Not too long ago I heard from a reflective old high school friend who didn't like the results he was seeing from the way he had been living and was looking for a change.  As we talked about how we're not getting any younger, he described how the desire for something new was coming from feeling almost like he had been sleeping for the past 10 years.

What do we need to do when it feels like there's got to be more to life than how we're living? Most importantly, you've got to get clear about what it is that you really want.  What do you want to see (BE)TTER in your life?  If you don't quite know what that is yet, maybe one of the best things you can do is to take a long, hard look at yourself and decide what you definitely don't want.

Get a piece of paper and write " What I Hate and Won't Tolerate" at the top, then start to write down a list of things you absolutley won't settle for anymore.  Allow yourself to get disgusted with being overweight, bad habits, money mismanagement or whatever it is that makes you feel like real life is leaving you behind. If you can "live with it," you're probably not yet ready to do whatever it takes to change.

After allowing yourself to get sufficiently upset with what you're unsatisfied with, get another sheet of paper and at the top of that page, write "What I Love and Must Have."  Then as you ponder what you must have in place of what you hate, start listing all those components that will contribute to making your life a dream come true.

In the Proverbs, King Solomon lists some things God hates and some things He loves.  If we're smart, throughout the course of our lives we'll make every effort to minimize any hint of what God hates and look for every opportunity to increase what He loves.

Taking self-inventory is not something most people are willing to do because it can be painful.  But the pain it produces has the potential of launching you into a whole new way of thinking and experiencing day-to-day life.  Deciding to take an honest look at your current state of affairs will bring into view a clear picture of what you absolutely will not allow any longer in your life and help to clarify what it is that you really are looking for in your Better Life.

Deciding to look at and weed out what bugs us about our now will help paint a new and focused picture for our future.

To (BE)TTER: Today we will live inspired in spirit, mind and body so we will leave a legacy of Better Life for tomorrow.