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In Lesson Ten, You Will Learn:Your journey to success is a happy one. You are secure, confident and relaxed. You have made a conscious choice to enjoy your family, work, friends and your free time. You realize that success is not to be lived at some distant date. It is to be lived now. You choose to be happy now. Life is too short to be unhappy. You are committed to living every day of your life with gusto. You understand Henry David Thoreau’s words when he said, "There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself." You have chosen to make your life a wonderful adventure. Living well is your reward. 19th Century American Writer Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "The roses under my window make no reference to former roses or better ones; they are what they are; they exist with God today. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence." You are a Renaissance person who finds beauty all the time and everywhere. You are reborn. The power to succeed is enlivening. You have this power. You realize that most of the best things in life are well within your budget. Your kind and generous nature will bring you an abundance of human warmth. People will like you. They will smile when they see you. You will have friends and family with whom you can share your success. You will eat right, exercise and put your head on the pillow each night with a clear conscience. Leave something for yourself. This is not being selfish. This is being successful. This is the advice of the English novelist D. H. Lawrence, "Life is ours to be spent, not saved." Look to your Action Principles for guidance. Plan to have a good time. Laugh. Tell jokes. The Koran teaches, "Blessed is he who makes his companions laugh." Put variety and zest in your life. Set goals. Research. You think about what you really want and then you get it! A billionaire can’t buy the good will that you possess and foster. A billionaire can’t buy the happy life that you have decided to live. You appreciate all that you already have. Each day goes and will never return again. Don’t wish away your life. Live it. You will feel much better doing things, being a person of action. Heed this Indian proverb, "Every time you wake up and ask yourself, "What good things am I going to do today?" Remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it." Fill your life with those things that make you happiest. Do you like baseball? Go to games. Do you like opera? Go to performances or listen to the Metropolitan Opera every Saturday afternoon on public radio. Do you love to grow cooking herbs? Go to your garden. Do you like rock climbing? Go to the mountains. Go to the movies. Take dancing lessons. Buy yourself a book or a new sweater. Take a bubble bath. Put on a CD. Have a glass of wine. You should have favorite authors, actors, singers, restaurants, designers, vacation spots, foods, walking trails, wines, television channels and sports. If not, start finding them. In the 3rd century, Saint Augustine preached, "Decide to love and do what you like." Seventeen hundred years later, the studies of Dr. Abraham Maslow led him to advise, "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself." And Psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers said, "When you come right down to it, the secret of having it all is loving it all."
This is not a rehearsal. This is your one life. If you’ve been a saver and investor, the time comes when you should be freeing up some of that cash. Remember that the reason you made investments was not just to be rich but to lead a rich lifestyle. Take some of your profits and enjoy them. Unless you have a handicapped child to provide for, leaving a large estate for others to spend when you’re gone doesn’t make much sense. There is nothing sadder than a rich miser who only lives to count his money. The 18th century English poet Dr. Samuel Johnson said, "It is better to live rich than to die rich." Work hard, sacrifice, save, invest and it all leads to enjoyment. Perhaps you’ve started thinking about the choices you’ve been making in your life with an eye toward simplicity. Can you get by with one less car or a used car? Can you move to a less expensive neighborhood? Is last year’s coat or last year’s hat still wearable? Are you willing to work a little extra overtime? Will you bag your lunch on four days to splurge on the fifth day? You don’t necessarily have to make a high income to enjoy a high quality life. Rich is a state of mind. Free time for enjoyment. Look forward to being happy. Anticipation can be a wonderful feeling. Program enjoyment time into all of your schedules. Take a couple of nights off and a full day off each week. Take a full weekend off each month and go on a mini-vacation. Take a week off every three or four months and take a real vacation. Again, it won’t happen unless you plan for it to happen and then you must jealously guard your plan. Consider the words of Leonardo da Vinci that opened this chapter. As you reach your financial goals, can you cut back your time at work? Can you work a four-day week or work part-time? If you enjoy your work, maybe you’ll want to stay with working part-time and playing part-time. Maybe you want to work your hardest until you can retire and then train for the senior pro golf tour. Perhaps, you want to retire or work part-time and spend the rest of your time writing music. You decide. Go fishing. Paint a watercolor. Make a quilt. Have a beer with the boys. Sing in the chorus. Watch pro wrestling. Live your life doing a lot of things that you enjoy doing and you will find that work and being nice to others is much easier. You are happy. Think of the Action Principles as your magic wand. You can buy a sports car. You can dine in the best restaurants. You can tour Europe. You can hear the world’s greatest singers. You can stay in the best hotels. You can buy an antique dining room set. When it comes to your happiness, everything doesn’t have to be discount and cut rate. If you really want a brand new luxury sports car, you save and buy it. If this is something that you really want, this isn’t an unreasonable or frivolous goal. It is what you want and what you want is important. You can’t afford everything all the time but you can probably afford this single luxury. Even if the car costs a year’s pay, it is your money and it is what you’ve decided to get as a result of your hard work. You can join car clubs associated with the vehicle and go to rallies. You can read books and articles. You can find websites and newsgroups. Probably, in your research, you’ll come across a used car at a great price. Maybe you’ll decide to restore a car. It doesn’t even have to be a great investment. Everything doesn’t have to be a great investment. It can just be what you want. The foolish move would be to buy an expensive car or clothes or jewelry or anything for status. The law of opposites strikes again. Snobbery creates the reverse effect one intends. Buy for yourself and not for others. Most people are focused on themselves and not on your scarf or your shoes. You work too hard to waste your money. Be sure that you really want what you think you want. Why don’t most people do this? Because it isn’t in their mindset. Because they haven’t researched. Because they haven’t planned. This is them. This is not you. The Internet is not only a wonderful business and research tool but it is also a great tool for life enrichment. All major newspapers are now on-line and offer extensive entertainment and cultural listings. Anything you ever wanted to know about any movie, play, CD, museum, sport, hobby or concert is all only a click away from any search engine. Go outside and smell the roses. Get out into the fresh air. Walk, hike, camp, swim, bike, climb and garden. Some of the best things in life are free or inexpensive. Take a book to the park. Feed the pigeons. Look at the trees, flowers and stars. If you haven’t seen the magnificence of a sunrise or sunset recently, do that. Would your children or grandchildren like to join you? How about bringing the dog? Take a deep breath, exhale slowly and feel the exhilaration of being successful. Your journey is a beautiful one. Take good care of your body. If your personal hygiene is suspect, no one is going to be thinking about how successful you are. Dress well. Smile. Stand up straight and put confidence in your posture. You are now beautiful. You are now handsome. The confidence you feel inside will shine on the outside. You can afford to pamper yourself. If you want to have your hair cut, dyed, straightened or curled every few weeks, do that. Do whatever makes you feel good. What type of clothing do you look best wearing? What types of glasses flatter your face? What colors suit your skin tone? Ask the experts. Ask your friends. Look in magazines and on the Internet. Be proud to look your best. If you have to work an extra hour or two to pamper yourself, do that. Go have a manicure or an herbal facial or wear a freshly laundry starched shirt every day. Do anything that makes you feel special. You are special. You work hard. You are worth it. Be sure that you use what you buy. Maybe you can’t have or don’t want a closet full of expensive suits and shoes but you can afford one or two of the best. Buy the best. Choose a few personal luxuries and enjoy them. Take good care of shoes and apparel and they will serve you well for a long time. If you choose, you can afford one or two pure silk ties or scarves. If you choose, you can afford a high quality perfume or cologne. If you are going to buy one winter coat that you will wear almost every day, invest in a nice one. Do you need three or four winter coats? No, you don’t. But, if you love fashion and it really makes you happy and you are willing to sacrifice other things for it, then, go for it. Life enrichment is what you say it is. You are an original. Act like one. If you like wild ties or red sports cars or fancy fingernails or singing in the shower, go for it. A little eccentricity is interesting and appealing. The operative word is "little." Enjoy your days. Don’t watch television while you’re eating dinner. Instead, light a candle. Open a bottle of wine. Put on a CD. Speak of pleasant things that happened during the day and events and plan family outings and vacations. Your family and friends are a blessing. Be with them whenever and as often as you can. Two hundred years ago, the German poet Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe wrote, "One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul." A fail proof way to enrich your life is by helping others. You can’t go wrong doing right. Here is a small example. Pick a nursing home on your way home. Stop for twenty minutes with a bucket of candy for the residents and staff. Yes, the candy may cost you $20 or $30 a week. You can afford this. Yes, many will wonder how and why you do this. You say little. Others talk. You act. Do you do it for the many friends you’ll make? Do you do it for all the "thank yous" you’ll receive? You really do it because it will make you feel so good. You do it because it needs to be done and no one else is doing it. You can do this. You do this because of the Golden Rule. You do this because you wouldn’t want to be eighty or ninety years old and forgotten by everyone except a few who are paid minimum wage to be with you. You do the hard things. Jesus of Nazareth taught us all with his words and by his example, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Now, you set the example. Most communities and colleges sponsor adult education programs suited to a wide range of interests. These courses are usually offered during convenient evening hours for you to learn from and enjoy. Local experts seeking to share a joy in a subject often teach these courses. The industrialist Henry Ford said, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young."
When you are relaxing and enjoying your life, when you are content that you have done your best, you are mastering success. Is there anything that you can do with your car or office? If you have confidence making these decisions, make them. If not, hire an interior decorator or ask a friend whose style you admire for help. Successful living starts with your decision to do your best and not worry about the rest. The best road to helping others is to be happy yourself. Free time for enjoyment. It won’t happen unless you plan for it to happen so make enjoyment part of your plan. If you really want something, save your money and buy it. What you want is important. If you are careful in your spending most of the time you can afford to buy those expensive things that you want most. Make your home your personal oasis. Surround yourself with whatever makes you happy. Everything doesn’t have to be a great investment. Just make sure that those things you buy are what you really want most and not some status symbols you’ve been talked into getting. Many great things may not even be that expensive. If you want to travel you can find ways to travel at a reasonable price. There are plays and concerts and film festivals for little or no cost available in many areas. Reading is the key. If you read one book a month on a specific subject, in four years you will be an authority on that subject. A-B-A-B — Always Bring A Book. If you have to wait for any appointment, take out your book. Rather than getting upset, learn something. Don’t lose your spontaneity. You don’t have to plan everything. If you want to do something go for it. Success means enjoying what you have earned.
Advance to Level Three
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