Eight Steps Toward a More Satisfying Life (. . . and a healthier one, too)
I mentioned in a past newsletter ("As Within, So Without") a favorite blog that I visit frequently - www.noimpactman.com - which is about a writer's year-long experience with consuming less, eating locally and treading very lightly on the earth while living right in the middle of NYC. These eight steps came in this mornings e-mail blog entitled - Living in Gratitude instead of Desire' and I wanted to share the gist of it. Why? Because it's beautiful and because we need to be reminded of this stuff every now and again and because it has so much to do with health - not only the health of our physical body, but the health of our entire ailing planet.
As Mr. N.I. Man says "Here is what I think: That being grateful for what I have makes me want less. Wanting less makes me consume less. Consuming less makes me treat the planet more kindly. The equation goes, therefore, gratitude equals kindness... and also, it turns out, gratitude equals happiness." Here are the Eight Steps:
Count your blessings: One way to do this is with a "gratitude journal" in which you write down three to five things for which you are currently thankful - from the mundane (your peonies are in bloom) to the magnificent (a child's first steps). Do this once a week, say on Sunday night. Keep it fresh by varying your entries as much as possible.
Practice acts of kindness: These should be both random (let that harried mom go ahead of you in the checkout line) and systematic (bring Sunday supper to an elderly neighbor). Being kind to others, whether friends or strangers, triggers a cascade of positive effects - it makes you feel generous and capable, gives you a greater sense of connection with others and wins you smiles, approval and reciprocated kindness - all happiness boosters.
Savor life's joys: Pay close attention to momentary pleasures and wonders. Focus on the sweetness of a ripe strawberry or the warmth of the sun when you step out from the shade. Some psychologists suggest taking "mental photographs" of pleasurable moment to review in less happy times."
Thank a mentor: If there's someone whom you owe a debt of gratitude for guiding you at one of life's crossroads, don't wait to express your appreciation - in detail and, if possible, in person.
Learn to forgive: Let go of anger and resentment by writing a letter of forgiveness to a person who has hurt or wronged you. Inability to forgive is associated with persistent rumination or dwelling on revenge, while forgiving allows you to move on.
Invest time and energy in friends and family: Where you live, how much money you make, your job title and even your health have surprisingly small effects on your satisfaction with life. The biggest factor appears to be strong personal relationships.
Take care of your body: Getting plenty of sleep, exercising, stretching, smiling and laughing can all enhance your mood in the short term. Practiced regularly, they can help make your daily life more satisfying.
Develop strategies for coping with stress and hardship: There is no avoiding hard times. Religious faith has been shown to help people cope, but so do the secular beliefs enshrined in axioms like "This too shall pass." And "That which doesn't kill me makes me stronger." Or my favorites: "Things always work out for me. " and " It's on its way to being fixed." The trick is that you have to believe them.
Mr. N.I Man states that he thinks that "Here in the United States, I sometimes despair that our state religion is consumption and our main prayer is for more," which is a nice segue into the book I am reading now. It is called Deep Economy by Bill McKibben and is a cousin to The Omnivore's Dilemma, a book I reviewed in the last News (see Omnivore's Angst). McKibben's theory is that "even when growth does make us wealthier, the greater wealth no longer makes us happier," and that "the more we nurture the essential humanity of our economy, the more we will recapture our own."
(These two books seem to be déjà vu all over again as we could go back to the 70's with E.F. Schumacher's book Small is Beautiful which exhorted "Buddhist economics" or Frances Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet. The older I get the more I think that most everything is derivative and we just seem to re-work things and theories. The only change we might notice is a language style that is more current being applied to issues that are current. But, nothing really changes all that much.)
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