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Getting
Your Life in Order
Many people these days are seeking out the advice of a life
coach or someone who can help them get a grip on their lives.
The pressures of life in this day and age are very different
than they were 20 years ago. What I am most hit with is the
fact that we in the U.S. have so much more than most of the
world around us, yet many people are still not satisfied.
I am thankful for the fact that I was brought
up by parents of the Depression Era. My folks
were kids during the Great Depression, yet
they learned to value life, having a job,
being able to put food on the table, and the importance of
family. My parents’ work ethic was/is of the highest
caliber. They expected to work hard in their lives, but also
saved money so that their retirement was/has been very enjoyable.
They live/lived a simple life, compared to the fast-paced,
electronic over-loaded world of today. I think it’s
time for us to all get back to basics when taking an inventory
of our lives.
Here are some tips for getting your
life in order:
Good relationships
are good, bad relationships are bad! There comes a time in
everyone’ life (usually) where
you realize that bad relationships just drag you down. If
you know in your heart that you have worked hard at mending
a bad relationship, then clean house. Surround yourself with
people whose lives you can make a difference in and who can
build you up. This is not to say that if a friend is having
a bad day, that you will dump him. I’m talking about
consistently negative angry people. You come to a point in
time when you realize you can’t help everyone and it’s
not your job to do so. Surround yourself with positive people.
Possess strong morals and ethics! If you have not learned
this yet, it’s a key point to succeeding in life. It’s
very simple. Do right – even when nobody can see you.
Choose the high road and don’t compromise your standards.
Just because everybody is doing something wrong, doesn’t
make it right. By following these principles, you will always
come out ahead in the long run, even if things may not seem
that way right at the moment.
Be disciplined. One of the key points to getting your life
in order is to be disciplined. According to Miriam Webster’s
Dictionary “To be subject to discipline means to instruct,
educate, train, and more especially, to train to habits of
order and subordination, to bring under control.”
If you are someone who struggles in this area, you may find
this one of the hardest things in your life to do. Say good
bye to procrastination. Former President Eisenhower said, "Freedom
is the priceless opportunity for self discipline." Life’s
about making a contribution—to others and to yourself.
So take charge of your life and do not wait around for others
to do it for you.
We all need discipline in our lives—particularly
discipline in our finances, in our work, in our eating habits,
in participating in regular exercise, in getting enough sleep,
and in how we spend our free time. Many of us just let these
areas spiral out of control.
Finances: Actively participate in your financial
plan whether you make $20,000 or $220,000—you can’t
expect to have enough to retire on if you just spend all the
money you make. Do you want to work until you are 90 years
old? Make a budget and stick to it! Determine how much you
need to save and do it every paycheck! Do not overspend. Pay
your credit cards off immediately. Do not get into debts you
cannot repay. Be patient and you will realize the gains. Give
to those less fortunate than you. You will be blessed many
times over.
Work: Put in an honest day’s work for a day’s
pay. Always do your best. Communicate openly with your co-workers
and managers. Be honest and ethical in all you. Ask questions
when you need to know something. Work efficiently. Follow
the rules. Managers recognize hard workers. You will be rewarded
and feel good about yourself.
Eating habits: Part of the reason for writing
the Hauser Diet book is to encourage people to take charge
of their eating. Being disciplined in what you put into your
mouth can be very difficult. We all struggle with it —especially
if you are a food lover! Food is tied to social, emotional,
and physical aspects of life. Learn to cook. Cook with fresh
food. Eat in moderation.
Regular exercise: We all know that exercise is something
that often falls by the wayside. However, the older you get,
the more you realize that it is imperative that you do it
while you are young in order to prevent many of the diseases
of aging such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and overall
weakness and immobility. Once you get into a daily routine,
you’ll learn to love it and thrive on it. Go for it!
Give up that remote and get off the couch!
Get enough sleep: By getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep
per night you will be less likely to get sick, will feel
refreshed and able to handle what comes to you throughout
the day, be more likely to feel like exercising, and you’ll
have enough energy to cook! So getting enough restful sleep
is key to sticking to your life’s plan!
Spend free time wisely: How much time do
you spend doing things that are unproductive? Watching TV?
Playing video games? In the days where time is of the essence
and everyone wishes they had more of it—use your time wisely.
If you are too tired to do anything but watch TV, go to bed.
Most likely you are not getting enough sleep. Use your free
time to read a book, write a letter to a friend, call your
folks, cook something special for your kids, spend time with
your family without it involving a piece of electronic equipment,
or take a walk in the local park or forest preserve.
Have balance in your life: In order to prosper to your maximum
potential, keep your priorities straight and have balance
in your life. For me, this involves having a good relationship
with God, family, work, and allowing myself to do something
for relaxation. My mother taught me a lot in my life. One
of the things I recently learned from her is that an imbalanced
life is not worth it in the end. Nobody will die thinking
they should have worked more. Take an assessment and make
the necessary changes. Get involved in a local house of worship.
Take a class. Enjoy your family.
Possess an attitude of humility and
appreciation: The other
day I was talking to one of our patients here at Caring
Medical who is a very successful restaurateur. By talking to him,
you would never know that he had made 100’s of millions
of dollars. He is down to earth, appreciative of his upbringing,
and thankful for what he has been able to accomplish. He
realizes that it could all be gone in a flash. He said to
me, “I am the one who barely made it out of High School;
who was just a ‘pizza maker, but I had the drive and
ambition. I think that comes from within you.’” With
strong determination, drive, and ethics, he has become very
successful. He credits this success to his rich heritage
and ethical business practices, and, okay, a little being
in the right time at the right place. But people are drawn
to others who possess humility and appreciation. Life if
a gift. Treat it like one!
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