5 Ways to Live Life More Radiantly

The word radiant intrigues me. When I looked it up in the dictionary, here's the definition:

sending out light; shining or glowing brightly. synonyms: shining, bright, illuminated, brilliant, gleaming, glowing, ablaze, luminous, luminescent, lustrous, incandescent, dazzling, shimmering, resplendent

Who doesn't want a little more of that in life?! And if you're looking for a "word of the year" or a focus theme, that's a good one. Let's talk about some ways you can live life more radiantly.

1. Be Grateful

I know you've heard this before -- especially here at Plum Deluxe. But sometimes, being grateful is hard; how do you be grateful for having a job when you're stuck in a traffic jam? How do you be grateful for your partner or spouse when you're arguing?
That's where the magic is. If you consider yourself lucky to be alive, you can approach your challenges as an adventure. You can remember to enjoy and celebrate all the good stuff. Easy to say, harder to do, but give it a try!

2. Find Ways to Support Your Confidence

I think you've got this. You're doing a great job! But, do you believe me? If not, you need to find some ways to booster your own confidence. Here are some easy ways to do that:

• freshen up your wardrobe with clothes that make you feel good
• put post-it notes with affirmations on your bathroom mirror or near your desk. Choose phrases the affirm you're doing just fine -- like I am beautiful. I always have enough money for my needs and more.
• distance yourself from the negative folks in your life
• smile!

3. Hydrate and Move Your Body

Our bodies are over 50% water, so keeping yourself hydrated can make a huge difference physically and mentally. The same with movement; sitting is the new smoking, and just getting a good walk in each day can supercharge your emotional health and keep you fit.
It seems like the simplest suggestion, but if a walk and an extra bottle of water a day could make your life better, it's worth a try, right?

4. Spend More Quality Time with the People Who Light You Up

Whenever I talk to Plum Deluxe readers, the theme is the same year after year: people crave connection. I think our society today has a serious drought on quality time with loved ones. But, you can choose differently and put your calendar priories towards tea time with your BFFs, date nights with your partner/spouse, and dinner parties with family and friends.
I know, your calendar is full. You'd love the sleep in this Sunday instead of hosting brunch. But try squeezing something good into the next couple of weeks -- and while you're in there, look for appointments and meetings that aren't adding any value, and get rid of them!

5. Pay It Forward

Over the weekend, I went on a hike with a friend -- a 10-plus mile, 2,400-foot elevation change hike. It was an intense one, but a lot of fun! After a refreshing lunch and admiring the viewpoint up top, we headed back and encountered a lot of weary souls who were struggling to make it to the top. They all seemed unsure and were going to turn back, but they were already 90% of the way there -- and would hike back down with no reward!
My friend and I decided to give everyone a pep talk on the way down, encouraging them to keep going. And I think that's a wonderfully radiant way to live: by helping the person behind you along, by committing random acts of kindness, or just by telling someone they look nice / you appreciate them / they're smart/amazing/beautiful/genius/etc.
After all, if you shine your radiance out into the world, a little bit is bound to reflect back on you.