How do you define the good life?
A friend and I talked a bit about this today. I acknowledged that people's definition for the good life differs -- what one determines as good another may not desire.
As I think about the good life and what supports or gets in the way of that life, I think about the following categories:
Home
I think the good life for most people involves a place called home. And for life to be good, it's helpful for that home to be peaceful, warm, loving, comfortable, and safe. The size of the home doesn't matter a lot, and the location matters in terms of the fact that people find different locations more comfortable--it should be a location that brings you comfort.
Nutrition
The good life depends on good nutrition--eating well helps you to be healthy and happy.
Health
Taking charge of your health so that you and your loved ones have the best health possible helps you to have a good life.
Meaning
It's good to be involved in meaningful activity for the good life--meaningful activity will look different for everyone, but meaning, in general, brings life value.
Pleasure
To have pleasurable experiences provides a good life. Again, like most categories, pleasure looks different for everyone, but making time for fun and enjoyment is important.
Positive relationships
Building and nurturing positive relationships is an integral factor of a good life.
Enough money to pay your bills
Debt can be very stressful. Doing the work to figure out how to earn enough money to pay your necessary bills brings satisfaction and helps you to live the good life. A wise friend always preaches "living a bit beneath your means" which is a good way to assure that you have the money you need for tough times. Also try to figure out ways to make the money you need in legitimate, positive, long lasting ways. Often education, hard work, taking advantage of the benefits available, and research will help you to gain this.
Passions and expertise
Investing in your passions and gaining expertise often spells a happy life for you and others. This also gets you in touch with people who share your interests and passions for life.
Eliminating the roadblocks to a good life
There will be roadblocks when it comes to living a good life, and it's important to identify what those roadblocks are and working to peacefully remove those roadblocks from your life. Everyone deserves to live their best possible lives, and to do this, it's important to lean away from the roadblocks that get in the way.
Onward.
