Life in Isolation
Trapped
like rats in the belly of a sinking ship, we huddle in our own nest of self-pity
whining about how terrible things are, when in fact, we should take this time
to access our life with goals to improve our well-being. Well, we have plenty
of time to do that, if we’ll just press the TVs off button.
The first thing we should do is list
the priorities in our life. The individuals who live the best lives have their
priorities in the proper place, and if you first priority is six to eight hours
of mindless TV, you probably need some major priority adjustments. This
downtime we are going through is a good time to evaluate whether we have our
priorities in proper order, and be honest about what is important. That will
give us a place to start.
The
goal of course is very easy to see, and that is to live the best and most
productive life possible. It may seem that best and productive really don’t go
together, but let’s look closely at why they do. [1]
I don’t think you can live the best possible life unless you are a productive
person. Being a productive individual is, very simply, to produce something,
and it may be goods, satisfaction, or inner peace. All of which are a
combination of physical and mental activities that are critical to living a
great life.
First let’s look at the purely
physical aspect to see how that will help us be productive. All humans have physical
similarities, but genetically there are huge differences. We can’t all be NBA
All-Stars, but we can develop our physical body to where it functions
appropriately for any given age. For some people this seems to come easy, and
they look to have won the physical lottery. However,[2]
many times, it’s not the person’s genetic makeup, it is the mind-set and
determination to achieve, which creates that person’s physical appearance. But
producing a physically fit body is only part of a productive individual’s life.
We all know someone who obsess over their physical appearance to the detriment
of other important parts of what makes a complete truly successful, life-style
person. But let’s be brutally honest about our physical wellbeing. Completely ignoring
your body physically can impede you mentally as well as inhibit you from
enjoying certain parts of life. So, as you do a life assessment you can’t reach
the quality life we all desire, if you don’t have a physically fit body. That
is just a statement of physics. I don’t have to tell you how to eat, drink, or
exercise. You live in the Information Age. But I will say this about our diets.
We live in age of processed, over-fertilized, and sanitized food. I believe
there are nutrients that are absent from our normal fast food diet and taking
dietary supplements compliments physical well-being.
Okay, let’s check off being
physically fit off our list, and look at something that sound very vague; actually
being productive. Our country leads the world primarily because an American
individual produces more goods in a normal workday than workers in other
countries. It’s that simple. I have traveled in numerous developing countries,
and it is obvious the goods produced by citizens of those countries pale when
compared to our workers. The reasons are many, but the results equal higher
productivity, which equates to a higher standard of living.
Now,
let’s look at your productivity. How do you stack up? Are you productive?
Everyone has the same number of hour in a day, it’s what we do with those hours
that makes us productive or not. I have come home from work many days shaking
my head and grumbling, “I didn’t accomplish much today.” Obviously, I didn’t have
much of a productive day.
Productivity is producing more goods
with the same effort, and our technology gives us the tools to do just that. If
we ignore new technology, we lose productive and that translates to quality of
life. If you are productive you produce
goods. The bricklayers in downtown El Dorado last week produced an 8’x50’
replacement brick wall. That’s being productive. However, being productive is
more than physical labor, and the results may be a brick wall or a sense of
satisfaction that comes from a smart, well researched stock market buy. In
other words, being productive not only produces items of value, but a deep
inward sense of satisfaction and well-being, which can’t be found any other
way. We all have certain abilities or talents that contribute to our well-being
if we develop them. Only the individuals, who strive to polish those abilities
will reach their best life possible. When you look at being productive consider
that everything rotates around productivity, and if that flower bed get planted,
you are going to be the one who makes it happen. Remember, being productive is
a very personal thing, and a Bill Gates sense of satisfaction in his life is no
greater than a person who looks at the work they did on that flower bed with
satisfaction.
In our search to live the most
satisfying life, we have touched on the mental aspect, but now let’s look
deeper into how a person’s mental health can make or break the wellbeing of an
individual. It can be as simple as a runner, after a good workout, feeling a
good physical and mental “burn”. Or a teacher, who is well prepared and
delivers a lecture to an attentive class. It seems very simple, but developing
a positive mental attitude is sometimes one of the most difficult things a
person can do. However, a great mental attitude is no different than working to
get yourself physically fit. You must work on your mental condition just as you
work to reduce that belly hanging over your belt. But if we work to become more
productive and physically fit our mental fitness also improves. It is extremely
difficultly to have a healthy mind and be grossly overweight or to essentially
be a couch potato. Another way to have a healthy productive mind is to surround
yourself with friends who are positive and exude productivity. Of course, we
should endeavor to exercise our minds just like we exercise the rest of our
bodies. Hobbies such as hunting and fishing or even stamp collecting will give
you a shaper mind and a better since of wellbeing.
However, I would be amiss if I
didn’t mention the spiritual enhancement available. Since the beginning of
recorded history humans have felt a need to connect with a supreme being, and
today we are no different. I believe a vibrant spiritual life builds a positive
mental condition that brightens your life. I have been active in my church for
years, and I feel it has an extremely positive effect on my life.
I guess, to sum up the keys to a
successful life, we must once again return to the basics, and that is whether
it is physical, mental, or spiritual, being a productive and involved
individual is the key to living the good life. So quit sitting around feeling
sorry for yourself, and do something productive.
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