Beech Tree News Network

With the arrival of 2019, I have thought about how to improve my day-to-day life. I believe most of us would like to make some improvements – as long as they don’t take too much effort. Three areas within which I’d personally like to improve are health, happiness, and financial savings. So, I did some reading in each area.

First, health is my primary concern. I have some health problems, but attempt to be proactive. Numerous health articles are available, but Heather Hanks’ article “10 Easy Ways to Instantly Improve Your Health” caught my interest. It provided some commonsense techniques to move toward better health. For instance, Hanks suggested improving the quality of the food one consumes, spending more time outdoors, and washing hands, sheets and pillow cases often. The author explained the rational for each of the ten suggested practices. I believe Hanks’ suggestions could lead to better health (https://healthprep.com/living-healthy/10-easy-ways-to-instantly-improve-...).

Second, happiness is definitely desirable. Until this week, I hadn’t read much in this area. However, the online WebMD article, “Choosing to Be Happy,” detailed strategies to become a happier person. Author Tom Valeo explained that even though research has shown that generally a person’s genes determine one’s happiness and that happiness deviates from that set point only slightly. Valeo also stated that psychologists believe we can improve our personal happiness by intentionally choosing behaviors that lead to happiness.  For example, the author said that a person can decide to practice gratitude, forgiveness and counteract negativity. Also, he explained that choosing a healthy perspective about money and possessions, developing friendships, and participating in meaningful activities may also lead to increased happiness. So, we can choose practices that result in happiness, thereby enhancing our biological or genetic happiness level (https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/choosing-to-be-happy#1).

Third, I would like to save more money so I will be better prepared for unexpected expenses or to help my family. I found a Dave Ramsey article, “The Secret to Saving Money,” that was definitely informative. Ramsey explained 15 ways to save money, including getting rid of your debt and cutting ties with cable. With each suggestion, the author explained how to accomplish the recommendation. For example, if someone chose to cut off cable or satellite service, alternative options might include using network apps or streaming services. Ramsey provided a link which listed several of these options along with the monthly cost of each. Following a few of Ramsey’s suggestions might, indeed, free up some money for saving (https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/the-secret-to-saving-money/).

Aldous Huxley said, “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self” (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/improving). I believe working toward better health, greater happiness, and increased financial savings will improve my daily life. So, I’ll try making some of these small changes within my corner of the universe.