For most of us, life’s a journey, which is a polite way of saying life can be fun, but it’s often challenging — extremely challenging. At times, life can be downright brutal.
If you’re like me, your life’s been a series of trials and errors, mistakes and missteps. At times we get it right, but many other times we flounder. That’s a polite way of saying we can make a terrible mess of things — and then suffer the consequences. It’s at these times that our lives test our sanity — even our will to live.
What makes life so difficult?
Well, to be honest, we do.
Dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors we’ve learned growing up — or “inherited” from our parents — can make our lives a living hell at times — not just for us, but for everyone around us. This baggage trips us up and sends us crashing face first to the pavement.
Life is also made more difficult because we have to contend with others — more specifically with the dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors of others. That includes our bosses, coworkers, relatives, and family members like spouses and children. Their dysfunctions intersect with ours … and, oh, all hell breaks loose.
Despite great professional success, my personal life has been a rough ride. I’ve struggled for decades against many demons.
Today, though, I’ve conquered my demons and turned my life around. My personal life is as successful as my professional life. Truly, I’m living my dream. I’ve realized a lifelong dream of living in the country far away from the hustle and bustle and crime and pollution of cities. I’m living on a 60-acre farm I purchased in east-central Missouri where I live and work, if you could call it that. I’m surrounded by caring friends and loving family members. Each day is more fun than you could imagine. Without a doubt, I’m loving nearly every second of my life.
What accounts for the change?
Over the years, I’ve learned many important life lessons — lessons that have straightened out the mess I called my personal life.
As life’s lessons revealed themselves to me, I often wondered “Why hadn’t my parents — or anyone else for that matter — taught me these important life lessons?” Why did I have to struggle so long and so hard to create a peaceful, fulfilling, and immensely enjoyable life?
My new blog, “Loving Life” — as in living “A Loving Life” and truly “Loving Life” — is an attempt on my part to help you discover happiness and fulfillment. It’s my gift to those who are struggling through life so unnecessarily. It’s my effort to help people here and abroad create a peaceful, loving, fulfilling, and enjoyable life — and, in turn, create a better world, one smile at a time. Ultimately, my goal is to help you and others spend more time enjoying life and less time in pain and struggle.
My blog “Loving Life” is based on my newest book — my 31st book, Things I Learned too Late in Life. You can learn about this book on my companion website, www.thingsilearnedtoolateinlife.com. I’m currently looking for a publisher for this book, but wanted to start sharing the lessons now.
An agent I’ve been working with suggested that to find a big publisher who can take this book to a national audience I need to show prospective publishers that what I have to say — my short course on life, if you will — is something readers are interested in. My immediate goal is to create a family of readers that’s at least 20,000 strong in the next six months. A million would be better.
So, my fellow Earthlings, I invite you to join me in a friendly discussion to your way to a better you. If you like what you read, please invite others to join in. Anything you can do to introduce others to my Loving Life blog and the companion website would be most appreciated. Truly, the more the merrier. Translated: The more personal healing we achieve, the stronger and healthier our world will be.
About the blog … I know you’re busy and so am I. I know that the lessons we’ll be exploring require thought and practice, so my initial approach — let’s see how this works — is to offer two blogs per week.
My Monday blog will present thoughts to ponder and ideas to implement during your work week. Friday’s blog will offer additional thoughts, based on comments and concerns I receive from our community of friends. You’ll have the weekend for additional contemplation, insight, and application. How’s that sound?
“Dan Chiras on Loving Life” is based on my newest book, Things I Learned too Late in Life. You can learn more about the book and help me get it the hands of a major publisher by logging onto my companion website, www.thingsilearnedtoolateinlife.com.
Contributing editorDan Chirasis a renewable energy and green homes expert who has spent a lifetime learning life’s lessons, which he shares in his popular blog,Dan Chiras on Loving Life. He’s the founder and director of The Evergreen Institute and president of Sustainable Systems Design. Contact him by visitinghis websiteor finding him onGoogle+.
