How to Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life

by Frank Lipman

it’s a simple but powerful way to reframe your perspective on life.

As a clinician, I have been struck many times by the way that patients who are grateful for something in their lives tend to handle health problems more smoothly and rebound from illness more easily.

Without awareness, our worldview shifts easily to the negative.

One positive thought very often triggers another.

“I am grateful for unknown blessings already on their way.”

I think this collective urge to find a tribe is a growing backlash against the isolating effects of our hyper-technological existence. We

Health is a dynamic state, constantly changing and in flux, and it is different for each person. There is no “perfect point” of guaranteed balance, and striving for it can drive you crazy.

When your mind comes on board with that point of view, with an attitude of compassion for yourself, the first step of true healing can occur.

They stay connected to a personal motivation that guides them as they meet the demands and challenges of life—they feel tethered to a role, an identity, or a set of activities that feel meaningful to themselves and their community—and this literally gives them something to live for.

It’s about spending time on small things that are important to you.

The way I stay connected to purpose is to start my day with a personal practice. Right after waking, I do twenty minutes of meditation—it’s nonnegotiable for me. Then I take a few moments for gratitude, whether it’s for my health, wife, daughter, mother, colleagues. This sets me up for what comes. It adds a sense of purpose to why I’m here and what I’m doing, no matter where the day takes me and whether it is a good day or a tough one.

You’ll remember more when you’re fully engaged and noticing every detail with your eyes, ears, and fine senses than if you get wrapped up trying to document everything.

We get caught in the belief that responsibility should trump frivolity.