A conscious choice to eliminate a bad habit or change a behavior for the better can lead to a major life upgrade. Listed below are 5 things that I’ve started doing which has helped me to feel more myself, more rooted in my life and has promoted obvious self growth.

If you’re looking to uplevel your life, read on friends.

1. I Started Appreciating Where I’m At Instead Of Feeling Like I’m Not Where I Should Or Ought To Be In Life.

I can’t tell you how much suffering I’ve personally spent on getting caught in the trap of believing that “My life is not where it should be.” This belief that you should be somewhere other than where you’re at is what leads us to make choices from fear. Making any choice from a fear based place can lead to a pretty limited outcome. Life pans out differently for those of us who can muster up the courage of making choices from a place of personal integrity, wisdom and truth. 

Fear encourages us to do anything we can in order to have all the things that we think we need in order to be happy. At this point, we’ve all seen examples of people who seem to “have it all,” yet appear unsatisfied with their lives. What this proves is that happiness is more of a perspective about your life and, ultimately, a choice to see it a certain way. How you choose to see the reality of your life will dictate your overall feeling about your adventure here.

As each day, situation and experience has unfolded at this point of my life, I see with more clarity that living a good life is not so much about the pursuit of the thing(s) that you think will make you happy…….someday. It’s so easy to believe that’s so, although a truly happy soul is a person whose happy right now, with their current circumstance, whatever that may be. When you come to trust that you are where you’re supposed to be at this point of your life, stress falls away and acceptance perks up. That perspective, in itself, makes life better in an instant. 

2. I Started Thinking A Lot More About What I’m Putting In My Body.

I’ve always considered myself to be a “healthy” person, although turning it up a notch by educating myself more and listening to my body more has been a game changer. Feeling physically good is something I’m less and less willing to compromise at this point of my life. To say it simply; Putting less of what doesn’t feel good in my body, while adding in more of what does has elevated my game.. 

3. I Started Paying More Attention To The People, Places and Things That Make Me Feel Myself and Alive.

The people and the environments that you spend your time in and with ABSOLUTELY rub off on BEAUTIFUL you. What you spend your time doing, who you spend your time with and what you’re physically and mentally absorbing while doing so will have its consequences; for worse or better.  Everything that you’re doing with your time is creating who you’re becoming. 

4. I Stopped Making Excuses and Started Doing The Things I’ve Wanted To Do. I started doing the things that I felt would bring me joy. For me, recently this has meant more overall ocean time; surfing, diving, under water camera play, more pursuing places and people that I feel are like minded and value similar things. I’ve stopped thinking about “why it’s hard to make things happen” and spent more time making them happen. This has all lead to a greater sense of happiness about my life. The things that bring YOU joy will be unique to you, although often it’s just walking toward one thing that you’ve been resisting and making a decision to go toward it. As you go toward that one thing, momentum gets built which allows more and more good things to keep flowing toward you. When that happens, life universally up levels.

5. I Started Buying Less and Smarter.

I’m convinced that less really is more. Less things and less stuff has helped me see straight within my life on both an external and internal level. When I do make a purchase, I’m really channeling my inner Marie Kondo because who wants more stuff just to have more stuff? When I make a purchase, I make sure that I love it, will utilize it and (as cliche as it is to say ) will “bring me joy.”

There really are choices that you can make today that will start changing the way you do your life and, ultimately, how you feel about your life. Ridding of the habits and choices in your life that are taking up space and not helping you evolve and grow will lead to change. Don’t doubt the power of small changes. Overtime it’s the little things that we tweak that lead to big change and growth.

Go get ‘em tiger.

*Above image was taken by Renata Amazonas, San Diego based lifestyle & Wedding Photographer.