For many, if not most, of us, the last three years have been unprecedentedly unusual. Without any semblance of certainty as to when we would be pummelled by the next wave (pun intended), it’s no wonder we drifted off our respective paths to health and happiness. In this article by Rob Opie, Performance Coach to business and sports teams and founder of The Game Plan, he suggests that “at times like these, it is best to take heed as to what the great champions of health and life do – and what they do not do.” According to Opie, to bolster our health and happiness in 2023, it is vital to ensure that our Personal Brand (Game Plan) is congruent, that we focus on the most powerful positive emotions in life, and adopt a victor rather than a victim approach. Additionally, for good measure, he suggests that we make sure to add some light-hearted laughter into our lives. – Nadya Swart
How to bolster your own Health & Happiness in 2023
“People should pursue what they are passionate about. That will make them happier than pretty much anything else.” Elon Musk
Every one of us has our own chosen path on which we travel in search of health and happiness.
But what happens when we drift a little off our desired paths to health and happiness?
2022 was one of those years for many of us.
At times like these, it is best to take heed as to what the great champions of health and life do – and what they do not do.
Here are three surefire ways to bolster your health & happiness in 2023.
# 1: Ensure that your OWN GAME PLAN (Personal Brand) is CONGRUENT (that it is authentic & aligned)
This means ensuring that your 3P’s are congruent, i.e. YOUR PERSONAL PURPOSE- YOUR PERSONAL PRIORITIES – AND YOUR PERSONAL GOALS for 2023.
Take Elon Musk as an example of human greatness.
His purpose is to “ELEVATE HUMANITY”- every day, he goes out there to find out what is not working – and goes and fixes it. He is a great FIXER by heart and one of the most powerful humans on this planet earth.
Bill Gates’s purpose is to ‘EMPOWER PEOPLE TO DO MORE’ It is little wonder that he continues impacting at the top level via his foundation – which must give him immense pleasure via giving back to mankind.
Roger Federer’s purpose is to “Entertain, Educate and Enrich” through his tennis genius. He must also feel great happiness when he plays charity matches and gives back through his foundation in Africa.
“The Great Champions of life recognize that self-interest is central to one’s human design, but count the greatest gain as the goodwill of fellow humankind.” Bob Bulford
Once your purpose is finely tuned, it is vital to choose your BIG FIVE PRIORITIES – and then set your BIG FIVE PERFORMANCE GOALS for each of your five top priorities.
Your focus – your congruency – will go a long way to helping you to live life better.
“You can only become accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love to do and do them so well that people cannot take their eyes off you.” Maya Angelou
“Purpose is that sense that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, that we are needed, that we have something better ahead to work for. Purpose is what creates true happiness.” Mark Zuckerberg
# 2: Focus and take full advantage of the most powerful positive human emotions in life.
“Human emotion is the ultimate resource – the ultimate force.” Anthony Robbins
The world is crammed full of both positives and negatives – that is just how it works – we live in a balanced universe.
The Big Five Negative emotions can be listed as follows: Resentment, Hate, Criticism, Guilt and Futility (self-pity).
Zero of these will help you on your path to health AND happiness, BUT the good news is that the Big Five POSITIVE EMOTIONS are far more powerful and will put you on your path to health and happiness – that is if you keep your primary focus on them.
Here they are;
Gratitude, Unconditional Love, Acceptance, Forgiveness and Joy.
Let us take gratitude as a human emotion with the immense ability to create health & happiness.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” Melody Beattie
To prove the power of gratitude and unconditional love, we only have to turn to our experts – our dogs.
Dogs are indeed man’s best friend as they teach us so much power in the emotional realm. Things that we as humans sometimes just take for granted.
Appreciate your dogs every day.
Jimmy Soul could have sung it a little differently:
“If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life – get a dog.”
# 3: Adopt a VICTOR APPROACH to life – never victim.
It is not about being positive all day, every day. The world we live in is balanced; hence you will find positivity and negativity – polar opposites, just like electricity. Oops, maybe a bad example!
In reality, it is all about the choice you make between being a VICTIM and VICTOR. There is NO middle ground on this choice in life.
Victimhood currently presents itself with a very high prevalence in South Africa and as a very powerful form of self-sabotage.
Steer yourself well clear of any victim mindset. BECOME A VICTOR by adopting the right mindset, knowledge, support, and game plan.
This will increase your productivity AND your health, and your happiness.
Now we have come full circle back to ensuring ONE HAS A HIGH GAME PLAN, which is the key to your health and happiness – and that of all the great champions of life.
Remember to add a bit of light-hearted laughter in South Africa – laughter at ourselves. This is what we have become pretty good at in Mzanzi!
It certainly helps not to take life too seriously.
Go Well in 23
This article is not health advice but simply suggestions on how to think about your health and happiness.
Read Also: