14 Ways to enhance your life

You are never to old to learn.

Even though I’m only 22, there are many things I wish I had started when I was 5 years old.
In 10 years time, if I don’t do the things I’m not doing, I’ll be saying “I wish I had started those things when I was 22″.

So instead of us going through our daily lives and routines which many of us become so settled in, let me give you 14 ways (or hobbies) you can take up from today to enhance your life.

These suggestions are meant to add fun and enjoyment to your life.
I find that if I do not enroll myself in a class or pay for lessons for an activvity every week, that after time I end up slacking off and stopping with the activity even though I really enjoy doing it.

See this as a new years resolution, only starting from right now (don’t wait until the new year please ) to be enjoyed for the rest of your life:)

14 Ways to enhance your life

1-Start a martial art

This is one of the best practices in the world in my opinion. Some people think it’s all about the fighting but martial arts are about so much more than just fighting. They are about discipline, building strength and character, overall fitness and you just grow so much spiritually. Of course having skills to defend yourself from a physical attack is always a plus, but I find practicing is almost like meditating, it frees my mind.

There are many different forms of martial arts, and some recommendations are:
Mauy Thai (thai kickboxing which is intense for fitness and very good for self defense.
Aikido-Derived from the Samurai, a very defensive but effective martial art, good for all ages and for women too. Not at all physically intense, 80 year olds still do it effectively.
Taekwando-The only martial art that is an olympic sport. The korean art or kicking.

2-Join an aerobics class

This one is mainly for the girls. It’s something that is fun to do, you get to interact with a lot of people and it’s a nice break from daily life while at the same time it burns those extra calories;)

3-Start yoga and meditation

I haven’t gotten around to it yet but this one is on my list. Learning to quiet my mind and experience real deep inner peace. It’s fun because you can do it in a group and slowly learn the skills of meditation.

4-Start dancing classes (Hiphop or whatever style you like)

Something I wish I had started when I was 5. Break-dancing and hip-hop. It’s sooooo much fun, learning choreographies to your favorite songs and learning cool moves. I really suggest trying out a hip-hop class near you. Of course there are many forms of dancing but dance is one of the better gifts of life:)

5-Learn a new language (personally I love french and Japanese)

I think people should moved around when they are little and live in a different country each year for 5 years or so. How cool would it be to be able to speak 5 languages fluently?! As a child you pick it up so easily. I remember being put in an english school when I was 6 and i couldn’t speak a word of english (not because i was retarded and could not speak…hehe…because I am Dutch) and I learnt english fluently within a year.
It’s still not to late, find yourself a mentor, a student or an elderly person who wants to teach you one on one.

6-Join a public speaking club

This is something that can improve your social skills tremendously. The hardest part is getting over that fear of speaking in front of an audience. Besides that, it is also fun to do. My friend Glen did this and says it helped him enormously with confidence but also with being able to express himself easily to other people.

7-Learn an instrument

Another one of the best things in the world is music. Personally I love it and can play a few instruments. I’m not very good at them but I can play a few songs and enough to entertain myself. There are few things as relaxing as making music, whether you are just playing a cover song or creating your own tunes.

Piano, guitar, drums. Those are the most common ones. It is easy to buy yourself an instrument, second-hand if needed will do fine for beginning. You don’t even need to take lessons because there is an unlimited resource on youtube, and with some searching you will find tutorials for nearly any instrument and any song.

8-Learn how to rap or write poetry

Two very contrasting mental images. Eminem vs Shakespeare
Freestyle rapping is an art, coming up with lyrics that rhyme or make sense on the fly while the beat is playing, you have to be very good with your vocabulary and witty.
I love watching rap battles on tv and it is something you can learn, you need to put in the time and watch lots of rap battles, research vocabulary with cool words maybe read a theosaurus:)

Writing poetry is also an art you can learn. Just get a notepad and write down your thoughts. Do some reading of poems and you will get an idea of how to stucture them. It’s one way of expression.

9-Create your own blog

If you don’t have one why do you not create a blog?
Just like the one you are reading now, you can choose your own domain name, design the layout, build up an audience and just start writing about things you enjoy. About your life, your pets, your hobbies, your business. It costs $10 per year for the domain and $5 per month for hosting, that’s it!

It’s really fun to do and theres a good chance you can make money with it too:)

Click here for my free tutorial how to create your own website/blog

10-Learn to cook

Indian,Italian,Greek and so many other types of foods and cooking styles.
There is plenty of enjoyment from food, and it’s something you can share with others too. Invite your friends and family for a wonderful feast. It’s great because you can totally teach yourself. Get a few cookbooks and make a plan to cook a new recipe twice a week. After time you will be able to create masterpieces and gourmet dinners and that is to be enjoyed for as long as you live:)

11-Learn a new sport (rockclimbing,tennis,squash)

Sports and activities like rockclimbing are very social and you can meet and connect with lots of interesting people while exercising and having fun. Squash is fun to play and doesnt require that much fitness. Teniis is awesome. Rockclimbing is fun! They have a climbing wall at my gym. Maybe there is one near you too.

Choose something you want to try out and give it a go for a few months.

12-Start drawing or painting

Life is about expressing yourself. Everyone is unique and different. Why not try sketching or drawing or painting. Take a chair and sit outside in the garden. Who knows, you may very well enjoy it and become the next Picasso!

13-Read more

There was a sign in my library “Read to Succeed”.
The more you read the more interesting things you will learn and ideas you will stumble upon.
Start reading a new book every 2 weeks. Make it a habit.

14-Learn to fly a plane

Haha:) Yes it’s possible. I have friends doing their pilots license for small planes.
It takes under 2 years and then you can fly high up like a bird when you’re in the mood. Super adventurous,daring and a little crazy but why not:)

If you do start one of the above ‘enhancements to life’ please let us know in the comments section.
Have a great day!