PRODUCTIVITY

The “Secret” to Living a Happy and Satisfying Life is Based on a Few Essential Activities

For me, these are the things that have made a difference.

Sixty may be the new forty, but conventional assumptions and cultural bias about aging can still undermine your career, your professional relationships, and even the way strangers interact with you.

What is the best way to protect your personal power and maintain your professional influence as you get older?

The easy answer is to be proactive in maintaining your life skills, health, and mental acuity — all of which provide others with the opportunity to perceive your age as an asset instead of a liability.

But first, let’s face the facts.

Aging is an irrefutable fact of life: We get older. We change. And in our youth-driven, appearance-prized culture, it can leave us doubting our value and remembering our past as a more rewarding time, a time when our very presence had more impact and influence on everything and everyone around us.

And that’s sad. Because the gains that come with age and experience can easily outweigh many of the superficial values of youth.

But like anything of substantial merit, the rewards of getting older must be cultivated if they are to bring us maximum benefit.

Looking back over my seventy-plus years of challenges, disappointments, successes and failures, I’ve realized the rewards of a life well-lived have been the result of a specific mindset and a few essential activities.

For me, these are the things that have made a difference.

And while they may appear simple and even obvious, I must warn you -- they are not always easy to implement.

Even so, if I’m ever asked to describe the “secrets” to transforming a life of mediocre sameness to one of personal discovery and independence, these would be on my list:

Periodically re-evaluate your personal assets

As we age, our strengths and attributes, especially those influencing how others see and evaluate us, begin to change. Youth and attractive features are often replaced with wisdom and personality. While you may have been popular on campus 30 years ago, those sources of recognition are long past.

Others may now seek you out because of your talent in music, art, or writing. Or maybe you have the opportunity to influence others due to your ability in business, public speaking, teaching, or your knowledge of programming, politics, or social media.

The idea is to foster the skills you’ve acquired and keep them sharp. Take pride in your accomplishments and the fact that you’re the person others call on when they need advice in your particular field.

Travel

While there are always the more popular tourist-oriented choices depicted on travel posters, don’t forgo visiting the less-traveled countries in the developing world. Seeing how others cope with severe adversity and overwhelming challenges and yet find ways to live a happy, productive life can be a life-changing experience.

There are places of incredible beauty that will amaze the senses and feed the soul. Don’t miss out on seeing as much of the world as you can — while you can.

“Those who never leave their country of birth seldom develop an appreciation for other cultures — or a respect for other opinions.” — Albert Einstein

Learn something new

Especially something that has always piqued your interest. Learning keeps the mind active. More important, it prompts the brain to maintain specific sensory connections that can help prevent the onset of memory and vocabulary loss.

“Senior moments” are often the result of a mind that needs exercise. Learn a new language, take piano or guitar lessons, sing in the church choir, or take classes at a community college. There’s always something new and interesting to discover. And the process can often bring new people into your life.

Stay (or get) active

You don’t need to run a marathon (unless that’s what you want to do), but you should try to find some sport or activity in which you can safely participate.

The mind-body connection is now a proven medical fact, and doing some kind of regular exercise will help keep you mentally alert, dispel depression and give you a greater sense of well-being. While there’s always the old regimented routine of calisthenics, many people enjoy yoga, soft-style martial arts, swimming, bike riding, hiking, and various types of organized classes specific to their interests and abilities.

In short, it’s time to get up and get moving.

Set boundaries

Unfortunately, there are too many people in the world who are poised and ready to bring others down. Needing to discourage others in order to feel good about themselves, they’re constant sources of negativity.

If you can’t remove them completely from your life, create an emotional barrier to prevent their toxic rhetoric and actions from influencing you. Simply allow their input to blend into the background noise of life — meaningless and forgettable.

You have the right to prevent venomous people from influencing your thoughts and your happiness.

Go your own way

Live life by your standards. Adopt other people’s lifestyles, dictates, and doctrines only if they’re right for you. You’ve earned the right to call your own shots.

Live where you want, see who you want, and spend your time in ways that are personally satisfying. As long as your choices don’t hurt others, you have the right to explore the opportunities of a lifetime.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” — Henry Thoreau

© 2021 Roger Reid. All Rights Reserved.

Roger A. Reid, Ph.D. is the author Better Mondays and Speak Up

Roger A. Reid, Ph.D. is the host of Success Point 360 Podcast and author of Better Mondays and Speak Up. A certified NLP trainer with degrees in engineering and business, Roger offers tips and strategies for achieving higher levels of career success and personal fulfillment in the real world.