We live in the drift of life, like a gradually boiling frog, if we simply go by “what feels good”, randomly living life, going nowhere IF we are unaware of what is in alignment with what we really want in life.
We fail to set clear standards for what we truly desire in life. Without those standards, we can often drift into entropy, where our pieces each go to pot one at a time, a bit here and a bit there, as one piece affects another, kind of like dominoes.
Also, we fail to compare how we are doing compared to a reasonable standard. We don't "look" and consequently we don't "see" what it is that would have us truly feeling good, in a permanent and/or ongoing effect.
Yes, we want to feel good now, but if it detracts from our long term, then we are being unconscious, unaware and therefore letting what is NOT GOOD stay in our lives, diminishing our lives and our happiness.
The test is, of course, "which will make me feel better overall: doing what I know is better for the long term or a short term default to relief, unawareness, obliviousness, keeping up a myth where we say "well, I'm OK, I'll get to it when I feel like it..." The latter starts us down the slippery slope into living much less of a life.
But we fail to realize it. It comes to our awareness, vaguely, “there’s something wrong here”, "yes, I should do something, but..." or “I am so weak and out of shape"...but then our awareness drifts away from it and we do nothing to correct the "outness" and prevent the ultimate harm it will do..
We are not “at fault” for this, for this is a natural human tendency, especially enabled by the times we are in (massive excesses of food, stress, opportunities to buy, opportunities to distract oneself, etc.).. We simply need to look and see if where we are is where we desire to be
OUR DESIRED GOAL IS...
Our ultimate end goal in life is to achieve “enduring, nonconditional well-being".
But we cannot have well-being if we are not "well-functioning" in our lives..
And to achieve "well-functioning", there can be no significant area of our lives where we are not functioning well.
Generally, most people do not have physical well-being - though, while we deplete our bodies there may be no noticeable effect in the moment, the effects will eventually show up. I guarantee things will soon fall apart if we even allow one area to be pretty much out of whack. To see what you might consider try this: My Physical Well-Being Checklist - This Or Something Better...No "Settling" Into Entropy.
Obviously, of course, psychological well-being is necessary - no anxiety, peace, no fears, true confidence - see the checklist for psychological well-being: Checklist For Being Highly Psychologically Healthy -See Whihc You Are Doing And Decide What To Change.
JUST SURVIVE OR THRIVE?
Do we just want to survive (just do "what feels good" in the moment) or do we want to really feel good ongoingly, to thrive? If we want to thrive, then surely we must sit down and decide what it takes in life to arrive at the stage of thriving in life! (How will it happen otherwise?)
How many years of your life are you willing to give away? To leave your loved ones earlier? How many “good feeling”, healthy later years are you willing to forego?
How many things can you do to feel so much happier (and "feel good" but in a more sustainable, higher way)?
Are you willing to build a routine that has you build in ALL of what you want (exercise, time to work/think/devise/plan, etc.)?
Use checklists or procedures or a guide to keep you on track. Contrary to the saying, "ignorance is not bliss" and it doesn’t lead to “feeling good” (except maybe for the moment, where it relieves anxiety, but provides the wrong solution for long term and for total, enduring "feeling good").
TOO HARD?
"But it is too hard to meet these standards!"
Well, start with "good enough" first, which is not at all hard, then decide what else to do.
When you reach the 80% levels of functioning in the important areas, life looks better, you are clearer and more capable, and you'll find that each bit of further progress is easier, without stress... just a little bit at a time, while feeling good about your life's base.
Must we strive for perfection? No, definitely not.
But who in their right minds would not want an even better ability to experience life at a high level, while presently being at the level of contentment, while happily being eager for more (good stuff in life). That is how we will be able to live life once we arrive at "good enough" in all key life areas!
WHEN ARE WE FOOLING OURSELVES OR BEING BLIND?
It is easy to fool ourselves, be blind, or justify our lack of action in attaining what are the desired conditions that will produce "well-functioning".
If one says, "I am happy", but suffers from alot anxiety and fear, is that person fooling him/herself?
If one has an exquisite diet masterfully done, but is in poor physical shape and/or harboring belly fat that destroys the body - does that make sense?
Shouldn't one have all significant areas and subareas in "good enough" functioning in order to be even close, realistically, to truly well-functioning.
For instance, all of the subparts below should be at 80% or above to have the overall be at 80%:
Overall Health and Physical Well-Being
Sleep
Energy
Nutrition
Tummy fat (or BMI
Body toning and stamina
Body strength
Blood pressure
Blood sugar levels
Relaxedness (not tense, pressured, or holding)
To see a rating chart format see and use the Get To "Good Enough" First, In All Important Things page.
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