７８７：Weekly time-capsule

連休3日目。雲が出てきた。雨期の始まりか？先日現場に行った時は季節外れの雨だった。

朝食もこの1年変わらずで、スパニッシュ・オムレツ、ビーフソーセージ、ポテトソテー、コーンフレーク、地元のコーヒー。飽きてはいないが、1年もよく食べ続けているのが自分ながら可笑しい。

最近国内にいる時は、時どき妻と一緒にファミレスでブランチを食べる。何軒かあるので適当に決めていく。楽しいひと時だ。お昼近くなってしまうとヴォリュームのある昼食メニューから選んでしまうがこれも一興だ。

さて、出張間際に妻が部屋に籠って何かしていたが、空港へ行く段階でどっさりと封筒入りのお手紙を渡してくれた。1週間ごとに開くように日付がふってある。もう、当地に来て1カ月になるので、4通ほど見ている。昔は良く手紙やはがきで通信したものだが、最近は即時性のあるファックスやメール、電話が便利だから滅多にはがきでのお便りはしなくなった。彼女がそこでタイムカプセル的な方法を考えたらしい。毎週月曜日に開けるんだけれど、今回は1日早く開けた。忙しい毎日を送っている妻だが、30年近くなっても洒落たことをするよね。

毎回洒落た写真のはがきだけれど、今回はアメリカのある町のダウンタウン。駐車中のクラシックカーが斜め前から映っているショット。添えられた言葉は、

"The only way to be truly happy is to live your life your own way..."

敢えて訳す必要もないが、具体の方法論は読んだ人に委ねられているかな。蛇足で、若干のヒントを下記に示す。アメリカ人的な発想だけどね。3人の子供たちでも分かる英語なので、読んでくれるといいかなと思う。特に男子は仕事上のこともあるから真の幸福って難しいね。

How to live a happy and satisfied Life

In each day that passes by, we stand by and witness how our lives are being lived without the full happiness and satisfaction we crave and need. Most people spend their time stressed out, worried and on a constant panic about what needs to be done for their futures, raising their children, wired up over work, school, along with everything else. Does this sound familiar? Well if it does, it is because so many people live with this style and pattern. When you can start living that fully happy and satisfied life?

The only way you can live a happy and satisfied life, is when you start doing things that make you happy and satisfied. Sure, it sounds easy, and can be easy if you just remember to make yourself one of your top priorities. Too many people neglect themselves, feeling that it would be selfish if they took any time out to focus on their own being. While it is good to take care of others and other important things going on in your life, it is mandatory that you never forget about yourself. Discover who you really are and what matters most to you. Living a great life does not just happen. It requires, planning and following those plans to a life that reflects who you truly are.

Most people avoid planning goals and dreams in their lives because they may have a fear of committing to it or failing. They feel that by officially writing it down, they would actually have to go through with pursuing it. This is where you need to rate the importance of your life missions. What is most important to you? Is it losing a certain amount of weight? Getting your degree? Spending more time with your spouse or children? Whatever the reason or reasons may be, just write all of them down. You may feel that making a mental note of your goals and dreams is enough, but you could very well be setting yourself up for disappointment and failure. By writing it down, you will become a visual witness of those goals. Try writing them in an organizer, with a little reminder written in each day.

Setting deadlines for these goals would be a great way to assure they will be accomplished. Avoid disappointment by setting realistic deadlines. For example, if you wanted to lose 10 pounds, do not give yourself a week to do so. You will only torture yourself and become depressed when the week is over and see that you did not come even close to losing the 10 pounds. In fact, you may give up losing weight altogether because of the failure you experienced, simply because your deadline was unrealistic. Take some time everyday to look over your goals and remind yourself of how important they really are to you. Ask yourself why they are important to you too. Knowing that something is important is not enough. You must know the reasons behind the importance of the dreams and goals you have, so that your mind can see it more clearly and understand exactly why it is so necessary to go through with your missions.

Excuses are demons you must learn to fight off if you wish to start living a happy and satisfied life. Most people claim to have many dreams, but say they just do not have the time to approach them. Stop making excuses! You are the only one who holds the power to make a real difference in your life. Sure, we all have busy lives with our careers and families, but nothing takes up 24 hours of your day. So if something is truly important to you, you will be sure to make the time to work on it. You can do this by replacing it with something less important. For example, if you claim you do not have the time to work on the other important goals in your life, perhaps it is time for you to start making close observations on the way you spend your time. If you spend several hours of the day working, studying, and then several hours taking care of house chores and family, what else are you doing with the rest of your day? If you spend a good portion watching television, then you need to cut back on that and use that time to begin and follow an exercise plan you have been thinking to focus on for a long time (or whatever goal it is you have).

Making yourself one of your first priorities is not selfish. It actually is obligatory to do so in order to succeed in the other subjects of your life. Without a happy and satisfied you, there will be no happy and satisfied life, because you will be stressed out and unhappy. You might be consciously ignoring your needs and desires, but your subconscious mind has not forgotten about you and will constantly remind you through stress, anger, sadness, insecurity and feelings of failure.

Start listening to yourself and becoming the best friend and supporter you need. No one is going to work on your happiness for you, so find the power and motivation stored up inside you, and use it to direct yourself into the path of true happiness and satisfaction. You can do anything you set your mind to, and once you have stopped and gotten in touch with yourself, you will learn and realize just how wonderful and capable you really are, and how you always have been. You will not only realize these things, but also begin loving who are more and more, which will not only lead you to achieving the things that make you most happy, but will guide you into a world of many new dreams come true.