Life is best when we are enthusiastically devouring each moment of the day instead of wishing we could be doing something else. While shattering illusions, without getting all “woo woo” on you– on this website, like on my blog, I’m sharing practical advice honed from experience and the results I’ve witnessed from working with hundreds of people who’ve customized my basic philosophy into their own lives. The endgame is a balanced, healthy, fun, rewarding life…with full acceptance of the fact that we all still have to pay taxes!
Let’s imagine a delicious pie with 8 yummy pieces that are all your own favorite flavors. IF you’re avoiding sugar–imagine 8 colorful buckets!
The First Slice of My Pie is prioritizing my Health. It’s very hard to work, maintain healthy relationships, enjoy life and help others we love when we are not healthy. Surely it’s not impossible, but as I said it is harder and I’m all about making life easier. Yet, this said, at some point or another, we’ve all had that feeling that we don’t have time to prioritize our health because of work, other responsibilities, guilt or any number of other factors. But this is all faulty thinking that needs correction.
If health fails, your ability to do anything else that is important to you will likely soon falter as well. Declines in health start with eating on the run, eating the wrong foods, eating too much or not enough. Forgetting to take time to exercise. Stimulating your nervous system to cope by drinking excessive coffee to keep going or consuming alcohol to relax. You might be processing events of your work day in such a way that your blood pressure is rising. Any number of factors when combined together, can ultimately start adversely impacting your health.
So, making the choice to prioritize healthy living — which includes plenty of natural whole foods, movement and adequate rest are paramount. For this article I’ll leave it at that, but you can find a lot more info about how I eat in my book TurboCharged and I share new content and ideas regularly, here.
Piece #2 for me, which may be a bit of a surprise to some of you, is Work. Work has always been the foundation of my self-esteem. Most of us need to work in some capacity. Many of us really like working. Work rewards us with money, a home, food, basic necessities and some other things we might desire. It is a means with which we can take care of ourselves and others whom we love. It might be a large source of your self-esteem, too. Work is a big responsibility, takes up the majority of our time and is very important on many levels. So, to share my philosophy for a happy, fulfilling life, I’ll call work “Piece #2” of life. But remember, work is only one piece of the pie. If work is all consuming — health and then work can begin to falter and none of the other “pieces” of your Life pie will taste very good either.
At this point, please remember: These are my “8 pieces of Life Pie” that I’m sharing and they don’t have to be the same as yours. Your “slices of the pie or buckets” could be entirely different, and you may prioritize differently as well. Regardless, it will not change the interrelated aspects nor the fact that I highly recommend to everyone that they consider defining their own personal “com-PART-ments” for healthy, happier living.
Piece #3 is both Family & Friends. Some people may be startled that I list family in third position. In this case — I’ll remind you of an expression you’ve likely heard many times that really fits here: “In the case of a pending airplane crash–put on your own oxygen mask before trying to assist others!” And also, I’d like to point out that the #1 people most married people or couples fight and separate is because of money and financial stresses.
Personal upheaval is the most challenging part of life to cope with due to the emotional nature of our relationships. If or when things aren’t going well on the home front–it’s likely to impact all aspects of your life. Whether your connection with your significant other is strained or if you haven’t found the time to commit to a significant other or if your kids are demanding more and acting out or if you have a family member that requires your care or if you never seem to connect with your friends– your work and health will begin to suffer…and quickly. Your family and friends need your attention and energy. The good selfish thing about this as well is that these relationships benefit your life, health and work, also!
So at this point, let me ask: Are you starting to notice a theme of connective-balance between the parts of life?
Now let’s look at piece of the pie #4: Creativity. Creativity might or might not be a part of your daily work. However, this does not mean that you cannot be creative in some other way. You could be singing, dancing the tango, learning an instrument, drawing, gardening, fixing motorcycles or cars, experimenting with electricity, writing, studying a martial art, testing out your actings skills or trying to become an artist! The choice of outlet(s) for creativity are all yours.
When you have an outlet to express your innately creative human nature (yes, you were born innately creative), your work, health, family and your creativity all thrive!
Next up, at least for me are pie slices 5 & 6 which would be Reading and Writing. Books open a world of wisdom and knowledge generously shared by brilliant and wise people from around the world who have lived throughout history recording their experiences, which detail every and any kind of situation imaginable. A good book stimulates the mind to think differently, namely more deeply and creatively with every turn of the page. Reading provides a priceless education and it inspires my 6th piece of my life pie…Writing! When I read my mind percolates with new ideas. I absorb what I’ve read, process it, add my own seasoning and that of others and then I feel compelled to write. It doesn’t make any difference if the writing is just notes for myself or publishable. It’s yet another form of creativity and bonding of emotions to the life experience.
My 7th area of life is Meditation and Rest. I always tell “busy people who have no time to meditate” that they don’t understand meditation. Meditation is the only thing I know of that actually seems to extend time. Yes, I’m serious: Meditation gives us more time–especially when we don’t think we have it! Plus, it will make you healthier, less stressed and deliver a lot of other good stuff–which I discuss on the Meditation page.
Let’s also reiterate the importance of a good night’s sleep and I recommend 8 hours! AND, if you need some help getting to sleep? Meditation is the way I often set the stage for a very peaceful night’s sleep.
Finally my 8th area of life is Community. This is when it’s not all about me, myself and I. Whether it’s handing money to someone on the street who I know needs it (before I’m asked); volunteer work; helping a shelter, church or school; donating time or money…whatever and wherever I and you can assist others…Do it! It’s very important to a healthy life. And, of course there’s the good karma which is important to accrue and makes doing for others good for you, too. Helping your immediate community or just one person is the best way to become more grateful for the life you have. As a wise person once told me: “Never forget that your life is someone else’s fairytale.”
So, there you have it! I’ve shared my philosophy on a work-ing life!
It “works” for me and you now know why I’m smiling. I’ll bet it can work for you, too, if you opt to enjoy the full variety of all the pieces of the Pie of Life. On this website, I elaborate more on my life philosophy. Feel free to read…or not!
Remember: It only takes one person to change your life for the better…You.