Ah … the good life! We all seek it and advertising tells us we deserve it … but WHAT is it and HOW can you get it? … and once you have “the good life”, what should you do with it? Let me share some answers from my own personal experience for you to consider in YOUR pursuit of … THE GOOD LIFE!
First, what is “THE GOOD LIFE”? I happen to believe that it is a life with just a few foundational principals that overshadow all else, as follows:
- Love God
- Be of good reputation
- Never fool yourself
- Live below your means
- Practice giving
1 – Love God – Due to the controversial nature of combining GOD and PROPERTY MANAGEMENT I will keep this brief. You must first WANT to know God, which will begin the twisting but rewarding path of “knowing” which will lead to your being able to love God … and this will take a lifetime so start early. From this “loving” and “knowing” comes part of your “good life.”
2 – Be of good reputation – The good life rests on a solid foundation built of many small bricks, each one called “your reputation”. Other foundations may appear suitable (and fun!) but they will prove to be sinking sand. Build upon a good reputation, always balancing your needs with those of others. You will better weather the storms of life standing on a rock.
3 – Never fool yourself – Fooling yourself can take on many forms and is usually recognized best by those closest to you, so strive to cultivate good and true friends who will call you on the carpet when you are fooling yourself. And when your “foolishness” is brought to your attention, walk into it to learn why and then turn from it and leave.
4 – Live below your means – As you earn MORE, live with LESS. This will take some focus because all the advertising in the world is designed to make you feel inadequate with what you have and who you are. The billboards in life shout out that if only you had a German car, expensive make-up, a larger stock portfolio or a certain surgery you would be happy. Don’t believe that lie! Even Oprah Winfrey, worth 50 billion, has figured out that LESS is MORE and publishes a magazine called “living Simple” to encourage us towards “the good life”. Dance with the best partner of all in the ballroom of life … dance with the homely but good-to-the-core girl named “LESS”!
5 – Practice giving – Giving doesn’t always come naturally, and for some reason the more you have the more you can justify giving LESS. I say PRACTICE the art of giving! You will be surprised how LITTLE you miss what you have given away, and when you give it changes you for the good somehow. Wouldn’t you rather give your “things” away in your life and see smiles on faces than to take it all to the grave with you and watch from heaven as your family sells all your treasures for 10 cents on the dollar? It’s a no brainer- GIVE!
None of these principles will guarantee a trouble free life for you. As we all have experienced, life is pleasant moments in bright sun AND more desperate moments in dark shade. It’s just the way it is. But I hope that this writing has struck a chord somewhere in you in some “simple” way so that you can begin to live … really live … the a good life.
