365 Ways to Be Awesome

This is my Awesome Manifesto; my guide to living a more awesome life.

1. Love yourself.
2. No matter how you feel, get up and dress up.
3. Dance in your living room.
4. Be yourself. Truly and honestly.
5. Take a bubble bath. Light some candles.
6. Get your hair done.
7. Journal.
8. Listen to music.
9. Get a massage.
10. Sing in the shower, in your car, wherever.
11. Write down your goals.
12. Make a plan to accomplish them.
13. Turn off the TV and do something that matters in your life.
14. Get a manicure.
15. Go for a walk, leave your phone behind.
16. Be kind.
17. Read.
18. Make the most of each day and each experience.
19. Exercise.
20. Be patient.
21. Learn to dance.
22. Paint a picture.
23. Smile when you get your picture taken. The bigger the better.
24. Eat big salads and lots of veggies.
25. Instead of sugary things, eat fruit.
26. Drink more water.
27. Stretch your body.
28. Dress for the body you have. Celebrate and wear things that make you feel beautiful NOW.
29. Do something daring.
30. Travel.
31. Watch the sun set.
32. Watch the sun rise.
33. Learn something new.
34. Ask someone you love what their goals and dreams are. Listen to their answers and encourage them to do it.
35. Write a story.
36. Walk in the rain.
37. Open the windows and get some fresh air.
38. Put down your phone and drive.
39. Compost for your garden.
40. Say hello to people, even if they’re strangers.
41. Surround yourself with people who inspire and uplift you.
42. If it’s toxic, don’t eat it, wear it, or expose your home to it.
43. Give yourself a hot oil treatment.
44. Eat fermented foods.
45. Make a photo gallery wall in your home full of pictures that make you smile.
46. Have a chalkboard wall or half wall in your home.
47. Put down your phone when you walk. You never know what you might miss.
48. Create a yummy outdoor space, regardless of the size.
49. Learn basic social etiquette. Please.
50. Juice for your health.
51. Eat foods that don’t have GMO’s.
52. Learn to cook.
53. Use fresh, wholesome ingredients in your food.
54. Learn to read the labels on food packages.
55. Shop local.
56. Celebrate your accomplishments no matter how small.
57. Kiss.
58. Cuddle.
59. Tell someone you love them.
60. Flirt with your other half. Just because.
61. Tell the one you love that they are beautiful to you.
62. Have dinner with family or friends.
63. Have coffee with a friend.
64. Make something pretty.
65. Smile at everyone you see, whether they smile back or not; sprinkle sunshine everywhere.
66. Make the switch to a mostly whole food, plant-based diet.
67. Organize your home once and for all.
68. Rent a cabin with friends or family.
69. Live in the moment.
70. Take something old and make it beautiful.
71. Plant a tree.
72. Grow a garden.
73. Try new foods.
74. Buy organic and local where possible.
75. Hug someone.
76. Find something you like about someone, and tell them.
77. Help someone else.
78. Leave a generous tip.
79. Silence your phone when you’re talking with a friend or lover.
80. Volunteer.
81. Recycle.
82. Repurpose.
83. Reuse.
84. Reduce waste.
85. Learn about saving the planet and do your part to help.
86. Use products that are non-toxic to you, your family, and the environment.
87. Eat with people you love.
88. Go on a date with your other half. Every. Single. Week.
89. Spend the day with your family.
90. Have a no-digital-device Sunday.
91. Paint your home with colors you love.
92. Make your bed every morning.
93. Invest in yummy bedding.
94. Switch out your lights for warm LEDs.
95. Buy things of quality.
96. Think sustainably.
97. Use less electricity.
98. Get a bike. And ride it.
99. Go to a live show.
100. Plant bee-friendly plants (unless you’re allergic to bees of course).
101. Use bee-friendly gardening practices (no herbicides or toxic chemicals).
102. Make a friend.
103. Call an old friend.
104. Send a real birthday card to someone you care about.
105. Get a professional photo shoot of yourself, your love, or your family. Better yet, do all three.
106. Go to a paint your own pottery night. Trust me.
107. Build a fort in your living room.
108. Go away for the weekend.
109. Take a trip.
110. See the country.
111. Host a dinner party with some of your favorite people.
112. Organize a potluck. Make it a thing.
113. Meet your neighbors. After all, you should know them in the event of a zombie apocalypse.
114. Walk barefoot on the beach.
115. Have a picnic.
116. Go to a fair.
117. Listen to live music.
118. Buy someone a memory instead of stuff.
119. Donate to a good cause.
120. Tell someone they matter.
121. Surprise someone with a gift or token for no reason.
122. Bring a meal to a friend who’s had a baby or is ill.
123. Buy something handmade.
124. Find good quality used furniture pieces. Haggle and buy them.
125. Use rags instead of paper towels.
126. Filter water instead of using bottled water.
127. Eat more greens. Eat whole foods.
128. Have dedicated family time and make it a priority.
129. Put nothing in your home that isn’t useful to your life or meaningful to you.
130. Buy less stuff.
131. Clean out your kitchen from top to bottom. Organize it so you will use it. Every. Single. Day.
132. Do something nice for a neighbor.
133. Embrace the good bacteria in your life.
134. Find out which events are happening in your area and go to at least one or two.
135. Have meatless Monday.
136. Be tolerant of others’ beliefs.
137. Communicate more.
138. Give more than what’s expected of you.
139. Tell someone you appreciate what they do for you.
140. Grow fresh herbs.
141. Conserve water.
142. Pick someplace you’ve always wanted to visit, and go!
143. If you drink coffee, switch to organic and fair-trade.
144. Buy things that are not made in China wherever possible.
145. Send thank you cards to people.
146. Share your expertise in whatever area with others.
147. Give a handmade gift.
148. Make something useful instead of buying it.
149. Call your <insert: mother father brother aunt sister>, etc. You get the point.
150. Do more of what you love. Every. Single. Day.
151. Be willing to look at the truth in the world around you. It is not always easy on the eyes, but your recognition of it is remarkable and matters.
152. Do more of what makes you feel awesome.
153. Laugh more.
154. Be silly.
155. Find beauty in others-even when they are not aware of it.
156. Forgive someone.
157. Don’t apologize for being awesome.
158. If you’re quirky, unusual, or outrageous, that’s okay. The world needs more color.
159. Look at HOW it could be, instead of IF it could be.
160. Buy clothes that you love. Buy it only if you know you will wear it and feel awesome in it.
161. Don’t keep things you no longer need or use.
162. Pass on your story.
163. Get rid of your TV (gasp).
164. Organize your closet.
165. Add color to your wardrobe.
166. Do something you’ve always wanted to do, but were too afraid to do it.
167. Create a budget and stick to it.
168. Get life insurance.
169. Make a set aside account for Christmas and stick to it.
170. Get out of debt.
171. Make a list of everything that makes you awesome.
172. Make a bucket list and pin it on Pinterest for inspiration.
173. Learn another language.
174. Learn about the customs and etiquette before visiting another country and then respect those customs.
175. If you hear something scandalous about someone you know, get the whole story before judging and gossiping.
176. Recognize the strengths in your other half and play on those. Be aware of the weaknesses and be the strength they need to off-set those so they can be more of what makes them awesome.
177. Stop and smell the roses (like the ones on a rose bush–literally). Seriously. Do it. You’re welcome.
178. Body brush. Mmmmmmmm.
179. Floss.
180. Get your blood work done so you have an internal gauge on where your system is at. Then do things that make it better.
181. Use the Name Your Own Price tool when traveling. Also, be willing to ask for a discount at hotels, or in lieu of that, an upgrade at no charge.
182. Share an entrée.
183. Get a little dirty every once and a while. As in outside, in the dirt.
184. Add a slice of lemon to your tea or water.
185. Make your own salad dressing.
186. Make your own household cleaners.
187. Make your own toothpaste.
188. Use a Diva Cup for your monthly guest.
189. Take your wedding vows to heart.
190. Never use the “D” word just to be spiteful.
191. Back up your other half in doing the things that matter to them. Don’t guilt them out and nag them. Marriage isn’t about sacrificing the things that you enjoy. It’s about supporting each other in doing the things that matter.
192. Ignore the naysayers. Many of the greatest things in this world were once ideas that were impossible, ridiculous, and stupid.
193. Listen to the interests of children. They are vitally important to the future of this planet, and their ideas and opinions, goals and dreams matter.
194. Foster creativity in others. Where you see it, acknowledge it and encourage more of it.
195. Round up people in your community and get a mural somewhere where there’s a boring old wall.
196. Learn about the things that are harming the environment and do your part to withdraw your participation in it.
197. Do a 5K. Even if you walk, roll, or crawl.
198. Put down the GPS and explore a new town or area. Discover things.
199. Be on time for whatever you say you’re going to be there for.
200. Find the local farmers’ market and go there.
201. Take a road trip.
202. Go to a movie you know nothing about.
203. Give your feedback on things you buy from Etsy, Amazon, eBay.
204. Give bad reviews sparingly and think before you give them.
205. When a great review is warranted, share away!
206. Stop what you’re doing and just say “I love you” to someone, and mean it.
207. Pick one bad habit to eliminate, and make a plan, and do it.
208. Go hiking.
209. Build a snowman.
210. Get a rain barrel.
211. Replace all your Teflon with something that’s non-toxic.
212. Organize your pots and pans.
213. Organize your pantry.
214. Organize your spices.
215. Keep a calendar and plan your life.
216. Set out your clothes the night before.
217. Read to your children.
218. Tell your children your love story.
219. Teach your children to do their own laundry. What?? Yep.
220. Pack wholesome lunches for your kids.
221. Teach your children to pack wholesome lunches for themselves.
222. Get your children to decide for themselves what they should dress like or look like.
223. Do more things as a family.
224. Ask yourself how big of a deal it really is before acting. Is this a chance to enhance their behavior or tear them down?
225. Cook with your spouse and/or kids.
226. Bake cookies with the kids.
227. Make Shrek ice cream for your kids and with them.
228. Take the whole family to the bookstore, and get one book each.
229. Take the family to the store and buy a new board game or two, and then play games.
230. Do couples pedicures. Alternately do mother/daughter pedicures or even BFF pedicures.
231. Make grain free noodle dishes with a spiralizer (make zoodles instead).
232. Get your blood circulating with a Spoonk (an awesome mat with little spikes on it).
233. Conserve water in your dryer with dryer balls.
234. Clean your front-loading washer inside and out!
235. Make your own font.
236. Sort your garbage like a European.
237. Repurpose an old suitcase for stationary and correspondence.
238. Write personal letters or emails to friends or family every day. Even if they’re short.
239. Make these delicious sugar-free, gluten-free, fat-free bits of yumminess.
240. Create an ideal pH within your body.
241. Pamper yourself.
242. Get waxed. If that’s your thing, that is.
243. Instead of getting rid of a piece of furniture, see if it can be painted or refinished or reupholstered first. If not, donate it or sell it.
244. Find quality thrift stores in your area and go there first for clothes and home goods. There are often really fabulous finds.
245. Check out estate sales for quality items at a fraction of the cost.
246. Collect cloth napkins and eliminate your need for paper.
247. Make your own flour out of whatever you want.
248. Use distilled white vinegar in your dishwasher instead of rinse aid.
249. Two words: mineral makeup.
250. Create beach curls without added heat.
251. Create spiral curls with the regular curling iron.
252. Make your own body scrub.
253. Instead of buying some plastic or Made-in-China thingy, check out Etsy, and see if you can have it handmade for less.
254. Go to one of those wine bar/canvas painting evenings and make a memory and something awesome.
255. Create a playlist that makes you happy.
256. Meet your favorite musician after a concert or live performance.
257. Whiten your teeth naturally.
258. Drink infused water.
259. Use a natural deodorant instead of the regular ones with aluminum. Not even kidding.
260. Be drug free and encourage others to be too.
261. Meet your favorite author and get an autographed book.
262. Save money at Bed Bath and Beyond and pay it forward, too.
263. Create a family calendar each year as a Christmas gift for family far away.
264. Have a gift/correspondent station in the house for birthdays etc.
265. Before you remodel, explore more eco-, thrifty, creative, organized ways to do it right.
266. Look at odd spaces and random areas of the house with the creative view, and then make something awesome.
267. Help change the way others see the world. The next time someone is critical of some person’s clothes, style, weight, etc, find the beauty in it and change their perspective.
268. Clean your windows with towels and non-toxic cleaner.
269. Host a wine and cheese party.
270. Renew your wedding vows.
271. Find out what your children are passionate about and foster it.
272. Choose fruit, trail mixes or these scratch-made energy bars for snacks.
273. Add color to your home.
274. Trust yourself and don’t let someones’ opinion make you second guess yourself.
275. Spend less money on stuff and more time doing things that matter in your life.
276. Eat out less.
277. Go to birthday parties, weddings and baby showers when invited. Celebrate the beauty in others’ lives and add to it.
278. No matter what your background or circumstances, make a beautiful life.
279. Make your dwelling into a home.
280. Teach children manners so they can be awesome in any situation that life hands them.
281. Be faithful to the people in your life, speak well of them and refuse to hear gossip of them.
282. Try not to argue with your spouse in front of your children and never criticize them to your children.
283. Create softer outdoor lighting.
284. Believe in magic. Get a garden gnome or add fairy doors to your trees. Cultivate a sense of wonder.
285. Organize your living spaces so that you can LIVE in them and USE them. Even if it’s unconventional.
286. Be willing to listen to another person’s perspective on something, even if you disagree or it’s controversial. Try to understand why they feel that way about that subject, even if you don’t feel that way.
287. Barter, haggle, negotiate.
288. Believe in the best in others.
289. Don’t let other people’s moods dictate how your day will be. Instead, be the catalyst that makes others have a better day.
290. Engage in a good news campaign. Seek it out, share it and spread it.
291. Don’t watch the news for two weeks. You’re welcome.
292. In the great words of Neil Gaiman, Make Good Art! This is the answer to most of life’s problems. Truly.
293. Have a pet and care for it. Even if it’s a fish. To love and care for a creature of the Earth is to nourish the soul. You’ll see.
294. Listen to the lyrics of songs.
295. Buy fresh flowers for your table or counter. No reason needed, just do it.
296. Let go of grudges.
297. Be the kind of friend you always wanted to have.
298. Go outside and play.
299. When you travel to popular destinations, wake up early to see the landmarks. You’ll avoid the crowds and the lighting will make amazing pictures.
300. Eat lots of berries. Organic, of course.
301. Believe in what you choose to believe in.
302. Read this book and use it. Then pass it on to others and make the world a better place.
303. Find the roads less traveled, the hidden paths, the scenic detours and take them.
304. Imagine a better world. A world with more peace, more beauty, more tolerance, more awesome. Now, do what you can to help make it so.
305. Share this blog with others.
306. Ignore the drama and just know that some people invite it, create it and actually enjoy it. Move on – you have more awesome to tend to.
307. Help those who are genuinely in need and seeking to better their situation.
308. Pay it forward. Every day, do a good turn for someone else, no matter how small.
309. If you have a dog, pick up after it and use biodegradable bags. It makes no sense to pick up something that is biodegradable and put it in a wrapping that isn’t.
310. Ditch the particle board, non-sustaining, formaldehyde ridden furniture-like products for something of quality. The world thanks you in advance.
311. Learn about the world beyond the country you live in. Find out about the culture and politics beyond your borders. This is your world and what happens in it is beautiful, breathtaking, terrifying and heart breaking. Learn why and how.
312. Hug people more. I know. It’s awkward at first if you’ve never been much of a hugger. Do it anyway. You’ll see and you’ll thank me.
313. Ask your friends about their lives. Find out their stories.
314. If you’re going to eat meat, please do it sustainably.
315. Learn the Constitution. It matters. A lot.
316. Find out about your local political scene and get informed.
317. Inspire others.
318. Do something extraordinary.
319. Travel to a third world country with an organized group of do-gooders and bring your awesome. You will never be the same.
320. Read classic literature.
321. Visit museums and art galleries. Culture is awesome, and the world needs more awesome of the cultural kind.
322. Embrace your spirituality. Every person is on their own spiritual journey whether they realize it or not; Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Scientologist, Mormon, Buddhist, whatever. Find out what is true for you and embrace it.
323. Learn a useful skill. If you never learned basic life skills, start there.
324. Teach your children life skills.
325. Have a schedule for your family and stick to it.
326. Get good sleep and ensure your kids do too.
327. Keep yourself and your family well fed and well nourished.
328. Let ladies be ladies and gentleman be gentleman.
329. Go to a live comedy show.
330. Race a go-cart.
331. Find out what the people you love love to do, and do it.
332. Love with reckless abandon.
333. There have been some seriously traumatic events in our world’s history. Learn about them. Learn from them.
334. Have a hobby that makes your heart happy.
335. Get to know your children’s friends. And get to know their parents as well.
336. Parent with intention. Raise children who will become self-sufficient, competent, capable and considerate.
337. Set firm boundaries and be predictable as a parent.
338. Don’t follow the crowd just because everyone else is doing it. “Everyone else” is mediocre, be awesome and do what feels right to you (this is especially true in parenting).
339. Breastfeed if you can.
340. Take an active interest and role in your children’s health and education.
341. Give your children responsibilities in the household and make it a good and fun thing to do.
342. Foster good habits in your children.
343. Do not give your children unsupervised Internet access. Seriously.
344. Go to a grassy field or beach away from the city at night. Lie down on your back and look at the stars. Right??!
345. Go camping.
346. Get a foot massage.
347. Ride on a train.
348. When in heavy traffic, give gap, take gap. Seriously. Be courteous and share the road. Help it run more smoothly.
349. Each day decide to be awesome, and be awesome.
350. Remind your children that they are awesome and capable. Especially when they are afraid to try something.
351. Teach your children to be kind and compassionate. Be the example of this.
352. Walk places instead of driving when you have the chance to.
353. Write love letters and love notes-just because.
354. Start a conversation with a stranger whether in line or a waiting room. Meet someone new.
355. Promise to spend the rest of your days with the person you love and do it.
356. Leave the world better than you found it.
357. Give your very best in everything you do.
358. Have live plants in your home.
359. Play with your pets and give them love. Trust me. You’re welcome.
360. When you go to a store, park further away from the entrance. Embrace the opportunity to walk more.
361. Drink more water.
362. Create traditions that are worth honoring.
363. Celebrate the holidays.
364. Send holiday greeting cards or Happy New Year greetings. Each year.
365. Unplug completely every now and then.

Did you do something awesome today? Did this post inspire you in some way? Let me know in the comments below.

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