Your investment will pay off in greater self-esteem, confidence, job satisfaction, and income. Balance professional development with personal growth. Stimulate your brain with hobbies and activities that spark creativity. Write, draw, paint, play music, play chess, dance, sing. Too busy? Give your creative time the same respect you give your professional dme. Pull out your day planner and set aside time for fun! Bonus. Spend quality time with the most important people in your life by involving your spouse, significant other, or children in your creative en- deavors. You never know when you might spark a shared interest. That's what happened to me when my uncle came to visit. He was an artist, and he always brought sketch pads and pencils for me and my siblings. Then he'd teach us how to draw. When I was four years old, he taught me how to play chess. I don't draw like Rembrandt or play chess like Kasparov, but that's not the point. Thanks to my uncle's gift of time, I discovered two cre- ative outlets that I enjoy to this day. SPIRITUAL GROWTH Contemplate your life's purpose. What are you here for? When you aren't clear about your life's purpose, you're likely to pass through life without direction. This lack of focus often leads to poor personal and business de- cisions, poor career choices, relationship problems, depression, eating dis- orders, substance abuse, and a host of other life-draining distractions. When you're clear about your life's purpose, you can focus your energy on achieving meaningful goals and dreams. Figuring out your purpose in life takes time and determination. Consider the following suggestions to help you get started ... Make time for self-renewal. Set aside time on a daily basis to reflect on your purpose, dreams, and goals in life. If you believe in God or a higher power, you can pray for direction on how you can best use your talents to fulfill your purpose in life. It doesn't matter where you are-at home, com- muting to work, on the golf course, in the shower-you can always take a few minutes to reflect on who you are, what you have accomplished in life, and how you fit into the big picture. Tip. Spend your self-renewal time focusing on love and goodness. Don't you spend enough time thinking about how much you have to do and how litde time you have to do it in? Isn't it demoralizing to watch the anger, injustice, and violence on the nighdy news? You cannot control the actions of others. But you can control your own thoughts and actions. Choose to dwell on what's right and good for a few minutes each day. It's good for the soul. Love and serve others. This is one of the best ways to begin to discover your life's purpose. Regardless of your economic background, age, race, or religion, you can love and serve others by showing concern and giving your time to people who are less fortunate. Most of us won't live up to the good deeds of Mother Teresa, but we can experience the same joy and goodness just by serving the people closest to us.