10 Simple Rules for Living the Wise Life
Premises:
Wise living is balanced living.
Wisdom and balance go hand and hand.
Most of us can divide our lives into categories.
In my system, which is only semi-original, the “Big 3” are mental, physical, and spiritual.
“Mental” includes cognitive, as well as emotional; intellect, as well as intuition.
Then, we have social, career/education, relationships, financial, and leisure.
To live a balanced life, you have to hit on all cylinders with an emphasis on the Big 3.
The trick is how to move from the abstract to the practical. Here is a suggestion: if you want to live a wise life, spend some time every day checking the following boxes:
Read.
Workout.
Mediate or pray.
Connect and nurture relationships.
Study your craft.
Love.
Save.
Relax.
Express gratitude.
Act authentically.
Explicating:
Develop your mind – doesn’t matter how; never stop learning – your neural pathways will love you for that!
Work your body. It’s not optional. Muscles atrophy.
Doesn’t matter what spiritual path you choose, so long as you have something that adds meaning to your life.
Nurture your connections with colleagues and friends.
Career development does not end when you get out of school. As Stephen Covey taught, “Sharpen your saw”; or, as Poor Richard would say, “Take care of your shop, and your shop will take care of you.”
If you’re not loving, you’re not living. As Stephen Stills sang, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you are with.” He stole that line from Billy Preston, the dude with the Afro who played keyboards for the Beatles on Let it Be. If you don’t have any person to love, get a pet or a plant or some good music or a TV program.
If you want to be financially secure, develop a habit of saving. If need be, start with a few dollars a week.
Relax. Some of this, you can’t help, so don’t sweat it. A LOT of it you cannot control. None of us have control over our genes or our circumstances of origin. We can improve and move forward, but tension will impede the process. The Scientologists, for all of their cult-like crap, figured this out and exploit it.
Every positive psychology book you read will tell you that if you want to lead a happy life, count your blessings every day. No matter how bad your circumstances, being grateful for something helps, and, undeniably, we all have a lot to be grateful for.
A cornerstone of wisdom is Socrates’ aphorisms: “Know Thyself”; “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Living authentically means that you know what your values are and behave consistently. This requires consistent introspection and soul searching, but will produce a solid center from which you will direct your actions consistent with your values.
Got a better idea?