Article By Judy Mosley

Recently, on the way to a doctor appointment, my children and I were listening to a CD that I had received for Mother’s Day. The whole family has enjoyed this recording, but what struck me on the ride was hearing my four-year-old singing at the top of his lungs!

 

He didn’t get all the words right, nor was he exactly in tune, but listening to him sing with so much gusto reminded me of how much I have to be grateful for.  I could hear his heart and the sound was beautiful.

 

And then I started thinking that this beautiful moment had no impact on our current financial situation.  So I started wondering … “What else can you do for free”?

 

1. Sing at the top of your lungs.

 

2. Listen to the rain.

 

3. Plant seeds from a fruit or vegetable that you have eaten (Seriously! My husband did just that this year and now we actually have a garden that hasn’t cost us anything but our time.).

 

4. Pay a complete stranger a compliment.

 

5. Wake up early.

 

6. Pray.

 

7. Sleep in.

 

8. Forgive someone.

 

9. Accept your life and yourself in this moment.

 

10. Read a great book from the library.

 

11. Watch an episode of “Nature” on pbs.org.

 

12. Watch the sunrise.

 

13. Watch the sunset.

 

14. Complain about everything … then …

 

15. Stop complaining and enjoy!

 

16. Give someone a much needed massage.

 

17. Lay outside and look at the stars.

 

18. Hold someone’s hand.

 

19. Become a member of Freecycle.org. It will connect you with people who are giving things away and to those who needs things. You might be able to lend a helping hand or receive what you might need.

 

20. Watch the moon rise.

 

21. Go to bed early.

 

22. Stay up late (only if you are doing something truly enjoyable).

 

23. Listen to the birds. Try to imagine what they are saying to each other.

 

24. Visit someone in the hospital.

 

25. Write a short note to a friend letting them know how important they are to you.

 

26. Call someone that you can’t get out of your mind.

 

27. Dream about the future.

 

28. Make a promise and keep it.

 

29. Cry.

 

30. Laugh.

 

31. Dance (doesn’t matter if someone is watching or not).

 

32. Enjoy whatever it is you are eating.

 

33. Be thankful for this moment.

 

34. Let go of regret.

 

35. Tell someone how much you respect them.

 

36. Share what you have.

 

37. Keep a journal.

 

38. Talk to your children about your past.

 

39. Play outside.

 

40. Clean out your car.

 

41. Smell a flower.

 

42. Take a walk.

 

43. Watch the sun set and think about what you had to be thankful for that day.

 

44. Give someone a second chance.

 

45. Spend a day really trying to listen to people around you.

 

46. Find the good in every situation.

 

47. Look someone in the eyes.

 

48. Swap a movie with someone who has different tastes.

 

49. Stretch in the morning.

 

50. Remember that everyone is a human being, just like you.

 

“Life’s rewards go to those who let their actions rise above their excuses.”

-Lee J. Colan

 

“Help is not help until it is given, so turn your intentions to help into acts of help.  We judge ourselves by our intentions, but others judge us by our actions.”
-Lee J. Colan

 

“We cannot live only for ourselves.  A thousand fibers connect us with others; and along those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.”
-Herman Melville

 

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