These six ‘rules’ keep me on track for finding the special balance between enjoying myself and feeling useful during my brief time on this planet. And when any of them are missing, I’ve discovered that it’s never too late to change direction!
1. Living in a way that’s true to my own values has helped me grow self-acceptance and self-respect, the foundation for a life full of meaning and interest, and for building a deep connection with the people I care about. I feel at my best when my aims and intentions resonate with my beliefs about what matters, and when I can also support other people in some way.
2. Doing work that feels enjoyable and meaningful – at the same time as earning enough to look after myself – contributes more to my well-being than any number of ‘achievements’, and It’s how I define success’ these days. The brief satisfaction of reaching goals always recedes as I get closer to them, and so I try not to get caught in a cycle of always chasing new ones to get back that feeling.
3. Like most people, I sometimes need to do mundane things to make a living; but I’m free to follow my heart in my own time. Kindness and creativity, and making a positive contribution to the world, makes me happier than any number of accolades. The main thing is to enjoy the journey, because, until the final destination, that’s all life actually is.
4. We all face limitations in our lives; and some people have more than others. I try not to let circumstances sabotage my sense of what my purpose is in life – and to remember that the thing that shapes what I’m capable of more than anything else is the level of my belief about what’s possible for me.
5. Comparing myself with others is a waste of time; there will always be those whose abilities and opportunities are greater, and lesser than mine. It’s a mistake to envy other people, no matter how much they seem to have done, because we all have equal value, and the same capacity for being fulfilled on our own terms.
6. Nothing ever goes to plan; so when things do go off track I try to see it as a welcome chance to learn something new and to try doing things differently, rather than as a ‘failure’ or evidence that I’m not good enough.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
