January 8, 2010
health
I don't care to "copy and paste" because I love originality, but I will do just that today. I have read The Blue Zones
and I keep up with the website, http://www.bluezones.com. There is an article posted that I wanted to share with you and because it is the new year and we are all trying to make ourselves better, I thought this would be a beneficial "copy and paste" opportunity.
Studies show that money can buy happiness, but only until the point where you have enough to cover expenses for food, shelter, health care, and transportation. After that, more money brings diminishing returns. So, where to put your energy and resources if you want to maximize your happiness?
1. INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH – Health is a prerequisite to happiness. In other words, You can't be happy if you're unhealthy. Eating wisely and moving naturally are the best way to get fit
2. CREATE QUALITY FRIENDSHIPS – When it comes to a social network, quality is more important the quantity. Having two good friends who care about you – whether your chips are up or down – is more important than a huge network. We often forget that friends rarely come on their own accord: they require effort, time and nurturing.
3. EXPLORE YOUR RELIGION – World surveys show that religious people are more happy than non-religious people. Religious people are more likely to have a strong social network and to be at peace with their lives and mortality. What to do: if you have a religion, make and effort to reconnect with it. If not, visit four new religous communities in the next three months and see if any of them align with your values.
4. SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR HOBBY – Build a model, knit a sweater, climb a cliff, cook a gourmet meal. The point is to spend time engaged in activities wherein you are optimally challenged, you get immediate feedback, you lose sense of time and you do it because it's intrinsically rewarding. Psychologist Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi identifies this state as the state of flow. It is perhaps the best way to achieve authentic sustainable happiness.
5. IF YOU'RE UNHAPPY, MOVE – Where you live has a bigger impact on your happiness than your marital status, income, or even education level. If you are not happy where you are, consider moving. World-wide studies show that the happiest places on earth are not tropical islands but place where you feel secure, people around you have the same level of status as you do and it's easy to find a job that is interesting.
I hope you find this inspiring.
Remember,
"If you don’t take the time to be well, you will have to make the time to be sick".
p.s.
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