Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...

We've all heard the Recycling catchphrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" which originally refers to decreasing plastic, aluminum or paper waste. That's fine if you're trying to save the planet, but what if we actually took those words and applied it to life?

Reduce - This isn't as easy as using a water filtration system instead of buying water bottles. I mean reducing the negative energy in your space. We need to stop making excuses for keeping negative influences in our lives. We all have that person who sucks the life out of us just by walking in the room. What about the job you go to everyday, not because you WANT to but because you HAVE to? The cheating mates, the drama filled relationships, the junk food; it all HAS TO GO! Purge your life of bad people and bad habits and watch the atmosphere begin to shift in your favor.

Reuse - Now typically this would mean refilling a water bottle, or saving that Ziploc bag for another use. In this instance, I say take what works for you and keep doing it. I'm not saying don't think outside the box or don't rock the boat, more like "use what you got to get what you want". I think this is easy once we know what we "got". If you need to make some extra money, think about the skills you may have learned at previous jobs and put them to use in a new way. Have you worked in the customer service industry for a long time? Use that experience to teach a class on customer service skills. Do you love to shop and have an eye for fashion? Why not try to become a Personal Shopper or start your own Concierge business. The possibilities are endless. Once you know who you are, and what you have to offer, everything else will fall into place. Remember, there's a market for everything.

Recycle - This one can be tricky but it's all about taking something "old" and making it "new" again. I like to think of this as turning negative energy into positive energy (you know, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade). Did you get laid off or worse, get fired? Maybe this is God's way of telling you it's time to start that business you've been thinking about. If you can't get promoted because you don't have a degree, don't give up, use this time to go back to school. Lots of schools offer online classes now so NO MORE EXCUSES! Whatever it is that has you down, understand it's not over, it's just time to re-evaluate your situation and press forward.

A new outlook, a new focus, a new strategy could literally save your life. The time is now. We need to get busy and live instead of watching everyone else live. I don't want to be like the Joneses, I want to be the Joneses.