1. LOVE YOURSELF – It is the nucleus for all motivation. You have to feel good about yourself! A good place to begin is your physical appearance. Take care of yourself! When you look good, you feel good.
2. SEEK THE LOVING LIFE – Helping people also makes you feel good! When you can focus your attention on others, you feel better about yourself as a person. Besides, it always comes back.
3. JOIN THE WORK WORLD – Many people complain about work – some retirees claim they don’t miss it – but most feel work is essential to happiness. Money isn’t the only motivation…consider volunteer work. Here, I consider myself very fortunate: My profession is all about it. Sometimes people ask me if I’m retired; I tell them, “I don’t know!”
4. ENJOY THE POWER OF TOUCH – People put up a lot of barriers to touching. Some equate it to either sex or violence. Too bad. Touching helps to affirm friendship, approval, caring, etc. We too often avoid the simple acts of touching that confirm good will.
5. LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME – Many of us spend much of our “today” worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. Since the past won’t change and the future may never come, forget them and enjoy the day – everyday! This is a lesson I learned from golf: Stay in the present. You can only control what you do NOW.
6. TURN ON THE LAUGHTER – A sense of humor is the first indicator of intelligence. If you can’t laugh, it’s time to seek help. Humor can take the sting out of failure and stupidities. It can help us overcome the worst of our experiences. We “look back and laugh” – start looking for the laughs now!
7. MOVE YOUR MUSCLES – Exercise can increase self esteem, relieve anxiety, improve attentiveness, dissipate stress, and elevate moods. Active people seem to be happier. Try walking more. Some people like morning walks or trips to the gym. When I play golf, I walk the course and I often feel better after the round than before I started.
8. SEARCH FOR MEANING – Develop a set of “guiding principles,” a “belief system,” that will help you to make sense of your life. What holds real meaning for you and what directions can you take to reach these goals?
9. TAKE TIME TO WASTE TIME – I read something by Jack Nicklaus in the ’80s I never forgot. Lee Trevino once told him if he (Jack) had played full time, he’d have won 25 majors! Jack replied that he won the 18 he did (plus 19 2nds) because he took time away from golf! Leisure is not a “waste of time”. It’s a way to deal with stress, increase productivity, and enhance contentment. For me, it’s golf that gets me out in fresh air and nature with exercise and recharges my batteries.
10. GIVE TO OTHERS – Share. Altruism can increase happiness. Being concerned about others puts you in contact with others. This type of contact will improve your outlook on life and yourself! When I was in Vietnam, I remember an old woman who lived in a shipping crate near the docks in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City); despite the fact she had nothing, she invited me ‘in’ and offered me something to eat. What a lesson.
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Opinions expressed are those of the author and nothing contained in this material is intended to constitute legal, tax, securities, or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment to the individual reader. The general information provided should not be acted upon without obtaining specific legal, tax, and investment advice from an appropriate licensed professional. The Independent Financial Group is a Registered Investment Advisor with offices located at 11707 Blossomwood Court; Moorpark, California 93021. IFG’s Founding Principal, Jim.Lorenzen, is a CertifiedFinancial Planner® and an Accredited investment Fiduciary®. Mr. Lorenzen is also licensed for insurance as an independent agent under California license #0C00742. Primary asset custodian is Pershing Securities, owned by Bank of New York-Mellon. IFG and Pershing/BNY are not affiliated. Jim can be reached at 805.265.5416 or by emailing info@indfin.com.
