Final tip on living a happy meaningful life. We already discussed the first 4. Hopefully everybody is having some success at making these 4 habitual.
Summary to date:
1. Write in a journal for two minutes about a positive experience you had from the previous day.
2. List daily 3 things for which you are grateful. Do not repeat items from previous days.
3. Do something kind for one unsuspecting person a day.
4. Daily set aside time from your busy life to study and meditate in a quiet place.
#5 – Make a habit of exercising daily.
We learned in Step 4 that Meditation can improve our Happiness. That brings up a paradox, for while stillness is essential so is movement.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1 “There is a time for everything” – and while there is time to be still there is a time to be active
There is plenty of data to show that exercise improves fitness, endurance, stamina, strength, reflexes, and balance, but also data suggests that it decreases depression, anxiety, and prevents diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension, and Cardiovascular disease.
In Ancient times intentional exercise wasn’t optional, they didn’t have a choice. There is no 11th commandment, “Thou shalt do pushups.”
I Corinthians 3: 16 “… your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit …,” therefore, we should treat it as such.
Start where you are now. If you haven’t exercised in a while, start by walking just 5 minutes a day. Do something you know you can do easily and consistently. Slowly and progressively add to it.
In the “Power of Habit,” Charles Duhigg describes exercise as one of the keystone habits for most people. This means that once we have success with it, other good habits will naturally become easier to develop.
When setting and obtaining goals, most of the pleasure will be had along the way. The post-attainment pleasure is short lived.
It really is the journey that counts. Focus on the daily steps and small cumulative successes.
Here’s to the journey!
David W. Ball, MD – Internal Medicine Physician and co-founder of Life Changing Fitness, a Health and Wellness Company for Every Body