Which Of These 3 Types Of Life Do You Want To Live?
**Excellent Life:**
People think an excellent life is one in which you live in a world of instant pleasure and gratification. We all have seen those in the “Hollywood Life,” end up in drugs and death. Check out the story of Matthew Perry from the sitcom “Friends”. All pleasure does not equal happiness when there is no purpose to your life. NOthing makes you happy!
**Dream Life:**
Many people think it would be a dream life to have more money than you can spend. Once you have enough money to meet your needs, a lot more money never means you are any happier. In many cases, it leads to greed and misery. Check out the story of David Edwards who won 57 million on Powerball. He died penniless at 58 of drug abuse. Money does not equal happiness. NOthing makes you happy!
**Meaningful Life:**
When a person lives a meaningful life, she or he has discovered their purpose in life. They are living in their flow. They have identified their strengths, weaknesses, abilities, talents, and passions. Then they put them to full use. People find their purpose in many areas. Some of us are good with our hands, some are good at music, and others might be caregivers. What makes this meaningful is when these talents are improving the world in some way and making life for you worthwhile. Only YOU can make you happy.
Unless you have a rich Uncle, your finances will become the biggest challenge to your meaningful life. But it doesn’t have to be. The book Walden by Henry David Thoreau, tells about his two-year experiment of living on Walden Lake. Henry said he used to see a large box that you could buy for a dollar. It was 6 feet by 3 feet and the workers kept their tools in it near the railroad. He thought about how he could drill a few holes in the side to get air in. Fix the lid, so you could pull it closed from the inside. Then he could climb in at night and sleep and get up in the morning and go about his day and have complete freedom.
Henry spoke to the idea that people all try to keep up or outdo their neighbors. Because of this, he thought there were only three people in his town that owned their houses outright. Instead, he compared it to a house owning them, because they had to work every day and scrape to pay for the house. Many went bankrupt trying.
He did a two-year experiment, where he chose a spot on the bank of Walden lake and built a house 10 feet by 15 feet for $28.12. He lived in peace and comfort among nature. Not only that, but he had no money problems and no stress. A much better plan in his words. He could concentrate on his passions, instead of working to pay for fancy stuff. That stuff wouldn’t make his life easier but would make him work harder with no time for himself.
Today, you might find it very challenging to find a spot on Walden lake. But the concepts are the same. Only 37% of people in the US own their homes. Most families have two people working to pay for their house and furnishings. They are trying to keep up with the Jones. On the other hand, we see a few figuring out ways to own their own time and follow their dreams. We have the Tiny House revolution. Live-free or die homesteaders. The Home on the Roam. People that have adapted life to live in an RV and move around the country without paying real estate taxes. There is still inexpensive land in this country. This could put you close to nature and give you partial freedom from banks. Also, fewer government taxes and regulations. There are minimalist movements and essentialism as alternative ways of life.
I mention these ideas as alternative options. Rather than the working rat race, most people find themselves in. If you can get to the point of being debt-free, life becomes a lot easier. The idea of a get-rich-quick scheme to get you there is just that, an idea. 78% of people live paycheck to paycheck. There is nothing meaningful about this way of life. Stop being one of those!
Happiness means living a life where you are using all your talents, strengths, passions, and abilities. You are in your flow.
Most people don’t take the time to dig deep and ask themselves what they should be doing with their life. People find a paycheck and start living the life it gives them. They never realize that if they put in the effort, there is a meaningful life waiting for them to take over. They need to find the point where their passions and their paycheck come together.
What about this job thing? I have found in my life it is about passion. My passion is creativity. If the job is feeding my creativity, then I am happy. If my job is giving me finances to feed my creativity elsewhere, then I’m happy. Lately, my happiness has nothing to do with my job offering creativity. I have found this at this stage in my life. The most meaningful is when I can add value to others’ lives. The job is now offering finances to help others. In some cases, the job helps me find the people that need my help. Life is constantly changing. Go with YOUR flow not someone else’s as it changes.
If you have made a huge amount of decisions, but are still unsure of how to find your fulfilled lifestyle. Many times, you feel directionless and overwhelmed by life. You’re unsure of your decisions because you don’t want to make a mistake. You have made some progress, but it seems there’s always some hurdle to overcome that you need help with. No one seems to help. You might want to stay in your current job for stability, but start a side hustle to feed your passion. If you don’t have a job, the side hustle might be your stability.
This self-doubt leads nowhere. So it’s time to take charge, quit procrastinating, and find the pathway to YOUR dream. You have to start focusing on the things you know, on the things you can control, and start changing “I can’t” into “I can.” Don’t look at what you perceive to be the way to happiness in others. It may be a smoke screen. Take a deep dive inside yourself looking for your talents, strengths, passions, and abilities. These are where your meaningfulness (HAPPY) is found.
Some people never find happiness, they believe someone else must create it for them. Don’t be that person! Gary Ringo — Too Few Soar
