Do You Want A GREAT Life?

The biggest threat to obtaining a GREAT life tends to be ourselves. Without even giving it much thought, we allow our short-term decisions to override what's best for our long-term wellbeing.

When you reflect on the most memorable events, experiences, and moments in your life, you'll notice that they have something in common: the presence of another person.

I remember when I turned 18 years old I said to my dad, “Dad, I'm now 18, when I think about the life that is ahead of me I want to have a great life.”

It was at that moment that my dad said, Michael let's get in the car. We headed to a small pizza restaurant called the Checkerboard Pizza Shack. We ate pizza together and dad began to talk to me about my comment about having a great life. He said, “Son, a great life is dependent upon several different areas in one's life. You're going to have to work, in fact you will probably work 40 or 50 years of your adult life. So, you will want to enjoy the kind of work you do. Money, and having enough to live on will be very important. Also, if you want to have a great life you will want great people in your life, this will be very important...”

With every bite and drink we take, we make a choice: We can select something that is a net positive and benefits our health or we can choose something that is a net negative.

We finished eating pizza, drove back home and I pondered his thoughts and his wisdom.

My question to you, Do you want to have a great life? My hunch is you are saying "Heck yeah I want to have a GREAT life!"

When it comes to a job, you need to find something that you enjoy doing--and have an opportunity to do it every day.

I recently have read a tremendous book, Wellbeing, The Five Essential Elements. It's interesting to me that the authors of this book say things that were very similar to what my father said to me decades ago.

The authors of the book say, "Contrary to what many people believe, well-being isn't just about being happy. Nor is it only about being wealthy or successful. It's certainly not limited to physical health and wellness. In fact, focusing on any of these elements in isolation could drive one to feeling frustrated or even feeling like a failure."

I’ve learned something very valuable from reading this book: well-being is about the combination of our love for what we do each day, the quality of our relationships, the security of our finances, the vibrancy of our physical health, and the pride we take in what we contribute to our communities . Most importantly, it's how these five elements interact.

Off-roading with my wife! What a memory!!!

My wife and I outdoors on a quad! Another GREAT experience!

5 Elements Which Make A Life Worthwhile

These Elements are the currency of a life that matters. They do not include every nuance of what's important in life, but they do represent five broad categories that are essential to most people:

1. The first element is about how you occupy your time or simply liking what you do every day: your Career Wellbeing.

2. The second element is about having strong relationships and love in your life: your Social Wellbeing.

3. The third element is about effectively managing your economic life: your Financial Wellbeing.

4. The fourth element is about having good health and enough energy to get things done on a daily basis: your Physical Wellbeing.

5. The fifth element is about having a sense of engagement you have with the area where you live: your Community Wellbeing.

In the following weeks, I will take each well-being topic one at a time and dig deep into how you can have a great life by interacting the five elements.