It’s confession time. I am obsessed with exclamation points. I find the period at the end of a sentence to be downright boring. In fact, when I re-read my emails before I send them out, I always find an extra exclamation point or two that I feel pressured to remove. An exclamation point to me is like a period, but with some passion! Or excitement! You see? It can be easy to go a little overboard. I want to be expressive in my emails, not dull! I want to stand out! I want to make power statements!
Ok, ok, I’ll cool it. But let’s take the idea and apply it to our daily lives.
Are you living life with a period at the end of all your sentences, or an exclamation point? Is your life one of excitement and passion? Or would you say you feel as though you’re going through the motions, living a dull or boring life?
Sometimes stress can be a real exclamation point killer. So when you feel stressed, or overwhelmed, why not add an exclamation point? As much as I hate to admit it, the winter is coming, and with it comes that lovely winter blah feeling. The days are much shorter, in fact for most of us, it is dark when we wake up and dark when we get home. When you add in the stress of the holidays, family gatherings, and all those crazy, exhausting errands… things can get a little dreary. The good news is, there’s always room for an exclamation point!
You might be asking, how do I add an exclamation point to my life? Here are some of my favorite ways:
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Sing! Sing in the car, or the shower, or while you’re cooking dinner. If you’re scared to sing, start out by humming. You cannot be stressed while you are singing!
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Smile! Smile for no reason. Smile at others. Listen to your favorite comedian. Talk to a friend who is always good for a laugh. Smiling chases the blues away.
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Dance! You don’t have to do a jig or anything, maybe just a little wiggling! Take a dance class, or put on your favorite song and just move!
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Paint! Or decorate, or sketch, or scrapbook, or cook a special meal, or rearrange your house to be more feung shui, or just buy some crayons and color. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do something that makes you happy!
When stress can get the best of us, it is easy to end our day with a comfortable, familiar routine. There is nothing wrong with that. However, on a day when you just need a little something extra to make it through… just remember: there’s always room for an exclamation point!
About the Author : Amanda Montgomery, Property & Casualty Underwriting Assistant
Copyright 2012 J.M. Wilson Corporation
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