Enriched

So my more recent ‘life’ philosophy has me constantly uttering the word ‘enrich,’ which means (according to a quick Google search) “improve or enhance the quality or value of” (not to say I didn’t know that before).

This is the word I use to guide me each day …
– the activities I plan for the kids
Will what we are doing (or what I allow them to do) enrich their lives in some way? Enhance their development? Make their lives better?
– the food I put on the table for my family
Is the food I am putting on the table nourishing? Does it offer essential nutrients (vitamins and minerals) to help us stay strong and healthy?
– the things we do together as a family
Is our time together well spent? Do the things we are doing together enhance the quality of our lives?
– the food I put into my body
Am I putting things in my body that are good for me? Things that will nourish me? Help me remain healthy?
– the way I spend our money
Are we spending our money on experiences that enhance our lives? Are we spending money on things that will make our life better? This is a biggie for me, especially with so much pressure to fill our lives with ‘stuff.’
– the way I spend my spare time
Am I enriching my life in some way during my downtime? Growing? Learning? Helping others?
– the things I keep (or get rid of) in our home / the things I bring into our home
Are the items useful? Helpful? Necessary? Do they improve the quality of our lives?
– the home improvements I don’t do
I love our home, but like any home, ours could use some “touch ups” – new linoleum in the kitchen and maybe some new hardware on the cabinets, but will new flooring really make our lives better?

I share this today to give you something to think about … Our lives have become a bit frantic it seems, and once we’re in the “parenting world,” there seems to be so much pressure (to do for, to buy for, to have for our kids). If I approach everything with how it “enriches” our lives (or perhaps more importantly, how it has the potential to enrich someone else’s life), I feel like I can manage; I can deal with that constant pressure to do more, to buy more, and to have more … and by doing so, we will have more I think (quality, that is).

As always, please feel free to share your thoughts about this post or any other. I love getting feedback from my readers 🙂