When it comes to achieving success in life, there are 3 categories of people; those who know they are successful, those who think they are successful, and those who want to be successful. Where do you belong? I guess it all comes down to how you define the word success. What does success mean to you? Thousands of books have been written about success, which is what all human beings aspire to. In this book, I share with you 3 essential ingredients in living a successful life, regardless of what success means to you.
Good Health
The first ingredient is good health. It is said that “your health is your greatest wealth,” and I strongly agree with the statement. There are two simple things you can do to attain and maintain good health:
Regular physical exercise
Easier said than done. You don’t have to go to the gym. Early morning or evening walks, when consistent and over long periods of time, will create amazing results. Start small, go walk tonight with a loved one (or by yourself). If you already go to the gym, consider hiring a personal trainer and take your health from good to great. If you already go to the gym or have a personal trainer, pat yourself on the back.
Good eating habits
We all love food but just like with anything else, food can cause more harm than good to us when not used with moderation. Ironically, when I was writing this, it was about 11p.m. and I had a bowl of ice cream next to my computer. That is a good example of what not to do. Try to eat 3 times per day, at regular intervals, and avoid junk food as much as possible. In addition, avoid cold and any form of sugary drinks, especially during your meals. Drinking cold water will drain your energy because your body will have to use energy to warm it up for processing.
Good Relationships
The second ingredient is good relationships. The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. It is easy to take for granted the people we are closest to. Even though technology helps, it is still very challenging to allocate time for building strong or new relationships. When that is the case, focus on your inner circles: family, colleagues, closest friends other loved ones. For men who are married, the most important gift you can give your children is to love their mother. The same applies to women.
My parents have been married for 30 years now. I lived with them until I was 19 and during those years. I have almost never heard my mum or dad say the words “I love you” to each other; But I have seen every possible manifestation of care, tenderness, and love in their relationship. That brings us to the last item, on my list of 3 ingredients to live a successful life: communication.
Good Communication
There is a popular saying: your life goes where your mouth leads you. But like we just saw with my parent’s story, communication is not limited to what we say. According to a Wikipedia article, communication is the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior.
Communication can be written or spoken and includes listening. It is not an accident that great leaders are great communicators. According to research by Professor Albert Mehrabian, a UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) Professor, words we use account for 7% of our overall message, the tone of voice accounts for 38%, and 55% is body language.
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