A focus on health and happiness

HEALTH AND Happiness; isn’t this something we all strive for?  I know I do.  For the next several posts I am going to let you know how I am trying to achieve Health and Happiness.  Life experiences and some key books, including The 8^th Habit by Stephen Covey, have shaped my perspective.

Let’s start with Health.  There are 4 dimensions that make us who we are.  There is our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self.  When I talk to my friends, colleagues, and family about this, I like to use the reference of Body (to live- survival), Mind (to learn- growth and development), Heart (to love- relationships), and Soul (to leave a legacy- meaning and contribution).

Investing in your whole-person development will give you the best chance at living a healthy, full, and long life.  No guarantees of course, but it will certainly improve your chances.  Another practical and highly recommended book is Anti-Cancer by David Servan-Schreiber.  The premise is that adopting a healthy lifestyle (related to all 4 dimensions) will strengthen your immune system and help prevent disease.  You will also generally feel better and have more energy 🙂

Happiness.  Even though most of us, in one way or another, seek fame and fortune, they are not the answer… well, at least not for the long-term.  They can be useful tools, but do not equal happiness.  It really comes down to having purpose (meaning) and making a contribution (value) in your life.

I also believe that Health (Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul) and Happiness (living with a purpose and making a contribution) are synergistic.