The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. Everyone wants to be happy in life. Some of us however do things at times inadvertently do things to hurt their qualities of life. The following contributed post is entitled, How Do You Live Your Best Life?
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It’s a cliche to say that you only live once, but it’s important to keep in mind that, like most cliches, it’s also true. There is, we imagine, no sadder feeling than reaching the end of your life and understanding that you didn’t quite do things as you intended, that you didn’t quite reach your full potential. The best remedy for this is, of course, to make sure you don’t end up feeling that way. Live your best life while you have the chance! But of course, that’s something that’s easier said than done. Fortunately, us humans have acquired plenty of nuggets of wisdom that can put us on the right path towards a happy and fulfilled life. We take a look at some of the key areas and actions to focus on.
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Know The Rules, Don’t Blindly Follow
You’re pushed into a system that encourages you to get a job, buy a house, have a family, and all-around stay on the well-trodden path. However, there’s still a lot of freedom within the system! To live your best life, you’ll want to be aware of the rules and your limitations/possibilities, and out your own spin on how things are done. Everything is possible. If you don’t feel like the path you’re lead down is the right one for you (say, all the talk is of an office job when you want to work outside), then go your own way.
Your Immediate Surroundings
You’ve got to be happy where you are! If you’re not, then all the professional and personal success in the world will be unlikely to make up for the plain and pure fact that you don’t enjoy your surroundings. By this, we mean the place where you’re living (the house, the apartment), and also the area of the country. If you’re struggling to identify with the interests and way of life of people around you, or you feel like you can’t be yourself for whatever reason, then take a look at moving. Millions of people move to a new state each year: it’s not as momentous as a decision as it’s sometimes made out to be. While it might take a little getting used to, in the long-term you’ll be grateful that you made a move if it allowed you to flourish.
Who You’re Hanging Out With
People tend to think that they’re independent folks, and they are to an extent, just not to the extent that they believe. We’re all much more influenced by the people we spend the most time with than we realize! Indeed, they say that every person is the average of the five people they spend the most time with. So take a look at who that would be in your case, and figure out in which direction they’re taking you. If they’re pushing you to be the best that you can be, then there’s no problem. If they’re pulling you down, then that’s another matter. It’s important to be loyal to the people in your life, but equally, you have to know when to cut the cord and look after yourself for a while.
Your Work and Career
If you asked people what would be the one thing in their life that they’d love to give up, the majority of answers would be “work.” And that’s understandable, because most people dislike their jobs. However, there isn’t the option of simply waving goodbye to employment — only lottery winners get to do that. So if you’re going to spend decades working, then you may as well take some time to find your calling. You’ll enjoy your job much more if it involves doing something that you inherently enjoy. Plus, weekends become a whole lot more when you’re not battling that Sunday feeling because you dread going to work on Monday.
Giving Back
It’s not all about you. Your hopes and dreams and happiness will be your main priority, but it shouldn’t be your only priority. You’ll feel more fulfilled if you help others in one way or another. While it might not seem like something that’s traditionally fun, Keep in mind that studies have shown that doing charitable work and helping others has a noticeable effect on our happiness levels. It feels good to do good, basically. It doesn’t really matter what it is, either — so long as you’re engaging in a selfless act for the benefit of others, then you’ll feel good. Plus, it’ll be pretty special to look back on your life when you’re older and know that you did something to push the world in the right direction.
The Basics
We tend to complicate our lives. If we break our needs down to the basics, then you’ll see that we don’t need all that much — but we do need them, especially if we’re going to go on and do more important things. The basics, which can include exercise and eating well, will provide the platform from which everything else can develop. It takes next to no time to prepare a healthy, tasty meal in the evening (check out some twenty-minute recipes), while exercise doesn’t have to involve spending an hour in the gym: it can be whatever you want to be, be it squash, cycling to work, climbing, or kayaking.
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Carry on Learning
You might think you’ve got everything figured out, but the truth of the matter is that you, well, don’t! Because no-one does. Many people spend the bulk of their first two decades in education, and when it’s over, seldom take the time to learn some more. There’s a lot of value in taking a course, reading, or simply staying curious throughout your life — you never know what pearl of knowledge will come your way.
Act Like Good Things are Coming
Life can be hard, there’s no doubt about it, but it’s important that you’re not getting too down when the low moments arrive. They will just breed more low moments! Whenever possible, act like good things are coming. They probably are.
