They say it’s the little things in life that matter, and if you think about your most precious memories, you’ll know it’s true. You probably can’t remember most of the Christmas gifts you gave in the last few years even though you agonized over the purchases at the time, but you can remember the way your little granddaughter tucked her head against her father’s cheek just as you snapped the picture in front of the Christmas tree. You probably can’t remember the details of what you learned in your college courses, but you can remember the way a single professor changed your direction with a word, a look, or a powerful story. You probably can’t remember what order the events took place during your wedding, but you can remember the look on your bride’s face as she said her vows.
Little things add up, day after day, to a wholesome lifestyle of health, happiness and self actualization.Today we’re going to take a look at how satisfied you are with the health and recreation aspects of your life. You probably saw this coming, but let’s start with a short quiz. Respond to each of the following statements with “true” “false” or “sort of.”
- In the past week, I can think of a couple of times where I just hung out and did something I enjoyed.
- Overall, I think I take in a pretty good balance of healthy foods.
- Junk food is a treat for me; not my staple diet.
- I keep myself toned and fit by exercising regularly.
- It’s pretty rare for me to be sleep-deprived.
- I’m a person who knows how to relax.
- I might not be a super-model or world class athlete, but I’m in pretty good shape.
- Even though I over-indulge sometimes, overall, I have a pretty healthy lifestyle.
- I know how to have fun.
- When I go to my regular check-ups, my doctor seems pretty contented with my overall health profile.
Here are a couple of cliché’s for you:
- All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
- He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.
The annoying thing about clichés is that they are no less true for being repeated too often. If you found yourself answering “false” to most of the statements above, your path to self actualization might be hindered by the fact that you are a “dull boy.” Part of knowing how to LIVE BIG is knowing how let go of the daily pressures of to-do lists, deadlines, and pressures and just LIVE. Life’s too short to let it go by in a wave of somber dedication.
Roger K. Allen, Ph.D. is an expert in personal transformation, leadership, and teams. His tools and methods have helped hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of people transform the ways they work and live. To learn more, visit www.rogerkallen.com.
