Ways to live the fullest and richest life possible???

[debit.servus]

For those looking to live the fullest and richest life possible, what are the best ways to go about it?

Some ways to live the fullest and richest life possible:
-don't worry about little stuff that may or may not add up.
-travel everywhere you have the means to. If you invited to join friends and family on their travels join up!!!!! Variety is the Spice of Life!
-Live in a positive and uplifting enviroment, and if it's right for you; invest in improving it to improve you physically, mentally, emotionally and financially!
-Learn to think for yourself, learn how things and different systems work; Seek new knowlege and always keep your mind open! This will help you spot nevative experiences and avoid engaging in things like keeping up with the Joneses!
-Work a job and invest in income streams so you get to the level of not having to think about money everyday. If possible work a job you love even if it has a low salary. Evaluate the money AND time cost of a purchase, treating your finances like a business! Do still go for discounts but only where it makes cents, cut your biggest expenses (food, fuel and housing) before considering the little expenses. Be pound wise and penny foolish!!
-Unplanned expenses and incidents will always happen, acquire and maintain a financial safety net even if it is just a high-interest credit card!! If you can afford it, have a backup plan/plan B and fully insure everything so if the unthinkable happens you're not back to Square 1!! When possible & feasible, DO work to minimize unexpected expenses and incidents or to lower the chance of them occuring. Be Proactive, as it's usually cheaper than being reactive; have routine maintence done on the car and in general have small issues fixed before they have the chance to become major problems.
-Read or listen to Tim Ferrises "4 Hour Work Week". It has a lot of life hacks to accomplish things effectively and time-efficiently. Apply some of the methods from 4 Hour Work Week into your own life. My favorite tip has to be "What is the worst case scenario that could happen as a result of __________"
-Invest in tools to fix basic problems around the house, depending on how much you like it! This also helps you learn how things work.
-Weight the costs of outsourcing chores like laundry and grocery shopping to the cost of your time; you might get more actual time depending on how much your wage is! When shopping check everything off the list from as few stores as possible, even if it costs a few dollars more. Time is something most human beings have about 80 years of, don't waste your time or time will waste you!
-TRY NEW THINGS! Even if you end up not liking them you'll never know until you try it (for most things that is, we know things Robbing the Bank usually do not have a good outcome). You can't win if you don't play!
-WORK TO LIVE!!!!!!!!!! What is going to be more important on your deathbed, the discount you got on a new TV or being apart of the family reunion in another country?
-LIVE Life Live & Experience Desires to THRIVE!
-If you are doing all these things, and still don't feel you aren't living life to the fullest; find new roads and double down on beautiful experiences and great times!

This is how to LIVE a life full of color and with no regrets.

 

[SoulRaven]

I like this for the most part except the part about not worrying about the little stuff...

I tend to worry about, and fix, the little stuff as soon as possible. The result for me is that there are hardly ever any bigger issues because the smaller ones aren't allowed to grow.

Traveling with either family or friends can be either good or bad, so be prepared to split off on your own if things don't go as planned.

My version of a safety net is to have an emergency fund large enough to replace my entire van, all of it's contents, and at least 6 months worth of living expenses. Peace of mind is priceless.

 

[Yogidog]

Very nice, thank u! Wishing u well in your journeys

 

[skyl4rk]

Here is my set of guidelines, focused more on peace of mind than living life to the fullest, but still applicable.

Achieving and Maintaining Peace of Mind
A Rational Approach

1. Taking physical care of one's self promotes peace of mind
Eat nutritious and balanced meals
Exercise daily
Get adequate sleep

2. Cultivating self sufficiency promotes peace of mind
Knowing how to grow food creates a strong sense of security
Financial savings provides comfort and reduces worry
Being emotionally self sufficient makes one a strong individual
Knowing how to repair one's home and equipment promotes peace of mind

3. Cultivating friendships promotes peace of mind
Mutual assistance in times of need reduces anxiety and fear
Companionship to reduce loneliness and boredom
Good friends promote positive emotions such as love

4. Living a simple life promotes peace of mind
Simplicity reduces complexity and the number of problems related to maintaining complex systems
A simple life can be inexpensive, which minimizes financial worries and reduces the need for a high income

5. Daily habits that promote peace of mind
Relaxing while listening to music
Enjoying the outdoors
Conversation with a friend
Meditation
Practicing gratitude
Sleeping in a cool room

6. Realization that peace of mind ultimately comes from within
Accept reality and be content with the way things are

7. Realize that negative emotions worsen one's overall situation
Recognize and analyze negative emotions as they arise
Attempt to determine the source of negative emotions
Take action to resolve the source problem if possible

8. Focus on the positive
Always try to focus on the positive aspects of any given situation

9. Elimination of judgments
Negative events can precipitate positive events
One cannot know whether a negative event might be positive in the overall aspect of one's life
One should eliminate judgments as to whether an event is positive or negative

10. Recognize that all experiences and emotions are temporary
Avoid making important decisions when negative emotions are high
Give yourself time to move past negative emotions

11. Most events are trivial in the overall aspect of one's life
Day to day trials and tribulations will be resolved soon

12. Since the future is uncertain, one should eliminate one's expectations regarding future events
Elimination of expectations prevents surprise and disappointment

13. Negative visualization is imagining things that could go wrong
To eliminate fear and anxiety, one may ask one's self “what is the worst thing that could happen?”
Practicing negative visualization on a regular basis allows one to plan how to respond to problems that occur
Negative visualization reduces the fear and anxiety when the event actually happens
Negative visualization may lead to better appreciation of the positive things in one's life

14. Goal internalization
This is the practice of reformulating one's goals so that they are entirely within one's control
“Doing the best that one can” rather than “Winning the race”

15. Questioning the rationality of one's desires
Ask one's self why does one want X? For Y. Why does one want Y? (repeat and continue asking why)
Try to identify alternative solutions which are less costly or which have lower potential negative effects
The cost of attaining money or material possessions may far outweigh the ultimate benefits to one's state of mind
Desires for sensual pleasure usually only lead to temporary satisfaction and may increase such desires in the future
Peace of mind is achievable whenever one is free from severe pain or physical discomfort
Desires that are impossible to eliminate (such as food or warmth) are usually easy to satisfy

16. Selective emotional detachment
Emotional attachment to people through love and friendship can be very positive, but it may lead to grief and anxiety if the connection is lost due to death, separation or estrangement
One should analyze the expected costs of attachment compared to the expected benefits of the relationship. If the costs of attachment outweigh the benefits of the relationship, it is rational to detach from the relationship.
Know how to diplomatically break up with friends if the relationship turns negative

17. Elimination of envy
One should focus on one's own situation
If one has peace of mind before comparing one's self with others, then there is no reason for envy

18. Letting go of the past
The past is gone forever, so it makes no sense to let the past events to affect one's present state of mind
One cannot change the past, which means that backward looking negative emotions serve no purpose and are therefore irrational

19. Dichotomy of control
Some things are at least partially under one's control, and some things are not
Realize that it is irrational to worry about things which are not under one's control
If avoiding something harmful is at least partially under one's control, then do one's best to avoid it (beyond that it is out of one's control and it is irrational to worry about it)

20. Living in the present
Living in the present, one may learn from the past and prepare for the future
Since neither the past nor the future currently exist, they should not negatively affect one's current state of mind
Backward looking negative emotions can be addressed by letting go of the past
Forward looking negative emotions can be addressed by recognizing that it is irrational to worry about things that are outside of one's control
Concentrating on the present moment should crowd out disturbing emotions related to the past (regret) or future (fear or worry)
One effective way of focusing on the present is to ask one's self whether one is in severe physical pain or discomfort; if not, there is no reason why one cannot currently enjoy peace of mind now
If one is in severe physical pain or discomfort, one may concentrate on pleasant memories or anticipate future pleasant states of mind

21. Recognizing the emotional effects of physical discomfort
Realize that negative emotions may be caused by physical discomfort
When uncomfortably warm or hungry, one may be susceptible to anger and frustration
With this realization, it should be easier to dispense with the negative emotion
Remedying the physical discomfort should help eliminate the negative emotions

22. Focusing the mind on thoughts that crowd out or counteract negative emotions
This can be done every time one recognizes the intrusion of a negative emotion
Examples of thoughts to crowd out negative emotions include thinking of things which one feels fortunate about, focusing on one's love for a loved one, recalling pleasant memories or imagining a tranquil and beautiful landscape
An effective way to clear the mind is to imagine: “What will be my next thought?”

23. Conquering boredom and loneliness
Boredom is an unmet desire for mental or physical stimulation
Boredom arises in part by the false belief that satisfaction comes from outside one's self
With the realization that satisfaction comes from within, the boredom can usually be eliminated
Meditating or listening to relaxing music may reduce boredom
Loneliness is an unmet desire for companionship
This desire can be eliminated by becoming comfortable with one's self by fostering unconditional self-acceptance, achieving deep self-knowledge, and cultivating robust self-reliance
Boredom and loneliness are mutually reinforcing, so that reducing one may help in reducing the other

24. Neutralizing insults and humiliation
Insults cause suffering only if one takes offense, so by choosing not to take offense, one can maintain peace of mind
To the extent that one can reduce or eliminate one's insecurities, doing so renders one immune to offense
Eliminate one's insecurities by accepting oneself, one's situation and one's limitations
Humiliation can be reduced by eliminating regret, anger and frustration

25. Deconstruction of grief
Grief is caused by self-pity and empathic suffering
Use techniques to neutralize fear, sadness, loneliness and boredom to address self-pity
Use methods of eliminating judgments, living in the present, focus on the positive, recognition of impermanence and selective emotional detachment to address empathic suffering

26. Cultivating a benevolent disposition towards others
Use the Platinum Rule: “Do onto others as you believe they want done to themselves”
The greater the capacity for friendship with the other person, the more short term sacrifice that one may invest in the relationship
If the chances of reciprocation are high, the benevolent act is more likely to return a benefit
One can benefit one's own state of mind by helping others

27. Promoting peace of mind in those one cares about promotes one's own peace of mind

28. A policy of honesty and keeping promises promotes peace of mind

29. When one has been benefited by another, reciprocation promotes peace of mind

30. When one has been harmed by another, a strong bias against retaliation promotes peace of mind
One should retaliate only for deterrence, not retribution
Retaliation should be considered only after all other reasonable alternatives to effect deterrence have been exhausted
The costs of retaliation should be considered and weighed against the possible benefit of deterrence
If one determines that retaliation is appropriate, such retaliation should be the minimum necessary to act as an effective deterrent

31. Abiding by the rules of one's society promotes peace of mind
Breaking the law may result in fear of punishment
Penalties are generally harsh and outweigh the benefits of breaking the law
Reputational costs of law-breaking can be severe and life long

32. Avoiding politics usually promotes peace of mind

 

[nobodyG17]

Great list skyl4rk

 

[SoulRaven]

That was one lllloooooonnnnnnggggg list... It felt like work just reading it. My list is much shorter.

A) Put a smile on your face, and love in your heart.
B) Learn from your past, and from the past experiences of others, so you don't repeat the same mistakes.
C) If your expectations are low enough, you will never be disappointed.
D) Be wary of other people's motivations.
E) Failure to plan is a plan for failure. Only proper planning results in a brighter future.
F) Every action or inaction has consequences. Consider the ramifications first.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

My version of a safety net is to have an emergency fund large enough to replace my entire van, all of  it's contents, and at least 6 months worth of living expenses.  Peace of mind is priceless.

     I have to agree with you here.  Growing up, my grandmother beat into me the importance of saving and not buying anything you can't buy with cash.  Although i've broken the rules a few times for the most part I've stuck to it even though at times it was hard to grasp everything she was saying.  I got a extremely rare case of Lyme disease when I turned 31, had me on crutches and unable to work at 32.  Four years later at 35 i'm finally getting a lot better.  However, being out of work for 4 years really hurt my bank account but I thank her everyday she taught me how important it was to save, otherwise I would have been forced into an uncomfortable situation where I would have been totally dependent on others.  Peace of mind truly is priceless.

I think one of the best ways to live the fullest life is to find something you really enjoy and make it your living. I've been very fortunate liking what I do. I've had many days where I cant wait to get to work, where as so many of my friends and family dread it.

 

[SoulRaven]

     I think one of the best ways to live the fullest life is to find something you really enjoy and make it your living.  I've been very fortunate liking what I do.  I've had many days where I cant wait to get to work, where as so many of my friends and family dread it.

I totally agree, every job I ever had, I loved.  The volunteer work that I do now that I'm retired, is a labor of love.

I have known many others who have hated their jobs, and it's like "I don't work, I get paid to play..." for me.  With each of my jobs, I got to travel the country and be paid to do it.  What could be better?

 

[Canine]

I maintain a happy life by avoiding all the lists of rules for having a happy life.