Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” This quote is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin since it appeared in his Poor Richard’s Almanack; however, it was first used in print by John Clarke in a 1639 book of English and Latin proverbs.(Wikipedia 2019)

Every new year, people resolve to live better, to change bad habits into good ones, to change the way they lived their lives the year prior.  Without a firm commitment to the intention, these changes revert back before the end of the first quarter of the year.  “I wanted to lose weight, but it just got too hard.”  “I’ve tried to balance my checkbook and spending but things came up that I could not foresee.”  All of us have heard this; many have actually said it.

What prompts this?  As with anything, making surface corrections does not a problem solve.  Yes, one can take control of their diet and lose unwanted weight – for a time – but bad habits creep back into your day and before you know it, you are squeezing back into those jeans or reaching for your sweats with the elastic waistband.

The truth is – weight gain, bad spending habits, all the things you dislike about yourself are symptoms of a larger, more looming issue.  Unhappiness.  It’s true!  Happy people are at the top of their games.  They work, they enjoy life, they do things.  In sort – they have balance.

Balance comes from a healthy diet, exercise and fulfillment in your day-to-day activities.  Take any one of these out of the equation and you feel a strain which then produces stress which then diminishes your happiness.

There is no one silver bullet to happiness.  If only I met the right person….   If only I had a great job….  If only I had more money…  It’s a myth.  Wealthy people have problems, ill health, failed careers, failed marriages.  There is no guarantee in life for anyone.  The real trick lies in knowing yourself and knowing what makes you happy.  Being able to find that can be accelerated by finding a balance in your diet; finding a means of exercise that you enjoy and that works for you.  A diet that provides one person with incredible results will not be the answer for someone else.  We are all different.  We are all unique.  Take these last few days of 2019 and list the things that really work for you.  Then write down what you would like to have for 2020.  If you are not happy in your current situation; be it your job, relationship, living arrangement, whatever…focus on what you do not like about it and then target what would be better suited to you.  Then follow your plan.

Here’s to happiness in 2020!

And don’t forget to R_O_A_R!!!

Wikipedia, Retrieved from the world wide web on December 21 2019 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy,_Wealthy_and_Wise