If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re looking to improve yourself.  I maintain though, to achieve anything, you must know what your goals are.  So if you’re looking to get a good life, you should know what a good life is.  I think the meaning is slightly different from person to person.  But overall I think there are several trends.

Physical Health.  Physical health means different things to different people.  Overall though, it means the ability to get through your day without fatigue or pain.  You should be at a healthy weight, and be eating a healthy diet.  For most people regular exercise is part of this (especially with the high caloric value of the American diet).  Stress should also be low, since it has bad effects on your health.

Mental Health.  You should be emotionally stable and independent.  Also, you should not be depressed or have mood swings.  Some people are innately skilled at regulating their mental state just as some people are skilled at regulating their physical state.  However, some people require more help, external help, from a skilled psychiatrist.  Another aspect of mental health is continual scholarship.  Continually be seeking knowledge and broadening your horizons.  Most people stop learning once they leave school.  I encourage you to start learning something new today.  There’s an infinite number of skills in the world, so find one that appeals to you.

Spiritual Health.  Contrary to what you might believe, I don’t mean religion in and of itself.  Religion is, however, a means to an end.  This category is in my opinion the hardest to define.  But the hallmarks are a positive outlook, a spirit of charity, and a pleasant personality.  A good positive outlook consists of optimism and the ability to know that the occasional misfortune is only temporary.  A spirit of charity is the desire to return what you have been blessed with, to those who have not been blessed.  You can give back time or money, and how you give back matters little.  The point is you help those who need help.  A pleasant personality means forgiveness and a desire to make those around you feel at ease.  It is a spirit of goodwill, without presumptions or judgment.  Honesty is also important, since lies can spiral out of control.

Financial Health.  You should have a stable income.  You should also not owe anyone money.  You can always act to increase your income, but it’s possible to be happy with very little income.  Really, there’s not much that can be said about this without going in depth.

In summary, a good life is one where you are healthy, happy, kind, and independent.  Anyone can achieve it, but as with all good things, a good life requires a lot of effort.  Really though, the effort is mostly in changing your life.  You develop a kind of inertia, with set habits and routines.  Changing these is the most difficult.  But once you have achieved the good life, maintaining it should be relatively easy (at least compared to finding it).  So start now, and change your life!  Work on these today:

Exercise

Eat well

Positivity

Charity

Kindness

Independence

Do these daily, and the good life should come well within your grasp!

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