Advice for a Good Life

I see life as going through three major phases. First trimester is the growing and learning years. Second trimester is the active work years. The final trimester is the retirement years. I am in the third trimester and have a few ideas on how to maximize th quality of life.

- Jul. 2016

I've identified ten major areas where one can focus and improve. They are the following.

1. Diet and nutrition
2. Spiritual
3. Sub Concious
4. Exercise
5. Financial Security
6. Friendship
7. Hobby and leisure activities
8. Religious
9. Family
10. Civic life

You are what you eat. A major part of our lives is food. A study called "the China Study" conducted decades ago have given us a vast amount of data that relates foods to diseases. In summary, major diseases that causes death such as cancer and heart diseases can be reduced drastically if we would have a good diet. One that consists of vegetarian and fibre and good oils and less meats and proteins. In addition, good nutrition includes large amount of water and fresh fruits and vegetables.

At the later stages of life, our body naturally deteriorates slowly. You will notice vision reduction, hearing impaired and joint pains and memory loss. It is necessary to take certain supplements that are natural to assist our body. Here are a few I found to help.

• Vitamin C for immune boost
• Luten for eye sight
• Turmeric for inflamation of joints
• Lecithin for brain
• Quercetin
• Glucosamine for joints

The other key point is to take antioxidants that will remove free radicals in our body. This will lead to life extensions and reduce chances of cancer cells.

Avoid taking illegal drugs and smoking, both very harmful to the mind and the body.

I've found two things that helps. Yoga and Tai Chi. The mediation of Yoga helps with clearing your mind and with breathing. The Tai Chi movements help both your joints and your mental state.

The human brain consists of two parts. The conscious part and a subconscious part. Scientists have found the subconscious can influence our behavior in both positive and negative ways. Once a person is aware of his subconscious, he is able to control it.

A book called "The Power of the Subconscious Mind" by Joseph Murphy first published in 1963 explains this very well.

Daily exercise is recommended for good health. They don't need to be strenuous. It just should be age appropriate. It may be just taking a long walk or swim laps or Tai Chi. Another one is hiking in the woods or just choosing to take the stairs instead of using elevators.

A person's state of being comprises of many parts. One part is knowing that your future is secure. That you will have the resources to live a long and happy life. In your early stages, you need to be saving for your old age. In addition, you need to learn about basics of investing so that your wealth is protected. Don't take high risks and don't waste your resources on useless activities.

A friend of my, for example is very frugal with his daily expenses. Yet, he would not take the time to learn about investing. He would rather spend hours looking for the best bargains to save a few dollars and loose thousands in investment income. He just refuses to learn what it takes to invest wisely. He would keep his money under his mattress.

We all need friends. It is not a matter of quantity but quality. You need a few good close friends that you can count on in times of need. One that will always reply your email, or answer your call or text. One that understand your background and your values. One that share in your common experiences and possibly share in a group. One that will make the extra effort to get together and catch up on events. One that will celebrate your successes and be there in your darkest hour.

In the last stage of life, people have a lot of free time. It is a fact that the older you get, the less sleep you need. With extra time on hand, you need to find some activities that will give you a reason to get up out of bed in the morning. For me, it is writing, reading, travel, digital photography and cooking. For others, it might be singing, painting, playing an instrument or playing golf.

Playing cards or mah Jong or chess are all good activities to keep our mind sharp.

Another part is religious connection. Besides being a spiritual being, we need a community support system. One that shares the same beliefs, provide weekly gatherings to worship, and support during important events such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.

Our family is everything. When 9/11 happened and we first heard of the disaster, what is the first thing that came to our mind and who is the first ones we call? It is family.

When you are down on your luck, who do you turn to for help? When you are riding high and success is in the air, who do you share it with? Your family.

In the olden days, families live together and supported each other. Grandparents helped with the child rearing of the grand kids. The circle of life.

We need to stay close with our family members.

The next circle after family is our local community. We rely on each other to keep a well structured society. Our laws and regulations are there for a reason. Under our Constitution, it comes under the umbrella of "promote the general welfare..." Each of us citizens, have a duty to learn about civics and participate in the election process.

The human body is an incredible machine. Very few thing in our world can last 80+ years with limited maintenance. For example, the best watch, a Rolex, can only last 50 years and requires cleaning every 5 years. It's only function is to tell time accurately.

A human, can do so much and yet it is self sustaining and self healing. The cells replace itself on a regular basis and each new cell is an exact replica of the cell it replaced, no more no less. What an ingenious idea.

If we think of our body as this fine crafted machine, why would we sabotage it with drugs and things that will make us sick? It's like putting sand into a well oiled Rolex and expect it to run true.

There are no guarantees in life. However, there are some behaviors that will improve your chance at happiness.