The problem-free life we all seek is more than an illusion. It’s become a myth — one that too many of us have fallen victim to. Reinventing oneself time and again is a skill we all need to develop in today’s increasingly “make it up as you go along” world. A world where the best-laid plans, dreams, or jobs can evaporate in a moment. Constructing a “Wit Kit” can help people to reinvent and re-structure their lives no matter the circumstances. A “Wit Kit” is a toolbox for life, filled with strategies and exercises, wisdom, and mental models that can help people keep their heads above water when life threatens to drag them down. A “Wit Kit” can spell the difference between surviving day-to-day and thriving. Reading a page in your “Wit Kit” can turn less-than-perfect and less-than-pleasant lives around. Here are 7 tips for building a “Wit Kit” that you can take action on today, not someday:

1. Convene a gathering of kitchen table friends. According to a UCLA study, we live longer if we “tend and befriend.” Find two or more people, and create your own 21st Century version of your mother’s coffee klatch. The purpose: to develop strategies, solve problems, laugh and get by with a little help from your friends.

2. Find a dream catcher. Uncover that one person in your life who thinks you are wonderful even when you feel less than terrific. Whether it’s your mentor, your mother, a colleague, or your sister, touch base with a dream catcher who believes in you even when you don’t believe in yourself.

3. Create a “to don’t” list. Management guru Tom Peters tells leaders to create a “to don’t” list. Why reserve such a valuable technique just for business? Create a “to don’t” list for your life. Get rid of things that don’t matter, and replace them with the people, projects, thoughts, and activities that count.

4. When dreams turn to dust, learn to vacuum. Someone once said that “resilience is a verb—it’s something that you do.” When the best of plans, the greatest of intentions, and the worst of scenarios appear at your doorstep, practice the art of being resilient. Search for “how” to make what has happened help instead of looking for the answers to “why.” Finding the “hows” empowers a person.

5. Refuse to be imprisoned by your past. Each day begins a new chapter, and you get to edit as you go along. Scientific research shows a remarkable ability for a human being to bounce back. One foot in the past and one in the future make us stumble. Take daily steps to move on, move up, or move out.

6. Develop a funny bone. Even in the darkest days, find laughter. Remember Norman Cousins who laughed his way back from a life threatening illness? Laughter is an antidote to depression and a powerful medicine for the human spirit.

7. Wear a courage bracelet. Georgia O’Keefe said she had been absolutely terrified every moment of her life, but she never let it keep her from doing a single thing she wanted to do. Funny thing about courage: once you use it, it becomes your constant companion. For those moments where fear strikes terror in your heart, wear a courage bracelet. It’s a band you wear on your left wrist that simply reads “courage.” When you see the word, it makes you remember that courage lies inside just waiting to be called forth.

We can’t always control what happens in our lives, but we can control the way we choose to deal with the events. Constructing a “Wit Kit” for life’s unexpected turns can make all the difference.

Byline:
Deborah Collins Stephens is the co-author of This Is Not The Life I Ordered: 50 Ways To Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down. Visit her online at www.ThisIsNotTheLifeIOrdered.com

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