“Who you are becoming is more important than who you have been.” – Unknown

Do you have a sense of purpose?

I was reading an article recently about living a “good life.” A study tracked a group of men from their late teens until they died. Some subjects went on to live a good life, while others fell short of expectations.

In sorting out the difference between the good and the sub-optimal, researchers identified seven characteristics common among the happy ones:

• Never smoked
• Didn’t drink too much
• Maintained a healthy weight
• Engaged in physical activity every day

Obviously, these four habits promote good health and vitality. Without them, you’re likely headed for challenges.

The next three characteristics affect your mindset:

• Develop life skills for coping with difficulty, setbacks, and hardship.
  No one lives a life without challenges. To live a good life, you must be ready to face disappointment, unforeseen events, and losses. Getting back up when you’re down, learning from your mistakes, avoiding lingering regret, and pressing on regardless are all keys to resilience.
• Keep on learning.
  Our world changes rapidly, and there’s always something new. Adopting a lifelong learning philosophy—staying curious and eager to gain knowledge—is essential.
• Build good, lifelong relationships.
  Who you hang with, who you serve, who you trust, who trusts you, and who you love matters.

A person with purpose is someone who takes care of their health, stays active, meets challenges head-on, continues to learn, and forges deep, meaningful relationships.

-Howe Q. Wallace Jr