Living a Rewarding and Happy Life Requires Balance and Focus
Good living is all about balance. Yet many people fail to realize this, and instead
focus their energies on certain aspects of their life while neglecting others. This
creates an imbalance, preventing us from reaching real and lasting satisfaction and
fulfullment.
To live a good life, one must maintain areas of strength while identifying and improving
areas of weakness. The Rate My Life Quiz helps identify
some of the weak areas. In order to be a balanced individual, you must have a
clear mental state, a healthy body,
a strong spirit, a dependable social network,
romantic satisfaction, and financial stability.
These are key components to a happy life.
Yet in this modern world, we are often assaulted on each of these grounds. Television,
information technology, the fast pace of life... these things create noise inside our
heads.
Junk food, pollution, chemicals, addictions, the rise in obesity and diabetes...
these things contribute to the declining health of our bodies.
Cynicism, depression, materialism, and a vacuous culture... these things damage our
spirit and turn us away from finding real meaning in life.
Our highly mobile society, the internet and television, weakening family bonds.. these things can
work against a healthy social network of friends and family.
Marital infidelity, moral decline, meaningless dating... these things work against
pure and everlasting romantic love.
Credit cards and accumulating debt, declining wages, unemployment, job outsourcing...
these things make it difficult for many individuals to live sustainably.
And too many people are willing to passively accept the circumstances of their
day-to-day life. Too many people are so ingrained in their routine that meaningful
change never comes. But let today be the day that YOU make a change. Let today
be the start of a journey that will lead to greater balance and satisfaction.
Improve your mind by sharpening it with challenging classes or puzzles or literature.
Eliminate the noise by unplugging your technology each night, allowing you to practice
the calming arts of meditation or yoga. Decide to get help for depression or other
disorders of the mind. Find and eliminate sources of stress.
Improve your body by eliminating highly-processed foods and instead eating foods that are
natural, not preserved and full of chemicals. Start taking walks outdoors and give
your body a regular work-out. Reduce stress, which is incredibly harmful to your body's
good health. Drink water and tea and all-natural fruit juices. Give up vices such
as cigarette smoking and alcohol, which make you feel good in the short-term but
contribute to long-term harm. Let today be the day.
Improve your spirit by reconnecting with the natural world. Take in a full
appreciation of the wonderous creation around you. Focus on your faith and
strengthen it. Find a house of worship that fits your world-view and attend services.
Reject the cynicism and materialism of modern society and connect with something larger
than yourself. Do something selfless each and every day.
Improve your friend and family relations by reconnecting with long-lost friends
or distant relatives. You will be amazed at how alive you feel once you do this.
Use technology to your advantage and grow your social network by attending events at
MeetUp.com,
or similar sites.
Turn your online interactions into face-to-face ones, to experience the full
dimensions of friendship (remember to be safe). Volunteer to work with others for
good causes.
Improve your love and romance by focusing on finding a match based not on the shallow
aspects of appearance or wealth but on a deeper compatibility. Many people are tempted
by desires for loveless pleasure, yet such relationships do not bring fulfillment. Others
hold out hope that they will be swept away by someone of great beauty. Be active in
your pursuit of love and avoid the shallow focus that society dictates. Go to places where
good people are, at coffee shops, at volunteer groups, at local events. This is also
an area where you can let technology do the hard work for you, by trying out a matching
site like
eharmony.com.
Improve your financial situation by shunning materialism and paying down any debts.
We live in a disposable culture in which big money is made by the suggestion that you
must throw away yesterday's products and buy the latest thing today. Instead, make
yesterday's products last and only replace them based on true need. Focus on advancing
your career; take classes to that end, if it will help your long-term employment prospects.
Build a savings and grow it as best you can.
Real change isn't easy--it takes effort and commitment, which is why many people avoid it.
But the rewards you will reap are well-worth the effort. Why languish in a mediocre life
just because it is easier to follow the path of least resistence? Excel to greatness,
find real purpose and real satisfaction in your life! Do not fear change, but embrace it.
Your journey starts now.