I was a true-blooded, full-pledged workaholic. 

 

I’ve now converted and have become a lifeaholic–if there’s such a thing.  I’m now “addicted” to breathe, to love, to quiet, to beauty, to balance, to peace, to joy, to simplicity, and all the wonderful stuff contained in this adventure called life.

 

          A workaholic works long hours. 

 

        But a lifeaholic works regular hours.

 

          A workaholic has very shallow friendships, in and out of work.

      

       A lifeaholic treasures his deep friendships as his greatest wealth.

 

         A workaholic works with no defined goals.  He just wants to be busy.

 

      But a lifeaholic has defined goals and works towards attaining them.  And half of these goals have nothing to do with his work.

 

           A workaholic has no interests outside of work.

 

       A lifeaholic on the other hand has pleasurable interests outside his work.

 

          A workaholic cannot delegate.

 

         A lifeaholic makes delegation his master skill.

 

          A workaholic doesn’t take vacations.  And if he is forced to take one, his mind will still be trapped in his office desk no matter where he goes.

 

         A lifeaholic on the other hand takes afternoon naps, annual personal retreats, second honeymoons, regular family picnics, and weekly day-offs with gusto.

 

          A workaholic feels that life is one huge problem.

      

        A lifeaholic feels that life is one mysterious and wonderful gift.

 

     The choice is yours…

Laugh More Often

 

And one of the most important marks of a lifeaholic is laughter.  I love the Zen proverb that says, Angels can fly because they take themselves so lightly.

 

Laughter is one of the simplest, most inexpensive, drug-free stress-reduction gifts of the universe!  Experience the healing energy of laughter flow through your body, soul, and mind regularly.  Simplicity means not taking yourself too seriously, and the alternative can only be laughter.

 

       Norman Cousins, who pioneered scientific research on laughter, labeled laughter as “inner jogging,” noting its healthful effects on muscle relaxation, heart rate, and blood pressure.  He writes, “I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect that would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.”  He credibly claims that his cancer was healed by laughter.  And for him, his laughter regimen included watching old films of Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges!

 

       Don’t take life too seriously–especially the small irritations of your day.  Instead of being frustrated at traffic, try laughing at the silly way we urbanites live.

 

Most especially, laugh at yourself and at your mistakes.

 

       You might have seen this quote somewhere else (it’s the stuff people forward to each other through e-mail) but I re-quote it here nonetheless because it points to what we’ve been talking about.

 

“If I had my life to live over,…I would relax.  I would be sillier than I have been in this trip.  I know of a very few things I would take seriously.  I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets…  I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones…  If I had my life to live over, I would ride more merry-go-rounds,…pick more daisies.”

 

Do you laugh at yourself and the crazy things in your life?

 

Do you regularly involve yourself in playful activities?  If you enjoy humor books and films, why not enjoy a good dose of belly laughter every once in a while?

 

Make a list of playful activities you want to try in the coming week.

 

          Don’t wait to live life over.

 

          Do it now.

 

           Be a lifeaholic and laugh more often.

 

           May your dreams come true,

 

 

           Bo Sanchez    

 

PS. Last Chance To Get In: What’s The Difference Between Rich And Poor People? For one thing, rich people have a different set of HABITS.  I’m excited to share it with you.  Learn these secrets in a brand new seminar I’m giving called, 8 Habits Of The Happy Millionaire,on October 5, 8am to 12noon, in Quezon City.  You have to be there.  To learn the 8 Power Habits that will make you wealthy, click here now.

 

PS2. Do You Have The Right Financial Habits?   To learn the 8 Habits that will make you a millionaire, click here now.