SO.          .           .
ARE WE MORE THAN OUR WORDS.           .               .
WHAT ONE PERSON SAID:

“I have reached the pinnacle of success in business.” In other people’s eyes my life is a success.

However, aside from work, I’ve had little joy.

At the end of the day, wealth is just a fact I’ve gotten used to.

Right now, lying on my hospital bed, reminiscing all my life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth I took so much pride in, has faded and become meaningless in the face of imminent death.

You can hire someone to drive your car or make money for you, but you can’t hire someone to stand sick and die for you.

Material things lost can be found again. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost: Life.

Whatever stage of life we are currently at, in time we will face the day the curtain closes.

Love your family, spouse, children and friends… Treat them right .

Cherish them.

As we get older, and wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300 or $30 watch both give the same time

Whether we have a $300 or $30 wallet or purse, the amount inside is the same.

Whether we drive a $150,000 car or a $30,000 car, the road and the distance are the same, and we reach the same destination.

Whether we drink a $1000 or $10 bottle of wine, the hangover is the same.

Whether the house in which we live is 100 or 1000 square meters, loneliness is the same.

You will realize that your true inner happiness does not come from material things of this world.

Whether you travel first class or economy class, if the plane crashes, you go down with it…

Therefore, I hope you realize, when you have friends, brothers and sisters, with whom you discuss, laugh, talk, sing, talk about north-south-east or heaven and earth,… this is the real happiness!!

An indisputable fact of life:
Don’t raise your children to be rich.

Educate them to be happy.

When they grow up, they will know the value of things and not the price. “

Some say
The Worst thing about Birthday Cakes
are the Candles they hold
that count how old you are
and how young
YOU  AREN’T.            .            .
And we spend lots of effort
and money to
NOT MAKE IT SO.            .            .

Your Personality

Could Add Years of

Healthy Living

Matt Fuchs recently wrote about this phenomenon in a TIME MAGAZINE article.  When it comes to strategies for slowing down the aging process, exercise and nutrition are the usual suspects—but don’t ignore the power of mind over matter.

Recent research shows that several personality traits predict who will enjoy health into their 80s and beyond. According to some studies, the link between personality and longevity is as strong as intelligence or how much money you have, both of which are correlated with longer lifespans.

These characteristics of the mind are fairly stable, but experts believe we can enhance them at any age—more easily, perhaps, than our bank accounts. The following five traits can be cultivated for a long, healthy life.

People who are conscientious—organized and responsible—tend to live longer. “It’s probably the best silver bullet we can hope for,” said Nicholas Turiano, a psychology professor at West Virginia University. Being conscientious is a “resilience factor” that may help some individuals overcome major risks to health, such as living in poverty, said Turiano.

Many conscientious people are diligent about exercise and nutrition. They also seem to have better coping strategies for stressful situations, said Turiano, leading to less inflammation, which in turn slows down aging.

People can become more conscientious through support from friends, coachesand psychologists. Smartphone apps may help, too. For example, participants in a study published earlier this year increased their conscientiousness significantly by using a digital coach called PEACH. This app reinforces personality change through chatbot conversations and tips, such as reminders to reflect on progress toward one’s goals by writing in a diary.

P U R P O S E

Another good quality for longevity is being purposeful, or having a direction in life with clear goals that energize you. Those who say that they have a life purpose recover faster from aggravations such as viewing pictures of pollution and other disturbing scenes. They also tend to have more brain volume in an area of the brain that’s linked to self-awareness and decision-making.

Many types of purpose are beneficial. “It’s so unique to the individual,” said Patrick Hill, a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis. Some derive purpose from their jobs, whereas retirees report feeling more purposeful during the evening if they socialized that day, according to Hill’s research. People driven by artistic purposes may have a longevity edge, too. “Being creatively inclined can provide a sense of direction,” said Hill.

Purpose and conscientiousness overlap, but they’re not quite the same trait. Picture an employee conscientiously following the boss’s orders without batting an eye, chiming in constructively at meetings, yet lacking a deep connection to the job. “Purpose predicts health outcomes above and beyond the role of conscientiousness,” Hill explained.

To become more purposeful, finding the right mentor can have a powerful effect. For seniors, engaging in leisure activities, like arts classes, can go a long way toward purpose, well-being and lower rates of dementia and depression.

O P T I M I S M 

For a long, healthy life, look for the silver lining. Optimism is associated with exceptional longevity, according to research by Lewina Lee, a psychologist at Boston University. That might include viewing older age as desirable. “I would think that optimistic people tend to feel more confident about their ability to accomplish goals as they age,” said Lee.

In fact, people who see the positives in aging, like wisdom and emotional maturity, live an average of 7.6 years longer. Becca Levy, a psychologist at Yale’s school of public health, said they enjoy this longevity advantage due toexercising more, eating healthier and lower biomarkers of stress-related inflammation—similar to the benefits of conscientiousness.

You can boost optimism by regularly writing about your best possible self. Becoming more age-positive may require undoing negative stereotypes about aging. “As young as three or four, children take in the age beliefs of their culture,” Levy told me. In older age, “those beliefs become self-relevant and impact health.” But Levy found she could improve ageist attitudes by asking study participants to write about seniors with active lifestyles. Her research also shows that nurturing age-positive beliefs in seniors can improve their physical functioning.

Young people can internalize positive views of aging by interacting more often with seniors, including role models and work colleagues, and joining intergenerational communities, Levy said.

E X T R A V E R S I O N

Being extraverted, or outgoing, is another trait that can lengthen your span of health. “The link between social relationships and longevity is as strong as cholesterol levels or smoking,” said Susan Charles, a psychology professor at the University of California-Irvine. “It’s a huge effect.”

Social butterflies tend to be more active, said Charles, which protects their health. Just don’t be overly agreeable. If you’re open to other people’s bad habits, you might be swayed by friends who drink, smoke or eat unhealthily.

To become more extraverted, sessions with a psychologist can help. Adopting a healthier lifestyle has been shown to make people more comfortable in social situations. Stay on top of current events and consider joining assertiveness classes or a Toastmasters group. And most of us could probably benefit from brushing up on social skills with online trainings.

A  LACK  OF  NEUROTICISM

Graceful agers tend to keep an even keel. “They’re less likely to report feeling ecstatic or so sad that nothing will cheer them up,” said Charles. That inner tranquility is easier on the heart and supports better sleep, both of which pay major longevity dividends.

That doesn’t mean dodging every battle, though. Although people with zero stress report greater happiness, they might have worse cognition, a detriment to long-term health, said Charles. “You need a little challenge for optimal well-being.” The most common source of stress is other people, she added, but those who age successfully get the benefits of socializing without feeling threatened or exasperated by others.

Interventions for emotional stability could help Type A personalities, in particular. While they may have more ambition—and purposefulness— they’re prone to hostility, which is associated with cardiac problems. Other neuroses, including anxiety and depression, are similarly linked to faster aging.

Interventions to increase creativity may help, said Turiano. “People don’t get as perturbed if they’re open to trying different avenues when things go wrong.”

Or join a slow movement. Charles noted that just asking Type A personalities to eat more slowly reduced their rates of heart attacks. People who meditate may delay mortality, but it’s not for everyone. To cultivate any of these traits, said Charles, “the right intervention is the one that’s comfortable for you.”

Who thought some heady stuff could add years to your life, and yes, LIFE TO YOUR YEARS, but the research and data doesn’t lie.     .    .we often do, though.  It kind of makes merely discarded numbered dates mean more than something to be tossed away.          .          .

Now for that Birthday Cake.          .          .

GUARANTEED IT WILL TASTE BETTER
WHEN YOU COME 
NOT SO MUCH TO UNDERSTAND 
BUT ACTUALLY LIVE LIKE:

Y         U         M        S
A simple SNICKERS Candy Bar
in the supermarket
is worth about $0.50 on sale.          .          .
The same bottle in a bar costs $1 in a vending machine

In an airport gift shop  or hotel it can be worth up to $3 or maybe even more.          .          .
The SNICKERS bar is the same, the only thing that changes is the
P       L       A       C      E  
Each place gives a different value to the same product.
When you feel like you are worth nothing
and everyone around you belittles you,
CHANGE  PLACES
DO  NOT
stay there.          .          .
Have the courage to change places
and go to a place
where you are given
the value you deserve.           .          .
Surround yourself
with people who really appreciate
YOUR WORTH.            .            .
Don’t settle for less!
and ABRACADABRA
You will find
YOUR MORE
will add to Some One Else’s
L    E    S    S.          .          .

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.          .           .
SNICKER
SNICKER

What. . .

WHAT MAKES A LIFE WORTHY?

This LIFE INSURANCE Commercial

doesn’t want to make me want to buy

L I F E I N S U R A N C E

it makes me want to be a better person. . .

Life Insurance,
no matter what the cost
or the value
has ever bought
L I F E A S S U R A N C E
. . .now, wouldn’t that be
THE POLICY?

What makes a Life Worthy?

It’s not wealth
It’s not prosperity
It’s not life longevity
It’s something so much more simple
A N D
So very much more expensive
SO EXPENSIVE
no bank could ever guarantee any note for it. . .

What makes a Life Worthy
is making another’s life feel WORTHY

What makes a Life Worthy
is living a Life that makes others feel
THEIR WORTH. . .

Simple?
NO
Expensive?
EXTREMELY

Join me

Let’s break that Bank
Bet the Farm
Roll the Dice

L E T S
MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

We do it almost as many times as we don’t.     .     .

If it’s not for Breakfast

maybe it’s for Lunch

or possibly a quick late night dinner.     .     .

THE    DRIVE    THRU

We know it well.     .     .

Maybe too well;

It’s been years ago now.     .     .

but I can’t drive past a Taco Bell

and not remember

T H E    D A Y

I hate to admit or especially confess it

even now

but I know it’s a reflection of something

much deeper than what happened

T H A T    D A Y

We pulled into the

DRIVE  THRU

and placed our order.     .     .

the kids in the backseat were especially specific

about they wanted to eat;

so was Erin and I

and then after I ordered

and paid.     .     .

I promptly pulled out of the drive-thru

without

P I C K I N G     U P     M Y     O R D E R

They’ve never let me forget it.       .       .

I blamed it on being

t   o   o       b  u  s  y;

Good enough, excuse, huh?

Did it ever happen to you?

Have you, too, ordered a meal;

paid for it,

and then left before actually picking it up.       .       .      ?

Maybe the bigger question is:

Did you pay for the Ticket—-

FULL  PRICE

and  then leave before the end of the

s     h     o     w ?

One of the Biggest

l    i    e    s

L I F E

will have us believe is being

A   Caring  Catalyst

means   n e v e r e n d i n g l y,

c e a s e l e s s l y

and most  of   all

 t    i    r    e    l    e    s    s    l    y

being so busy

is not only a good thing.     .     .

but a necessary thing

to show the World that

The  Busiest

are  the

W         O         R         T        H        I        E        S        T

A  Caring  Catalyst

never wastes a moment

or an opportunity

to alleviate suffering

or provide a compassionate presence

but never at the expense of

being  busy

just to be busy

or to feel important;

s  i  g  n  i  f  i  c  a  n  t.       .       .

based on how busy we can actually be

o            t            h            e          r            w            i            s            e 

we   drive   through

Drive   Thru’s

leaving   behind   much   more   than

what   we’ve   already   bought.     .      .

we never ever really make it

out of the drive-way.     .     .

we  just  spin our wheels

or worse.      .       .

drive full throttle in

  P   A   R   K

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