What do you answer to the question « What is important for you in life?”
You have difficulties to choose, take the first three keywords or ideas that come to mind.
My spontaneous answers could have been: health, abundance (on the physical, material and spiritual levels) gratitude to life and to those around us.
After half a second of reflection, I remember a fight that Fabrice Tiozzo, a French boxer in the 90s, had just won. He had responded to a journalist, a formula that had become mythical for me. The reporter wanted to know what were the ingredients of the success that led our French champion to such a victory. His answer, like his fists, was direct. “I was able to win because of my health, my family and the support of my friends”. Everything was said! I was about ten years old and his replica remained engraved. Because it resonated within me and was aligned with my deep values.
With hindsight, I then understood the need to complete this trilogy by love, that is to say by the relationship in love. As a result, sharing your life with someone you love and who loves you, whose common goal is mutual growth, with the respect for each other’s needs is also a powerful factor for a good life balance. Anyway, whatever the model chosen, everyone aspires to the construction of a revitalizing family balance.
As far as I am concerned, although I was sometimes far from my entourage, it was always a great pleasure to be back to my family and my childhood friends.
On this subject, a relative has recently rightly pointed out that my writings generally revolve around the same themes, specifically personal development. He is right because even if I like animals, I do not want to hold a blog about the food or the care to bring them. A veterinarian or a passionate person would naturally want to share their experience on the subject. On the other hand, and this is my main message, no matter how you make a living, or how you contribute, we all need and desire a maximum of health, qualitative relationships, and give meaning to our actions.
Again, this is my definition of my ingredients for happiness. The important thing is that everyone should be able to identify his own pillars, build and be able to rely on them, especially in times of turmoil. The purpose is to take the time to reflect, and aspire to live what is essential.
In a video with the contemporary philosopher, Frédéric Lenoir, which I invite you to discover, he summarized the pillars of happiness into three fundamental principles: 1. Health. 2. Love. 3. Doing an activity that you love.
To illustrate the first one, he recalled a popular expression full of meaning: “It is better to be a healthy beggar than a sick king”. Regarding Love, it is obvious that this includes loving, family, friendly relationships, and more generally any relationship with others. This reflection also includes the importance of doing an activity that you love. It can be professional (work), voluntary or associative (carried out in an organization or corporation) and more generally refers to any other activity that fills us with joy such as: tinkering, painting, writing, playing sports, etc.
The reason for this article is that the importance of doing an activity that stimulates us, appeals to me.
And you, at the moment, are you doing an activity that you like? If so, is the time allocated sufficient? Otherwise, what do you need to achieve it/yourself?
And more generally, have you identified what is important in your life? Can you determine the main ingredients?
In other words, what are your strong pillars that you can lean on regardless of external circumstances?
Enjoy the way…
Mickaël Garin (original author) translated by Florence (part of Actus Via team)