I'm convinced that Thoreau was at least partially right when he noted that "most people live lives of quiet desperation." Personally, I'm amazed at how many people fail to enjoy life as much as they easily could. For me the key to that sentence is "easily could." The "Good Life" is personal and different for each of us. For some it's great wealth and private jets, while for others it's art and poetry, and few need acres of Montana solitude. For me, a dog takes care of maybe 30% of the problem just by laying at my feet. Your "Good Life" is a very personal thing and it's up to you to figure out what it looks like, and how to achieve it. Having said that, I'm convinced that most of us could live much richer, more satisfying and more fulfilling lives than we do. Fortunately, it's not difficult. Sure, achieving many of our "big goals" is hard. Some goals require years of effort, superior organization and an element of luck, but most goals are not nearly so hard. In fact, many of the desires and longings my clients and friends talk about could easily be achieved in a few weeks, or sooner. Many could be achieved before you go to bed tonight.
Let's think about this. If you want more "peace of mind," a basic question is, Do you meditate, pray or journal every day? If you want more time as a family, or more time for yourself, how will you adjust your schedule? Want more money in the bank? What are you doing to make that happen? If you want to be healthier, thinner or have more energy, what time are you going to the gym and what's on the menu for dinner? These are not trick questions! Huge elements of the "Good Life" are within your reach!
Here are some of my thoughts on the "Good Life" and enriching our daily experience:
1. Clarity and Choice. Some of us are running faster in hopes of slowing down. To me, that makes no sense. Let's face it, some things in life come at a price. You can have just about anything you want in life, but you probably cannot have everything you want. We must choose! Time as a family may "cost" us time at work. Savings will "cost" you some pleasures or purchases. What does your Good Life look like? Think about it. Ponder. Take notes. Make choices.
2. Simple Strategies and Easy Discipline. Saving money requires discipline. Closeness as a couple requires time and communication and a host of other skills. It doesn't "just happen." Building a business means doing many things when they need to be done, not "when we feel like it." Whatever your Good Life looks like, design a strategy or plan, then work your plan. There's no other way.Here's a simple example. We have a nine week-old puppy in the house. He's cute and cuddly and wonderful. The temptation is to let him play and romp and "just be a puppy." But if we do that he will never be able to travel or to meet our friends. We won't even be able to trust him at the beach. Unless we limit his choices and teach him to get along in this world, his life will be a series of annoyed jerks on his leash and someday, something bad will happen. I don't intend to let that happen. So we discipline him. Hopefully, I learn from that and also discipline myself, make smart choices and follow reasonable plans to create the life I want.
How about you? What simple steps would make your life dramatically better this week? Most of us are sleep-deprived. If that's a problem in your world, what time do you go to bed? Many of us are not achieving the financial results we would like. If that's true for you, who could teach you to make more? Many of us are not as happy or having as much fun as we would like. If that's a problem in your world, take steps to fix it! You deserve the Good Life.
Quotes of the Week
"Better than a thousand useless words is one single word that gives peace." -- Buddha
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment to improve the world." -- Anne Frank
"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks, as if they were great and noble." -- Helen Keller
"Somewhere along the line we discover who we really are, and then make our real decisions for which we are responsible. Make that decision primarily for yourself because you can never really live anyone else's life." -- Eleanor Roosevelt
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