Five Seconds

Monday through Saturday morning I spend about 90 minutes daily exercising this aging body of mine. I do so in hopes of keeping this collection of blood, skin, muscle, and bones healthy and strong for the rest of my time here. It's been extra tough since my accident in 2003, but I push myself to keep it up hoping to get all I can out of life.

 

When it comes to exercising my soul, however, I know that a daily morning workout just isn’t enough. Our souls are ageless and eternal. They can fill us daily with energy, vitality, love, joy, and light, but to keep them in shape we need to exercise them often. Don’t worry, though. Exercising your soul doesn’t require heavy weights, expensive machines, or a YMCA membership. It just requires a willing heart and a giving spirit. In fact, some of the best soul exercises I know can be done in 5 seconds or less. They always leave you feeling better than when you started them and they can be done anytime of the day as well. Best of all they help get your soul fit not just for here but for Heaven as well.

Here are just a few of my favorite 5 second soul strengtheners. Feel free to try them all and then to try out some of your own as well. There is no limit to what you can do to build a healthy soul. You can:

-give someone a hug

-share a smile

-hold a purring cat

-pet a friendly dog

-glance joyfully at the sun setting over the hills

-hum a happy song

-read an uplifting passage from an inspiring book

-smell a flower

-listen to a bird sing

-jump in a pile of Autumn leaves

-share a kind word

-think a positive thought

-pray for someone

-wave at a neighbor

-laugh at a good joke

-tell someone you love them

-tickle a child

-smell a baby’s hair

-put some money in a Salvation Army kettle

-touch a loved one, look them in the eye, and listen to them.

 

Most of all you can take those 5 seconds to say, "I love you God and I thank you for my life here." Have fun exercising your soul then. Five seconds may not seem like a long time, but it is long enough to share some love, spread some joy, change a life, and make Heaven smile.