How to Live a More Fulfilling Life by Stephen Covey(from Inspirational Books)

Submitter's Note:
This piece (in point form) was based upon my notes from an interview that Oprah had with Dr Stephen Covey, author of the 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' some years ago. I am sharing the content in the spirit of encouraging others to live more fulfilling lives, if that's what you wish.
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STEPHEN COVEY (author of 'THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE' and 'FIRST THINGS FIRST':
How to prioritise your life. The book is all about BALANCE and PRIORITISING YOUR LIFE

Have a mind open to and ready to accept new knowledge.

You have to have something else to BALANCE your life (eg. getting an education) - in case your dream doesn't materialize for you - in case your plan doesn't work out for you.

Develop RESPECT (for yourself and others) and work on your sense of SELF WORTH

1. Have a MISSION. Everyone needs a purpose in life. Listen to your heart.

Are you stressed?
Symptoms:
* can't sleep or oversleep

* eat all the time

* you can't seem to focus

* you seem to be powerless in effecting control over your life

* do you feel your life is running away from you?

All these indicate that you are under stress.

MISSION:

Ask yourself the question: What is really important in your life?
"Many people climb to the top of their ladder, only to find that it is leaning up against the wrong wall."

Everything else in your life affects it. It is something to work towards in your life. You manage yourself by the values and VISION in your life. What kind of values and meaning do you want in your life?

Imagine your funeral: There are 4 speakers there.
One from your:
family
friends
community
and
work

What would you like them to say about you? What kind of legacy would you like to leave the world?
What kind of life do you want to lead?
What are you passionate about?
WHO are you really? What do you stand for?

It's so easy to let THINGS define you. What would you be without your car, job, etc.

"Nobody on their death bed wished they'd spent more time at the office."

What is the one thing you can do in your life personally right NOW that could make a difference - personally (as in relationships) and professionally?
Most people know what the answer is (in their hearts); but they are not doing it. Write it down what it is you really want.
What's stopping you from doing it?

They are driven by what is URGENT, rather than what's IMPORTANT. Do what is IMPORTANT, rather than what is URGENT.

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.

-- Aristoteles
Greek philosopher, 384 B.C. - 322 B.C.

PREPARE and PLAN - so that there is time for other things. Prevention too.

Ask yourself: Where do you want to be? Doing the things that are important to you. Take time to build it up. Find your sense of integrity: in both relationships, as well as the community.
Don't waste time on worthless reading, or watching mindless TV programmes.

We all need these areas of our life to be fulfilled:

Health - exercize
Heart - the relationship with the key people in your life
Mind - developing the mind
Spirit/Soul - sense of integrity, sense of contribution or service.

You can't do right in one area of your life and wrong in another. It's total and indivisible.

So ensure that you are headed in the right direction. It's not just a matter of acquiring material possessions, like a new lounge suite, TV, BMW, etc.

There are many dimensions to your life. What is your credo or mission statement? WHAT IS MY LIFE ALL ABOUT. Doing this is a most rewarding exercise. It provides a frame of reference and it will provide direction in your life by enabling you to build on your most important values in life. Doing this can also enhance a person's sense of self esteem.

"You are always a valuable, worthwhile human being,
not because anybody says so, not because you're successful,
not because you make a lot of money, but because you decide
to believe it and for no other reason."

-- Wayne Dyer, American motivational author

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HOW TO ENRICH YOUR LIFE:

Is it to perhaps spend more time with your family? Nobody on their death-bed said they should have spent more time at the office. Most people want more quality time.
Exercize.

Spend more time on your health and happiness, instead of eating, sleeping and working.

Spend more time on those people really important to you - wife, 'hubbie' and family.

One good hint is to learn to say 'no' to people.

DEVELOP YOUR MISSION STATEMENT. Once you have the goal you start working towards it...because you then know what you're all about.

HAVE A VISION: "Vision is greater than baggage."
"Without a vision, the people perish."

What is your life really about? What is your purpose/your reason for being?

Why are we here?
Don't get distracted from your central mission.
What are the values you want to build upon?
What are we here for?

To:
LIVE - ie. make a living

LEARN - by growing

LOVE

LEAVE A LEGACY - a memory, to make a difference (contribution) through your life.
Once you have defined your values (from your mission statement), you can then live a "principle-centered" life.

Whatever you do,

Live your life with INTEGRITY ("to thine own self be true", thanks mom).

Put yourself in line with the principles of the universe.
To do this, first keep your promises to yourself; because without doing that you cannot have true integrity. So honour your commitment to yourself. The answer is within you. "The kingdom of heaven is within you."

If you can't honour that commitment, first make small promises to yourself, then KEEP them. Start with small commitments, then make bigger promises. Make it, keep it, make it, keep it.
Honour.

Have a "Win Win" attitude towards them. By helping them, you can help yourself.

"The deepest hunger of the human heart is to feel understood."
- Stephen Covey

Edwin Hubbel Chapin once said, "Every action of our lives touches on
some chord that will vibrate in eternity." That is the definition of a
legacy. Wouldn't you love to do something that might strike a
beautiful chord that will "vibrate in eternity"?

"Believe in yourself and in your dream,
Though impossible things may seem
Someday, somehow you'll get through
To the goal you have in view.
Mountains fall and seas divide,
Before the one who in his stride
Takes a hard road by day
Sweeping obstacles away
Believe in yourself and in your plan
Say not - I cannot - I can
The prizes of life we fail to win
Because we doubt the power within..."
- anon

"God gives us each day to use as we will. When tomorrow comes this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place we have traded for it. The day can be used for gain, not loss, for good, not evil, for success, not failure. We can waste time worrying about what might happen or fretting about what did happen. If we want time, we have to make it."

"The measure of our accomplishments in life is not a measure of time that we have to do things; but it's a measure of what we do with the talents we have."