Recently, I attended the October Entrepreneurial Women’s Network luncheon. The hilariously outrageous and very entertaining keynote speaker, Mikki Williams, had some great advice. Maybe it’s because of what I do for a living, or maybe it’s because I just adore baked goods, but Mikki’s “PIES” acronym struck a chord. She suggested we challenge ourselves daily in the following ways:
Physically – do something you wouldn’t normally do. Enter a marathon. Walk further. Start walking. Learn to dance. Take up knitting. Anything that involves being and doing “physical” in a new way.
Intellectually – the hell with Sudoku. Think more fun. (Sorry to the Sudoku-lovers out there, but I just don’t get it.) Take a class that you normally wouldn’t take. This is going to sound weird, but rewire your brain by folding your arms or interlacing your fingers in the opposite way (think: left forearm over the right forearm, if you normally do it the other way. Or, left thumb over right thumb if you’re clasping your hands.) Use your opposite hand to do a routine task like brushing your teeth.
Emotionally – get mad at someone, if you’re usually too polite to do so. Tell someone you love them. Allow love into your life – adopt a pet from a shelter. Anything that expands your heart and allows you to be honest about your feelings is a good way to go.
Spiritually – create a relationship with a higher power, god, the universe, or whatever you need to call that force that feels larger than our tiny selves. Meditate. Sing. Pray. Serve others. Volunteer.
Using the PIES acronym to expand and enrich your life is a heck of a lot better than eating pie and expanding your waistline. Thanks, Mikki.
