Focus

Life has become full of distractions. From electronics and staying connected to striving to achieve more, earn more and amass more, many of us find that there are not enough hours in the day to complete our to-do lists.
But when you stop all of the frenetic activity for a moment and really take a long hard look at the list of tasks that you want to accomplish each day, how many of them are actually important enough to be classified as life-altering?

Do all or even any of these tasks add to your happiness or level of satisfaction in your life?

Do they bring you peace, joy, or even a tiny bit of happiness?

Do these tasks add meaning to your life or the lives of those whom you love?

Does your to-do list include essential things like enjoying a meal with your family and actually carrying on a conversation with them face to face?

Does your day include time to check on an aging parent, elderly grandparent, or friend whom you know is ill?

Do you have time allocated to really connect with your spouse or read a story to your children and then tuck them into bed?

Is there time in your day to simply breathe, relax, and maybe even read a few pages of a good book just for pure pleasure?

Life is busy, but it is up to each of us to focus on what is truly important and to dedicate our time to the tasks and people who give our lives meaning. Happiness is not a byproduct of status or a specific annual salary. Happiness must be worked for and earned based on rewards far more significant than money.