How to Start Outwitting Life Today

Do you know how to start outwitting life today? You don’t even need a life-changing event for permission. It’s time to stop and smell the flowers.

My breast cancer diagnosis forced me to learn how to start outwitting life. The disease and its far-reaching tentacles were responsible for my job loss and ultimate home and lifestyle downsizing.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 276,480 women will be newly diagnosed with breast cancer this year (2020) in the United States, and 42,170 women will die from it. That means 234,310 women will survive!

What if outwitting life had been my choice?

I cannot believe I will say this, but I would have done it sooner had I known it was a choice. I wouldn’t have waited until I was fifty-six years old. Why?

Outwitting life has put my priorities in order.

It’s allowed me to look at the pros and cons before deciding. It’s made me more thoughtful. I am much more aware of what’s happening in my life. I am eating the ice cream and checking things off my bucket list!

It makes me sad to think that I had to get cancer before understanding my own life. It does not have to be that way for you! You can choose to begin outwitting life before experiencing any drastic changes.

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I love to read. If someone asked me what I liked to do in my free time, I would say read. Yet, I haven’t read a book in four weeks! Why? Because sometimes, I lose sight of my priorities. And that’s totally on me.

Do you prioritize your actions? If you do, I am jealous; if you don’t, I can certainly relate. My intentions are great; it’s my execution that is lacking. I am too easily distracted. How about you?

I just experienced the perfect example I can share with you. Our dishwasher is not working correctly, so my husband washed our dinner dishes from last night. I walked into the room, and he said, “Grab a towel and dry these dishes for me, so they don’t wind up with water spots.” It seems like a reasonable request, right?

I politely declined and said I would be happy to do the next batch or put the dishes away later. The hubby was not very pleased with me, and I felt guilty for not helping him. I didn’t help because I was keeping my priorities straight. I had plans to work on this post and thought it was more critical than drying dishes.

It may seem like a small thing but, this was huge for me! I am very proud of myself because I made my blog a priority. What would you have done in a similar situation?

Do You Focus on Your Priorities?

What are your priorities? Can you rattle them off right now, or would you have to think first? To begin outwitting life, you first need to identify your preferences to take actions that will make your priorities reality. Make sense?

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to figure this out:

• What is the first thing you would do if you won Lotto tomorrow and became financially independent overnight?
• What one thing would you like to change about your life today?
• If you had six months to live, what would your number one priority become?
• Do you have a “bucket list?” Why or why not?

Have you ever thought about these things before?

My answer to the Lotto question has always been, “I would open a book store.” My dream is to have a small bookstore in a little coastal town. I would serve non-alcoholic champagne with cheese and crackers, and I’d have classical music playing in the background. I would only be open a few days a week, and I would spend my days reading and not caring if I sold anything because I was rich! Doesn’t that sound lovely?

The one thing I would change about my life today is I would appreciate my blessings more. At times, I am guilty of focusing on the have-nots (due to cancer) more than the haves. I have so much for which to be grateful. I am working daily to keep that at the forefront.

This next one is easy – I would 100% focus on spending time with my family and friends if I knew I was dying. Plus, I would complete as many random acts of kindness as possible because I feel we all need more compassion.

Yes, I do have a bucket list that is quite extensive and too long to post here. I am aiming big and hope you are also! If you don’t have a bucket list, is it because you cannot dream? Something for you to think about.

The older I become, the more I realize that it’s okay to be yourself. Your uniqueness attracts people to want to get to know you. It’s a shame that standing out in a crowd was frowned upon when my generation was young. Thankfully, this next generation is true to themselves, and I know that is a good thing.

Had she not succumbed to a heart attack, my Mom would have been 90 years old this past week. Sadly, she died when she was only 71. We’ve been without her for 19 years already, yet I can still hear her voice in my head. Whenever I would feel sorry for myself, she would say, “There’s always someone worse off than you.”

I find myself using her phrases with my children. “Be careful and don’t do anything stupid” is my all-time favorite. I say it every time Erin or Michael walks out of the front door! My Mom prepared me for outwitting life, probably without consciously realizing it.

She was the breadwinner at a time when that wasn’t “a thing.” She was a very successful executive in the phone company and helped pave the way for women in management. Her work ethic was incredible. She and Aunt Jo (her sister) hitchhiked to work one day during a blizzard. No buses were running, so they stuck out their thumbs!

A milk delivery truck picked them up, and they sat on crates in the back of the truck (in their business suits) to get to work—such dedication to their work and a creative way to outwit life that day.

My mother figured out how to care for her family while working full-time. She was outwitting life all over the place! I am so blessed to have had her as a role model. Do you have a role model?

I hope I have given you something to think about today. I often have a conversation with my daughter reminding her that she can choose to be happy or sad. When she’s sad, she always says it’s not easy to decide to be something else. Life is not easy, which is why I recommend you concentrate on outwitting it. The effort is definitely worth the reward.

I know because I had to begin outwitting life after my cancer diagnosis. It’s a journey for sure. But it beats the alternative!