Living the Width

“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” -Diane Ackerman 

Hmm… living the width??

I first read this quote in my graduation card from my Auntie, Uncle, and cousins. As I realized what it meant, it posed the question, "How do I live the width of my life?" 

Obviously this varies for different people. But as I asked myself this question, I thought of some things such as having a positive attitude, staying close to God, noticing the small things, finding joy, making a impact, being productive, etc. 

All of those are nice, now not all of them I can say I have achieved. Let's brake some of these down into bite sized pieces. 

How we can have a positive attitude, my ideas are:

-Smiling

-Laughing

-Dealing with the bad but…

-Dwelling on the good

-Singing 

-Dancing

-Writing kind notes to leave around the house

-Not griping about chores/work
-Praying for a positive attitude
-Thank of all the things your thankful for

How we can stay close to God, my ideas are:

-Prayer

-Reading the Bible

-Bible study aka digging deeper 

-Write about God

-Go out in nature

-Practice trusting Him

-Spreading the Word

How we can notice the small things, my ideas are:

-Take your time

-Stop and smell the roses (if you want, take that literally)

-Listen to the sounds around you

-Look for the small things

-Don’t take the small things for granted
-Do something you haven't done in 5 years (Basically do something that reminds you of your childhood.)

How we can find real joy, my ideas are:

-All of the above, but most importantly…I think we have to ask God to give us joy that comes from Him.

How we can make an impact, my ideas are:

-Use your talents!

-Be kind

-Through your words

-Through your writing

-Be different

How we can be productive, my ideas are:

-Don’t be a couch potato

-Get outside

-Get your hands dirty

-Get organized (easier said than done, I know)

-Work hard, but have fun while being productive! 
-Set achievable goals

-Fill your time with the things that you feel accomplished when your done.

In the end, living the width of your life is essentially living it for God.

These are just some of my ideas on how to live, not only the length of life, but also the width as well. I know there are lots of things I missed, because that list was just the beginning! 

How do you live the width of life?