5 HANDLES TO A LIFE WELL-LIVED!

All of us have the gift of life. The question is how to best use that gift. That said, here are five common handles we can apply for a life well-lived.

#1 Humility - Humble people are better able to cope with anxiety about their mortality. Humble leaders are not only better liked, they are also more effective and have better self-control. The poet Tennyson once said that humility is, "the highest virtue, the mother of them all."
"Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor." Proverbs 18:12

#2 Honesty - The saying, "Honesty is the best policy," has been proven to be true; over and over again. It is more than an old cliché. It is just a good way to live your life. When we have nothing to hide, there's nothing to fear. Honesty is the bridge to authenticity and self-compassion and allows you to set realistic goals. It bolsters your courage and frees you to be your best self.
"Whoever walks in integrity walks securely." Proverbs 10:9

#3 Hardiness - In his 30- plus years of research, psychologist and founder of the Hardiness Institute, Dr. Salvatore Maddi, discovered that hardiness coping strategies, attitudes, and beliefs make the difference between those who get pushed over the edge by stress and those who actually thrive and develop. Hardiness describes a personality trait characterized by resilience and the ability to cope effectively with stress.
"If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small." Proverbs 24:10

#4 - Helping Others - Mutual helpfulness promotes social harmony and increases psychological resilience. Helping people enhances that positive feeling which creates positive thoughts and positive self-esteem. "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them." Proverbs 3:27

#5 - Hope
Hope is the basis of all positive change because it is the belief that things could be better and one can make them so, according to Dr. Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Kansas School of Business, a Gallup senior scientist, and a leading researcher on hope. People who has hope has the will and determination that goals will be achieved. Simply put: hope involves the will, and finding different ways to get through a crisis.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12

Fred Tokè aka Dr. Tokèmon