersion App.  My friend, Danell has a great post called Studying the Bible:  Where to Begin?  That’s also a great place to start.  But the point is, if you’re not there yet, just start!

 

Set goals

 

I loooove setting goals.  I also love checking accomplished goals off my list.  What I love about setting goals is that while you’re working on living your best life, you’re taking the steps to reach those goals.

 

But Wendy, is it wrong for a Christian to set goals and make a plan?   I addressed this in my post on living with intention.  I said “The Bible is full of examples of making plans and goals.  Even Jesus made a plan for us to spread the Gospel, preaching, baptizing and teaching new disciples as he tells us in Matthew 28:18-20.”  

 

“But what about goals that don’t have to do with prayer, faith and service? Look, as moms we have duties to care for our families. But even something as mundane as laundry and grocery shopping (I’m sure those are on your to-do list, right?) can be goals.  The point is that we do all to glorify God and for His honor.”

 

Take action

 

Now that you’ve set your goals on paper, it’s time to take action.  Break down your goals into steps to achieve your dreams and goals.  My to-do list consists of the steps that I need to reach my goals.  I’ve broken them down into baby steps that will enable me to cross something off every single day, as those tasks are done. There’s something so fulfilling about seeing that progress through crossing that task off my list.  

 

Tithe

 

Yes, my friends, we’re going there!  If you haven’t yet realized that God is the giver of all things, check out the scripture in James, below.  The Lord knows that you need to provide for your family. That’s why He provides jobs, food, homes, etc.

 

But don’t forget to tithe of your first fruits.  It’s suggested that you give 10% of your income to the church, which supports the pastors salary, missionary expenses, and building expenses, etc.  Living your best life includes contributing to the necessary needs of the church and so much more.  

 

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

 

Proverbs 3:9 “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:”

 

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

 

Be optimistic

 

I believe that everyone could use more optimism in their lives.  Just as we can choose happiness, we can choose optimism and positivity as well.  As a fan of 30 day challenges, of course you know that I have created one in this category too.  Use it as a way to explode your optimism simply by taking one step daily toward a more positive life.  

 

Create a bucket list and work through it

 

If you don’t have a bucket list, why not?  A bucket list is simply a list of accomplishments that one hopes to achieve in their lifetime.  On their website, BucketList.net, you can learn all about bucket lists, including some great ideas of things to put on it.  You can create your own list as well as give and get encouragement to live the dreams on your bucket list.  I encourage you to check it out.

 

Choose positivity

 

Oh yes!  This is one of my favorite phrases.  How can you possibly live your best life with a negative, pessimistic attitude?  My friend, let’s face it, you cannot. I know it might sound easier than it actually is, but avoid negativity at all costs.  Under today’s circumstances, we have to work overtime, but it can be done.

 

If you need to get informed, get as much information as necessary, then turn off the news.  Don’t get sucked going down a rabbit hole of negativity. If you find yourself in a conversation with someone who is pessimistic, interject positivity into the conversation.  If that doesn’t work, use the phrase, “well, look at the time. I’ve got to go!” Remove yourself from negativity as much as you can. Choose positivity! 

 

Do you want more tips?  

 

Well, my friend, this is quite a lengthy list of ways for you to start living your best life, even during a crisis.  So in order to shorten this blog post, I have put the last 30 ideas into a separate ebook. Keep reading, because it’s yours for the taking simply request it in the comments below.  

Just remember, as you’re living the dash between your birth and your death,  have fun. Love God and mankind with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.  Be the best version of you that you can possibly be. Make good choices and in all things give thanks.  And may you start living your best life forevermore!!!

 

Now it’s your turn.  Which of these tips really appeals to you?  Don’t let the current circumstances slow you down and keep you from living your very best life.  Do you have any additional tips to share?  Be sure to leave them in the comments below.  And don’t forget to request your free ebook.