Series: The key to happiness, part two: Mental Health

The key to happiness Part 2

I have been fortunate enough to be a fairly happy individual. To steal a quote from Wyatt Earp in the movie Tombstone, “I don't laugh all day long like an idiot”, but I’m fairly happy.

I have always enjoyed educating myself through reading, doing, and talking to those who have done it. I have had many opportunities to speak with people in their 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s. My favorite question to ask someone of that age is “Looking back over your life, what would you say is the key to happiness?”. Time and time again I have heard the same thing from many people. Putting together what they have taught me and what I have experienced I have found that there are two keys with two pieces per key:

Health:

            Physical Health

            Mental Health

Wealth:

            Physical Wealth

            Mental Wealth

These are very important keys and each one has a lot of information to them. I will break it up into weekly segments. This week, Mental Health…

I have a friend who is in his 80’s. One of his favorite saying is “These are the good old days”. When people of similar age get together with us and start talking about “the good old days” he will pipe up and say “These are the good old days”! His point is valid. We live in a time of more opportunities than ever before. His favorite is to point out that he does not have to go out into the cold to use an outhouse in the middle of the night. Right on my friend! I never had to use an outhouse and I am very happy about that!

A very important key to happiness is to keep yourself sharp mentally. Constant learning and growing with the times is part of living. Technology is such an enjoyable part of life. These really are the good old days right now. I encourage everyone to learn to use a computer and learn to use the internet. The internet is such a powerful tool. You can learn anything about anything! That may be a strange statement but it leaves limits out of it. The internet is limitless. And now, it is better than ever! I have complete access to a world of information from a small little handheld device that I carry everywhere with me. Amazing!

The fun thing about reading on the internet is that I can start reading about the statue of liberty, catch a link from there to Ellis Island, from there to reading about the smallest national park in the U.S. (Which is the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial). I can continue through and eventually get to “the science fiction of Edgar Allen Poe”. The point is: it is limitless!

And for those that are not big readers… YOUTUBE! This “YouTube” you speak of is… AMAZING! Videos of everything! I learned how to install a French drain in my backyard from YouTube. I learned how to make compost tea from YouTube. If you have a project looming over you and are unsure of where to start, check it out on YouTube. In these good old days of the present, we can learn to do anything we want. Pick something that sounds interesting to you and go to YouTube and learn how to do it. Have fun.

We need to constantly use our brain in order to keep it functioning well and to truly be happy well into old age. I really enjoy sitting with a person that has experienced life and just listening to them tell stories about their experiences. Right now, in these good old days, WE are building OUR stories. One day, younger people will be sitting and listening to our stories. Make the best stories you can now and amaze those youngsters when you share it with them. It starts now while we are young and should never stop.

A famous quote from the genius, Albert Einstein, says “Once you stop learning, you start dying”. 

Remember the first key to happiness is physical health and that is very important. These two keys work together. Learning new hobbies are physically and mentally rewarding. I have learned to bake, how to can fruit, how to install a kitchen backsplash, replacing a toilet, gardening, how to attract hummingbirds, etc, etc…

Don’t get stuck in a rut. Learn and grow daily for true happiness.