Inspiration

At Walden Pond, Thoreau decided not to buy a rug for his little cabin. If he got a rug, he would have to get a rug beater; and if he got a rug beater, he would have to get a rug hook to hang it on. He could see where that might lead. Thoreau believed that the habit of acquiring more things eventually equated to more clutter and less joy.

Today, lots of sophisticated social studies confirm what Thoreau figured out on his own. Namely, that the happiest people tend to be those who have decided to choose experiences over things.

How About You?

This is your life, your one and only life, and you only have so much “life energy” to invest. Would you rather spend your allotted time and energy commuting to shopping sprees at a crowded mall? Or, would you rather invest it in experiencing the Great Barrier Reef with your best friend, or visiting the old country with your parents, or bicycling the Hiawatha Trail with your kids, or serving the less fortunate in your community? These questions always come roaring home to me during the holiday shopping craziness. Continue reading →

On her 82^nd birthday, the poet Maya Angelou woke up with joy in her heart and a twinkle in her eye. Here’s what she wrote in her online notebook that day: “82 is hot. 82 is fabulous. The best so far.” By choosing the words “so far”, she was leaving the door open for future adventures and, sure enough, she went on to experience a lot of them.

When my dad Augie turned 85, a couple people suggested that his reflexes were shot, and he should think about giving up his car keys. He responded by bundling his new wife Arline into his white Cadillac DeVille and driving from Seattle to Florida in the middle of winter. Five years later, on his 90^th birthday, he and Arline drove to Montana and had a two-day celebration with Dad’s 92-year-old cousin Gene. (Car keys, my foot.) Continue reading →

And you’ve already won it.

People dream about winning the MegaMillions lottery, but you’ve already won the most amazing lottery of all. It’s called “life” and here’s how it works:

• The odds of your being hit by lighting are about one in 576,000.

• The odds of your getting a royal flush on your first five cards are about one in 649,740.

• The odds of your winning the $340 million MegaMillions lottery are about one in 175,000,000.

But the odds of your being born in this particular time, place and circumstance are about one in 400 billion. In other words, it’s virtually impossible for you to exist, but here you are! Continue reading →

How to add 12 years to your life and be 40% happier

The trouble with living in the fast lane all the time is that you get to the end of your life pretty fast. According to a worldwide National Geographic study, the average American could live an extra 12 years and be 40 percent happier by simply adopting some of the savvy, kicked-back practices followed in the world’s “Blue Zones.”

Blue Zones are regions where people routinely live happily past the age of 100. Here are a few of the attitudes and habits that make it possible:

• The longest-living people in the world “work to live,” rather than “live to work.”
• They take daily breaks for walks in the sunshine, wine or coffee with friends, or heading to outdoor cafes to socialize.
• For lunch, they often go home and curl up for a nap with a significant other.
• For dinner, they gather with family—usually several generations—for laughter and reminiscing.
• They honor their Sundays and other holidays by…well, not going to work.

Your hopes, dreams, aspirations and work are important. Go ahead and pursue them with all your heart. But I want you to live a long and happy life, too, so I really hope you will give some thought to weaving some blue zone practices into each week. Just remember, nobody ever goes to their deathbed, thinking, “I wish I had spent more time at the office.”

I have more to write on this subject, but it’s lunchtime, so I think I’ll go home and curl up for a nap.

Keep the rebel artist alive in you.

You were a kid once, full of hope, curiosity and creative rebellion. Your imagination knew no boundaries. You made up stories and pretended. You broke the rules now and then, and colored outside the lines. You had the capacity to marvel at just about everything, and you felt seduced. Seduced to have fun. To take a dare. To wander and wonder. To question the way things have always been done. To yearn and to learn. And to seek new quests and half-crazy adventures. What happened?

What happened to spontaneity? At what point did you lose the right to do something in your day or your life, just because you feel like it at the moment—just because you’re alive? Continue reading →

Imagine how good you’ll feel.

There are two kinds of checklists. One is a regular “To-Do” list with little empty boxes next to each item. Checking off your “To-Do” list is a satisfying way to track progress on your action items each day.

But the second kind of checklist—the “Ta-Da” list—is even more satisfying. Filling out your “Ta-Da” list ensures that your most important “heart and soul” items get their time in the sun each day. Continue reading →

Just one thing needs to change to make your life longer, richer, fuller.

In the early 1980’s, I attended a forestry conference in Southern California. One of the guest speakers was a Canadian conservationist who was celebrating her 95^th birthday. I have long since forgotten her name, but her beautiful message has stuck with me all these years.

This tall, smiling, elderly woman, whom I’ll call Catherine, shared this wise and wonderful advice in a large hall packed with aspiring young Forest Service workers:

“They say life is short, but is it?” she began. “Once you get close to 100, as I am, people will ask you point-blank if life seems short or long when you get to the end of it. Today, on my 95^th birthday, I have decided to let the cat out of the bag. Continue reading →

Here’s a simple, beautiful way to light up your life.

Down deep we are all looking for answers in our lives, but we sometimes forget that our answers can only come from asking questions.

While writing the “10” book, I made a list of 25 questions that have been rolling around in my heart and head. Some are serious and cerebral; others are quirky and fun. But if you answer these questions, even casually, the results will convince you to make provocative questioning a lifetime habit.

“Ask questions now,” wrote poet Rainer Maria Rilke, “and you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answers.” Continue reading →