My Secret to…

Advice on how to live a fruitful and happy life can cost nothing or be very expensive. You can pay hefty sums to a life coach to help put your life on track, or you can find your own sweet spot through experimentation.

What about me? It was luck, experimentation, and listening to some good advice. So here is Lou’s guide to a happy life:

I write this blog daily and spend lots of time with my family and pets; time is made for work and pleasure. And yes, at eighty, I still have a part-time job managing a small access television station. I like the balance the work gives to my life, and I like the extra income too.

I also like my interactions with the general run of humanity. I try to be courteous to all and not make anyone’s life worse. Recently, I’ve been working on not being judgmental of people I run into who are “problems to appreciate.” Somewhere along the line, I figured out that on days I was a bit “under the weather,” I might not be the most likable person, too.

The daily routine includes really common stuff like feeding starving pets, washing dishes, going to work, doing laundry, writing on the blog, gardening in season, carving or planning for carving, responding to emails and comments from friends, and making sure that I get a good night’s sleep. Oh, I cook dinner a few times a week and bake ( recently it’s been zucchini bread).

Note that there is nothing extravagant or expensive in all this. But the routine itself provides a sort of security.

What about the super duper secret squirrel things I’m scribbling on note pads! OK, you found me out; I’m an activity freak. I like to keep busy, engaged, and intellectually motivated. I don’t cope well with the inactivity that comes with mid-winter in New England. I keep note of activities and places that might be interesting to visit or do. In my office is a small notepad full of suggested activities, locations, and events. Snowed in? There are a number of museums to roam in, unimpeded by eighteen inches of white stuff. Then there are places to walk, stores to visit simply because they are interesting, libraries, and cultural events.

Are there holes in these activities? You bet. Like many people my age, there are holes in my list of friends caused by mortality. Crossing off names and addresses you no longer have to send Christmas cards to is not fun. So I am interested in developing activities that keep me socially involved. My list of “life hacks” is still under development. But then I think that’s the way it should be; stasis is not good.

What are some life hacks that you practice?

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