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WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD LIFE?
by Jim Rohn
The ultimate expression of life is not a paycheck. The
ultimate expression of life is not a Mercedes. The
ultimate expression of life is not a million dollars or a
bank account or a home. Here's the ultimate expression
of life in my opinion, and that is living a good life.
Here's what we must ask constantly, "What for me would
be a good life?" And you have to keep going over and
over the list. A list including areas such as spirituality,
economics, health, relationships and recreation. What
would constitute a good life? I've got a short list.
1) Number one, productivity. You won't be happy if you
don't produce. The game of life is not rest. We must
rest, but only long enough to gather strength to get back
to productivity. What's the reason for the seasons and
the seeds, the soil and the sunshine, the rain and
the miracle of life? It's to see what you can do with it.
To try your hand, other people have tried their hand;
here's what they did. You try your hand to see what you
can do. So part of life is productivity.
2) Next are good friends. Friendship is probably the
greatest support system in the world. Don't deny yourself
the time to develop this support system. Nothing can match
it. It's extraordinary in its benefit. Friends are those
wonderful people who know all about you and still like
you. I just lost one of my dearest friends. He died at
age 53 - heart attack. David is gone, but he was one of my
very special friends. I used to say of David that if I was
stuck in a foreign jail somewhere accused unduly and if
they would allow me one phone call, I would call David.
Why? He would come and get me. That's a friend.
Somebody who would come and get you. Now we've all got
casual friends. And if you called them they would say,
"Hey, if you get back, call me we'll have a party." So
you've got to have both, real friends and casual friends.
3) Next on the list of a good life is your culture. Your
language, your music, the ceremonies, the traditions,
the dress. All of that is so vitally important that you
must keep it alive. In fact it is the uniqueness of all
of us that when blended together brings vitality, energy,
power, influence, uniqueness and rightness to the world.
4) Next is your religion, your spirituality. It helps to
form the foundation of the family that builds the nation.
And make sure you study, practice and teach. Don't be
careless about the spiritual part of your nature, it's what
makes us who we are, different from animal, dogs, cats,
birds and mice. Spirituality.
5) Next - here's what my parents taught me. Don't miss
anything. Don't miss the game. Don't miss the
performance, don't miss the movie, don't miss the show,
don't miss the dance. Go to everything you possible can.
Buy a ticket to everything you possibly can. Go see
everything and experience all you possible can. That's
what my parents taught me and it's served me so well
to this day. Just before my father died at age 93 if you
were to call him at 10:30 or 11:00 at night, he wouldn't
be home. He was at the rodeo, he was watching the kids
play softball, he was listening to the concert, he was at
church, he was somewhere every night.
Live a vital life. Here's one of the reasons why. If you
live well, you will earn well. If you live well it will
show in your face, it will show in the texture of your
voice. There will be something unique and magical about
you if you live well. It will infuse not only your
personal life but also your business life. And it will
give you a vitality nothing else can give.
6) Next are your family and the inner circle. Invest in
them and they'll invest in you. Inspire them and they'll
inspire you. With your inner circle take care of the
details. When my father was still alive, I used to call
him when I traveled. He'd have breakfast most every
morning with the farmers. Little place called The Decoy
Inn out in the country where we lived in Southwest Idaho.
So Papa would go there and have breakfast and I'd call him
just to give him a special day. Now if I was in Israel,
I'd have to get up in the middle of the night, but it only
took five minutes, ten minutes. So I'd call Papa and
they'd bring him the phone. I'd say, "Papa I'm in Israel."
He'd say, "Israel! Son, how are things in Israel?" He'd
talk real loud so everybody could hear - my son's calling
me from Israel. I'd say, "Papa last night they gave me a
reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking
the Mediterranean." He'd say, "Son, a reception on the
rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the
Mediterranean." Now everybody knows the story. It only
took 5 - 10 minutes, but what a special day for my father,
age 93.
If a father walks out of the house and he can still feel
his daughter's kiss on his face all day, he's a powerful
man. If a husband walks out of the house and he can still
feel the imprint of his wife's arms around his body he's
invincible all day. It's the special stuff with the inner
circle that makes you strong and powerful and influential.
So don't miss that opportunity. Here's the greatest value.
The prophet said, "There are many virtues and values, but
here's the greatest, one person caring for another." There
is no greater value than love. Better to live in a tent
on the beach with someone you love than to live in a
mansion by yourself. One person cares for another, that's
one of life's greatest expressions.
So make sure in your busy day to remember the true purpose
and the reasons you do what you do. May you truly live the
kind of life that will bring the fruit and rewards that
you desire.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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