Jay Dee

A couple of months ago I was invited to appear on The Lynn Johnson Motivational Radio Show.  The topic of discussion was how to live life to the fullest.    Before going on the show, I jotted down ten bullet points to share with the listeners and here they are:

1. Not only should happiness be a goal, it should be the #1 goal.  If you ask anyone if they want to be happy, they might look at you as if you are crazy because it is like asking do you want to breathe.  Yes, everyone wants to be happy and you maybe thinking that you already have this goal.  The main thing to remember that is when you have something as a goal, you can monitor its progress on a daily basis and then review weekly how you have done.  If at the end of each week you are not saying that you were not happier than the week before, it is time to change things.
2. Maintain balance in life.  Not just in work and leisure, but also between saving and spending or alone time and partying.  What I have concluded is that once you strike a balance rather than swing too far in one direction, you start to get happier.
3. Live now, not later.  We all believe that we will continue to live as long as the normal life expectancy in our society but the reality is that the future is very uncertain.  Even if you live that long, you may not have the time or money or health to do things then.  In any case, there are certain moments in time that you cannot recreate.  For instance, you will never be a kid or a teen or a college student again.  There is a time for everything and it is better to do it then than to wait for some time in the future when everything will be right.
4. Find adventure in small things, every thing.  Yes, even a trip to the town next door or to a park can turn into an adventure if you keep your eyes and ears open.
5. Prioritze family, love, health, and spiritual satisfaction and NOT money, possessions, fake beauty, fame, diplomas, etc.  There is no guarantee that the latter will give you happiness.
6. Appreciate what you have and enjoy it.  Do not take things for granted just because you have it.  We get used to whatever we are able to achieve very quickly and this can turn into a treadmill if we do not stop to enjoy what we have.
7. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
8. Do what you love.  For example, if travel is your passion, do not wait your whole life to save money to go to Namibia.  Instead, pack a beach towel and some sunscreen and head to the local lake or beach in your car.
9. Nurture the inner child forever.  We really never get old.
10. Embrace change.  That way you will never feel old and thrive under any circumstances.