Frame Each Day

After experiencing a fulfilling day, some Native Americans have said, "This is a good day to die." To most Americans, this is a peculiar statement. Translated the phrase means the day has been so satisfying that if the person were not to live another day, his or her life would be complete in this day's perfection. None of us know when death will embrace us, so living each day as completely as possible makes sense to me. Make a daily portrait of yourself:Put out your left hand with your thumb pointing downward in front of you. You will see the back of your hand. Now extend your right hand with the palm facing you. Place the tip of your right index finger at the tip of your left thumb; likewise, place the tip of your left index finger at the tip of your right thumb. You have made a rectangular frame for your day.Each corner represents a crucial component for living your day well: begin at the top right corner of your frame. This is you: each day do something special for yourself. This can be a reward, a pleasure, an affirmation. Exercise, take a long shower, hit the snooze button, sing a favorite song, laugh with a child--use your imagination. Enjoy the moment.The bottom right corner represents your life goals: do something each day to achieve any one of them, such as read, network, sign up for professional development--whatever you can do to advance toward a life goal. You can have more than one goal at a time, and you can change or create goals as you go along.The bottom left corner represents others in our lives, including family, coworkers, friends, and strangers. Do something kind each day for someone else. Give your child a back rub, make a meal for your partner, open a door for a stranger, write a thank you note, buy lunch for a friend, mediate a dispute at work--make a conscious effort to share kindness. Finally, the upper left corner represents your connection to the universe, however you experience and define it. Honor that connection through meditation, solitude, deep breathing, stretching, or prayer each day. The quiet moments of life bring you clarity, allow you creativity, and grant you calmness. Indulge the time each day to center yourself in and with the universe.Frame each day: Live well today and eventually you will die well on a future tomorrow.