Ever since I started working online my life has taken a dramatic change. Traveling and seeing the world for the last two years was beyond words.
Diving with Mantas, seeing the Komodo Dragons, riding moutain bikes across England, and taking Ayahuasca in the Amazon were each life changing events.
But there's something very important I realized.
During the midst of all the fun and adventure is was very easy to lose site of some very important pieces of my life. It's easy to get caught up in life and lose touch with friends and family.
It's just as easy to regain connections and connect with people that always seemed so far away.
It's weird, but now that I'm back in California it's been great. I've been spending time with friends I haven't seen in years.
There are so many more people out there I need to see still but all in due time. It can be tough juggling friends, health and work.
I totally get that, so I decided to share this with all my Facebook friends.
The other week I spent time with my grandfather for the first time in more than a decade. He's 86 years old and has done amazing things in his life and still is.
He's a great person. What he told me was what he views as the five most important aspects of a happy life and longevity.
I don't always listen to people's advice, maybe it's my ego or maybe it's dangerous to listen to everything you hear.
But when he told me these things I paid attention. He told me the five most important things are:
1. Faith in God - a lot of people have faith, but they don't know what it's in. It's important to be secure in your faith as it will help you overcome so many of the adversities we face in life.
2. Health - Without your health it's next to impossible to achieve your highest level of potential. Vitality is needed to create the most amazing life and vitality comes through taking care of ourselves in every way, mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally.
3. Friends and Family - A man or woman only exists as their relationship to other people. Without friends and family and our relationships we are nothing but a theoretical ego. Those people that are selfless always achieve the highest levels of success in life. So focus on giving to the people in your life and watch what happens.
4. Time - Our most precious commodity. Time is truly of the essence and we all get a limited amount of it. I face my death every day, by doing so it makes me aware that I better make the most of every second of every day and only perform actions that feel good and move me towards my final outcome in a positive way. It was Steve Jobs that said, "Every day I ask my self, am I happy and doing what I love? When the answer has been no for to many days I know it's time to chance something."
5. Finances - Poverty is not a virtue, you can't help the poor out by being one of them. Our financial resources allow us to take care of our health, help the people we love and give to those in need. Money also gives us freedom to play and live.
The most important goal a person can shoot for in life is complete self reliance in every area of their life and I believe by focusing on the above five tips in that order is the fastest way to do so.
Now, have a kick butt week and upcoming weekend and get out there and live your dreams.
