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To different people the best things in life are many things. Money, love, family, children,... and many, many, other fine things in life. Of course the best things in life also change as we get older. When we're kids the best things to us are swimming on a hot summer day, eating ice cream while watching our favorite TV show, or getting up early on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons with a big bowl of cereal. When we hit our teen years and early twenties our view of the best things life has to offer change drastically. Now all we want are cars, money and of course.....sex. It gets no better than that in a young adults' mind.

As we enter adulthood we start to see a change in our view of our lives. We still think about cars, money, and of course sex, but those things are no longer the reason we use to get out of bed. Many other things start entering our mind. Our job, our bills, our relationship, our friends, our family, but most of all, our life. We have so many problems to deal with on a daily basis that we find it hard to focus on the good things. I was asked recently," what would be the best thing for your life now." Without hesitation, I said, " If every one of my bills got paid and i was debt free." Now, realistically speaking, that is a tall order to fill, but that would make me happiest.....or so i thought.

As I thought about the question more I began to realize that it would be great to have all my bills paid and be debt free, but that would be far and away from the best thing in my life. I am not alone when I make the assumption that being debt free would the best thing in life. Do not read me wrong. Paying off bills gives me great satisfaction, but hearing my wife laugh at my jokes is what really touches my heart. Lots of money, nice cars, and a big house are just a few things that are unjustly called the best things in life.

All the money in the world can't keep your spouse from leaving you. A nice car can't keep your family together. A nice house can't keep you smiling when you're alone. I know that you can see a pattern here. Yes, to me the best things in life are not actually things, but the people in your lives.

I never feel happier than when I am sharing a laugh with my friends, a hug with my family, or a kiss with my wife. That old saying is true! The best things in life are free! A smile costs nothing and yet it can make you feel better in an instant. Your outlook on life can also affect you. If you're too cautious or too negative then you are usually the one bringing yourself down. Help someone in need. Ask a friend how they are doing. Buy someone lunch. Call a family member just to say hi. Take your spouse out for a nice dinner. These are just a few things that can really mean a lot to someone else and in return make you feel good on the inside. The best thing in life will always be love. Not the love that you give, but the love you get in return. Even God shows his love in a way that we can feel it. Next time one of those beautiful sunny days come around, go outside and sit down somewhere. When you feel that warmth surround you and it seems that everything will be OK, be assured that God is right beside you and will always love you. I ask one favor from all that read this. Give someone a smile and a friendly word. One of two things will happen. You will make someones day a little better or you will make a new friend. Either way you can't lose!

Learn more about this author, Julio Rangel.
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