BLOG 223—FIND CHALLENGE IN YOUR LIFE!

With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life differently or better.

*** The joy I am experiencing in life is a marvelous thing!
*** To read past blog posts, go to >> kitsummers.com/blog/
*** Hit by two trucks, one involving a 37-day coma, I remain happy.
*** If you are reading this through Facebook, check out my blog on my website.
*** Thanks, my wife, Beth, for editing and adding to each weekly blog.
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

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TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK— HOW TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF
 
Challenging myself was one of the main ways that helped me to recover after my first major accident. Even as I was learning to walk again, I saw a small bush and told myself I had to jump over it. I was with a rehab therapist then, and they did not like my idea, but it worked.
 
I continue to challenge myself daily to help me keep advancing in life.
 
Often, your challenges could seem like little things, like attempting to wake up earlier or shake bad habits like smoking, but they’re still challenges. Everyone’s experience is different.
   
What does it mean to challenge ourselves?
To challenge ourselves means to grow in new ways and work toward new ideas. People often stick to things they know, are good at, and don’t look for more. They find these things easy without taking things to the next level.
 
You only know what you can do if you push yourself to a higher level. Doing something different can allow you to find new interests and hobbies you enjoy. Challenging yourself, it will continue to advance your life.
   
Reasons why you should challenge yourself?

1. Reach your potential (beyond?)

Challenging yourself allows you to reach new potential. No one wants to be average. We each want to believe we’re the best at something or that our lives matter. However, you can’t become the best unless you play, experiment, challenge yourself, and push yourself to do something new, faster, or more complex. Exploring experimentation allows you to find new growth opportunities. Ultimately, we want to live a life where we’ve accomplished something. And when you challenge yourself, you can say, “I’ve become the master of my craft,” and that’s when you’ve reached your potential.

2. Live life to the fullest
Living life to the fullest allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment during and at the end of your life. Life isn’t all about work. It’s about family, friends, passion, fun, and exploring new opportunities. When you challenge yourself, it means that you’re living and loving life. You’re not hiding away from danger or failure. You’re putting yourself out there and taking risks. When you push yourself, you can see what you’re made of and things you didn’t know about yourself; you will grow. People who challenge themselves see life from a new perspective. You have this excellent opportunity to be the person you want to be. So why not just take advantage of it?
   
3. Strengthen your brain and body
Challenging yourself allows you to strengthen your mind and body. When you first juggle torches, your brain stops you from making that move right before you throw that first torch. A survival instinct that kicks in and says, “This is dangerous; don’t do it.” But then, you have to ignore your screaming brain and do it. And you feel exhilaration on the first throw. You learn that you’re more powerful than your mind and body. Use your brain; there are so many opportunities in life we don’t take because our brain stops us. And learning how to challenge yourself helps teach you to ignore it and shut it off.
 
Here are more ideas for challenging yourself >>
 
A–Practice meditation
Following a guided meditation like you can find on your computer, your mind is a surefire way to challenge your thoughts. Meditation helps you learn to calm the mind by becoming more aware of the ideas in your head. If you’d like to challenge yourself further, you can use an unguided meditation timer to take on your thoughts independently. By starting with a guide, you can increase your challenges over time. We began with meditation first because once you’ve been able to take on the mind, every other challenge you face will become more manageable. You can also even watch meditation videos on YouTube.
 
B–Read books to expand your mind
It can take a lot of work with busy days to fit in time for reading. Naturally, reading in bed can help you fall asleep faster, as it has for me. Challenge yourself by reading books on topics you know nothing about; learn as you fall asleep. The goal isn’t to make yourself miserable but to encourage you to learn new stuff as your eyes slowly close. There are millions of topics you haven’t explored but would enjoy learning about, so stick with those you like first.

C–Take an online study
Always continue learning after you finish school, at every level. To keep your mind sharp, you must challenge yourself by furthering your schooling with online or in-person courses. You can learn new languages, how to style your hair, cook meals like a major chef, and more. Your method doesn’t need to be educational, such as a history lesson or learning how to start a business. Think about everyday things you do that can help you learn better.
   
D–Start a thriving hobby
One of the ways you can challenge yourself is by learning a hobby that allows you to boost your income, as it expands your mind. Working a 9 to 5 job makes us feel like we’re just getting by. Nevertheless, by investing in a profitable hobby, we can earn more money to do what we love while getting paid. This is how I always thought of my juggling, and I got paid to have fun! Any hobby can be good today, though that has not been true historically.
 
E–Declutter your dwelling
Decluttering your residence is a great way to challenge yourself.
Can you survive with less stuff?
Can you learn how to sell your property online?
You can challenge yourself in many ways by reducing the number of possessions in your home. Living with less is better. We often fill our homes with so much stuff that we rarely use. Challenge yourself to let go of possessions and learn some computer sales.
 
F–Go to bed earlier
I usually awaken between 2 and 4am. You’ll often hear recommendations to wake up earlier in the morning to get more accomplished. And not everyone needs eight hours of sleep to have a fully-functioning brain. So, rather than challenging yourself to wake up earlier, you can challenge yourself to bed earlier. If you sleep earlier, you’ll likely wake up earlier and be well-rested.
 
G– Walk! Aim for 10,000 steps a day!
Walking less than 4,200 steps a day is considered sedentary. It’s the number of steps people often take if they work from home and don’t exercise. Get out there, walk, walk, walk. Active people often take at least 7,000 steps a day. To challenge yourself, try taking 10,000 steps every day. Doing it occasionally can be an easy feat, particularly on weekends. All it takes is that first step.

H–Climb 100 steps a day
The average person climbs four to five stairs each day, which is a little. Challenge yourself to climb at least 100 steps a day. You don’t need to do that all at once. However, use the stairs regularly in your home, condo, or apartment building. You can challenge yourself by forcing yourself to climb stairs to use the bathroom instead of using the bathroom on the same floor. This is just the beginning, go for more and more steps all the time.
 
I–Improve your relationship
Refrain from neglecting your partner or filing for divorce is easy when things get stale. People can get into unhealthy routines. Ask them about their needs the next time you interact with your spouse. And if they say something like, “I need some help cleaning this place.” You should immediately get up and start cleaning the home. Or if you’ve noticed you two haven’t had any romanticism in your relationship for a while, surprise them with a gift, such as flowers or even a candlelit dinner at home.

J–Get out of debt
Managing your finances is a significant way to challenge yourself. Being stuck living paycheck to paycheck not only adds financial strain but emotional stress as well. You are paying off all you can, allowing you to live financially free or even retire earlier to live on your terms. You’ll frequently need to work multiple jobs to get out of debt. I’ve been able to live without worrying about debt problems. Having full-time and part-time employment can allow you to add more money to pay down debts while still covering your main expenses.
 
Conclusion
There is a vast number of ways you can challenge yourself. You can use this list as a starting point or even create your list of ways; as you know, even our phones are constantly updated with the latest technology and features. You should also continually grow with new habits, attitudes, and personality traits.
 
So, what’s the upgraded version of yourself going to look like?
   
What new stories are you ready to write?

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WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.
 
They are so interesting, challenging, and essential on our path to joy, happiness, and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.
 
Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.
Words have power.
 
Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.
 
How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible, determines everything in your life, and it all derives from your quality of thinking.

WHEN YOU IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR THINKING,
YOU CHANGE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE—SOMETIMES INSTANTLY!

Just as positive words can make someone smile, and a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!
 
You have complete control over only one thing in the universe — Your Thinking —and that’s where motivational quotes come in!
 
To keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so essential—THINK RIGHT!
    
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

EVEN IF YOU START LATE, ARE UNCERTAIN,
OR ARE DIFFERENT –
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!
Don’t forget that you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement.
 
REMEMBER, VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

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I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>
Many of us have been through a point in life where everything seems to have reached a slump where nothing is meaningful anymore. If you’re going through something similar, these life-purpose quotes can help you to find the will to live your life to its fullest again!
 
“If you have a vital purpose in life,
you don’t have to be pushed.
Your passion will drive you there.” – Roy T. Bennett
   
“I believe purpose is something for which one is responsible;
it’s not just divinely assigned.” – Michael J. Fox
   
“It’s not enough to have lived.
We should be determined to live for something.” – Winston S. Churchill

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive,
but in finding something to live for.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
   
“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion.
For your passion will lead you to your purpose.” – Bishop T.D. Jakes
 
“Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life,
no matter what may be one’s aim.” – John D. Rockefeller
   
“The two most important days in life are the day you are born,
and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
 
“Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.” – Washington Irving
 
“The heart of human excellence often begins to beat when you discover a pursuit that absorbs you, frees you, challenges you, or gives you a sense of meaning, joy, or passion.” – Terry Orlick
 
“To begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment.” – James Allen
 
“You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” – Steve Maraboli
 
“The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost; to be everywhere is to be nowhere.” – Michel de Montaigne
 
“When you find your WHY, you don’t hit snooze anymore! You find a way to make it happen!” – Eric Thomas
 
“A person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” – Thomas Carlyle
   
“The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose.” – Charles Dickens

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

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MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
And time is going faster all the time.
Do you keep track of what you do each day?
Do this for a few weeks, and you will see your time differently.
   
5/29–As the photos show, the garden is growing superbly. Why, just today, I wanted to eat a salad in the afternoon. So great to be able to go out into the front gardens to pick lettuce and carrots for the salad. And this is just the beginning. Later I will add tomatoes and broccoli to the mix.

Some people have told me I must have a green thumb.
I disagree.

5/30–Beth has found succulent plants (which are cactus.) We will be building gardens just for them, that’s good. I built the shelf below to hold the succulents. 

About zucchini. The plant has huge leaves. I decided to check under some of them. Why, lookie there, huge zucchini fruit was ready for the picking. They we easy to dispense to friends. Do you want one?

5/31–I kept a list of what I did last week. I cannot find this list! So, most of this is from talking with Beth about the previous week. How about you, do you remember what you did last Wednesday?

6/1–Went to the dentist today, Dr. Patrick Cook. He is excellent at what he does. If you live anywhere near Augusta, Georgia, and need dental care, look him you–you will be happy you did —
patrick.cook@mapbt.com.
Also, he told me he enjoys reading my blog post each week.
Do you like the words I put together?
 
I have also made my weekly trip to Costco. I have to admit, and I usually arrive at about lunchtime. They have vendors who give free samples of different things–Kit’s lunch (don’t tell them, though.)

6/2–Beth is excited about her new hobby of collecting succulent plants. She just came out all excited about how one is turning pink. 
 
Right now, the time is 3:17 in the afternoon.
I will send this out at about 6pm, as usual.
Do you have anything you can write me about your week?
 
Is it time to “make” things happen and live a fuller life?
“Make” a great week for yourself.
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YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK > >
Summer is about here. Have you planned a vacation for the upcoming months? Getting out to the wilderness is always beneficial. Start planning now for a trip to the out-of-doors.
Do something new daily, then keep doing it for the rest of your life.
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NEXT BLOG
Hmm, I can’t think of a thing to write.
What will you be doing next week?
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