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How to Live an Easier Life

Dale Carnegie is quoted to have said "Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake.
Develop a hobby. Let the winds of enthusiasm sweep through you. Live today with gusto."

In today's busy stream of life, one can hardly find the time to make it from wake up time to get some sleep time, so why is there a reason to take up a hobby or where is the time for a hobby?

The busy stream of life is the perfect reason. We seem to fill our lives with all the things we think we have to do or want to do and not many of the things we really need to do. We rush through life trying to make a living instead of living our lives.

I have found that to be true, not only for myself, but for many people I observe. This type of living gave me serious cancer, several heart attacks, a bleeding ulcer and a stroke over the course of 20 years! Lots of warnings and finally I decided to slow down and try to live an easier life. I was finally successful by taking up a hobby and that hobby became the "Art of Living an Easier Life".

It meant sitting down and making three lists. . List one was a list of all the things I had accomplished in my life. List two was a list of all the things I did not want to do anymore. List three was a list of all the things I did want to do.

You may think list one might be a short one, but you need to add everything from learning to read and write to learning to ride a bicycle. List two surprised me and allowed me to see things more clearly and it also made me realize I had to make some major changes in my life as you will see when you make your list. List three became a simple list once I reviewed list one and two. Your list will be your list, but mine was very simple. I wanted to live without stress, I want to live longer, I wanted to put art, beauty and harmony back into my life.

These lists were not without pain and implementing them required major changes at great costs it seemed to my family and friends. However, I had to keep in mind that they were looking at my life and lists from their perspectives and not mine. Luckily for me I had a spouse and a family who believed in what I was trying to do and they encouraged me and even joined me in many of my changes.

Together we scaled down financially and threw out many things we thought were necessary. We changed our jobs, our lifestyles and became brave to work courageously on list three.

Amazingly enough we did not starve to death and our kids survived, we now live an enviable lifestyle and an easier one.

Learn more about this author, Arlene Wright-Correll.
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