My good life - 2017

One of my good intentions for 2017 is: „I believe that I can pass on thoughts and ideas that are empowering and valuable for others. That's why I want to write more and of higher quality - at the end of 2017, I want to write a new book about the good life, the Online course, a Quadro and a whole series of blog posts.“ So much for the resolution. One of five. Ambitious.

So I immediately started writing the introduction for the new book. Here is the first draft.

Am I living a good life?

This question was on my mind at the end of 2016 when I was preparing to write this book.

As Coach I often work with scales to help people gain clarity. When I looked at the past year, I gave myself a score of 6 on a scale of 1 (flop) - 10 (top). Average, but not really good.

There were many reasons for this. One of the main factors was overwork. I had to deal with a number of challenges that year:

• Hacker attacks on all my private and professional blogs and websites - it took us three months to repair all the damage
• Voluntary work that turned out to be very time-consuming and laborious.
• Moving from a flat on the 4th floor without a lift, where I had lived for over 20 years, to a ship that had not yet been renovated.
• Financial challenges due to shipbuilding and unforeseen, large receivables.

The above were just the four biggest chunks in a considerable collection of stones that I have been lugging around with me over the past year. I have not lived well in all of this. On top of all the hard stuff, I forgot to spend time with friends, enjoy good times and do activities that energise me. I simply didn't do the good things.

This was not only due to the challenges and external circumstances. Yes, they were tough. Despite everything, there would have been time for pleasant things - and there were also nice moments - otherwise the result would have been two or three.

The fact that I didn't really live well wasn't because I didn't know what a good life involves. I have been working on this for more than a decade and have written a book about the 8 aspects of a good life. Swing and given seminars and lectures. Yes, I basically know how to live a good life.

The main reason why I failed to live a good life last year was because I forgot to live in a way that was actually good for me when I was in anxiety and stress mode. Or no longer had the inner strength to put the knowledge into practice. Everyone knows that in theory you know what would be good for you, e.g. less chocolate and more exercise. Or less internet and more socialising. And in practice, you fail to actually do the good things.

That can be really extreme. The researcher Lisa Rankin has conducted intensive research into the factors that contribute to people becoming healthy. In a seminar on the subject, she asked the participants: „If you knew 100% for sure that something would make you healthy, would you do it?“ To her surprise, only 50% of those present responded.

She asked what the reason was that - despite the prospect of health - the opportunity was not taken. The seminar participants said things like

• My husband used to beat me all the time - he's stopped since I've been ill. When I get better, ...
• I live on social security, I don't know if I'm still fit for normal working life.
• I would have to go back to work with my choleric boss.

Behind all of this is fear. The fear of not being able to cope with a situation.

It's shocking. Chronically ill people basically know what would be good for them - and don't do it - out of fear that they won't be able to cope with life as it might be.

Maybe it's not so extreme for us, but we all know it on a small scale - this refusal of life. We don't get involved in new things that could be interesting and exciting. For fear of embarrassing ourselves. We realise that so much internet time is not good for us - but we are addicted to it anyway, afraid of missing out. We know what could enrich our lives. And we don't do it because....

It is not enough to know how to live life well in theory. It is also necessary to find out what prevents us from living it in practice.

In the eight months that lie ahead of me, I therefore want to do two things

• I want to describe and experience what is good for you. I orientate myself on the 8 elements of life from the swing concept. And show ways into the good life.
• I want to observe and analyse what prevents others and myself from living the good life that we could actually live. And show ways out of the bad life.

I'm looking forward to the journey.