How To Live A Balanced Life &

Create A Healthy Mind

It’s time to level up and activate your sage mode.

Ken Marshall
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Apr 26, 2017 · 13 min read

You want to live the best life possible.

But you don’t want to spend a ton of time learning how to
accomplish this.

I completely understand.

This wellness pocket guide is the answer to all of your problems

(not really, but it will help eliminate common life problems you
might encounter).

I’ve put together 10 easy to implement yet effective action steps

that will increase your happiness, make you feel more fulfilled, and
boost your quality of life.

These are written to start helping and affecting you immediately,

but because it’s so short and sweet, you can bookmark it for later
when you need a bit of a refresher as well.

Let’s get started.

Getting Your Mind Right = Getting

Your Life Right

Step 1. Write down your innermost

desire in the entire world
If you take away nothing else from this guide, considering and
figuring out what you want to do most is imperative in shaping
your path in life and the overall quality of that life.

Your dreams and passions matter. So figure out what you actually
want, aside from monetary obligations, other’s expectations, or
any other pressures. It will guide you towards a more purpose-
filled existence.

Also, write it down somewhere. If you’re having trouble with this

(which is 100% alright because of how you’ve been socialized by
society), here are some questions to ask yourself to get your brain
juices flowing.

Questions For Figuring Out Your Passion

 If you had to do one thing every day for the rest of your life,
what would it be?”
 If you had to work for free, what would you be doing?
 If you had no bills, spouse, or other obligations, what would
you care about?
 What kinds of things do you do in your free time (this is often a
good indicator of a secret dream)?
 What do you dream about, or often say “I wish I could” before
describing it?

Take a moment to really consider these questions and see what

you come up with. Figuring out a true passion helps establish
goals, steer you in the right directions in life when making tough
decisions, and keeps you motivated when you aren’t feeling up to
the challenge.

You may not be used to considering your own happiness or what

you want with the monotony or pressures of day to day life, but in
order to start living a whole and fulfilled life, you have got to get
used to thinking about those desires.

Pro Tip

Write down your biggest and most outlandish dream on a piece of

paper, whiteboard, vision board, or whatever strikes your fancy.
Then put it somewhere where you go every day like in front of your
door or on your bathroom mirror so you will never forget.

Never forget.
Step 2. Spend every day after that
doing whatever you’ve got to do to
make your dream possible
Perseverance and dedication are the keys to both long-term
success and personal fulfillment as well.

You’ve got to realize that your heart knows what it wants. But the
way you’ve structured your life or the responsibilities you’ve
accumulated might not be in line with those innermost desires. So
it is up to you to continue to find ways to make them
possible.

A good way to start is with what are called low barrier of entry
options. These are everything you can do at the beginning of any
journey that allows you to jump right in and start making early
progress when dealing with a huge and daunting task.

For example: You’d like to lose 50 lbs in a year. So you’re

convinced that you must exercise for 2 hours every single day and
completely change your diet to only involve ice cubes and lettuce…

Not the case.

The best way to get this goal done is through starting off with
around 15–20 minutes of light exercise a day (taking a walk,
playing with your dog in the park, etc), 3 times a week. Then
continue to build.

This will reward your initial progress and keep you motivated
while you’re in growth mode.

Important to keep in mind

The most rewarding parts of life are always the most exclusive.
They require work, belief, and an insane amount of passion. You
have the passion inside of you. It’s always been there. You’ve
simply got to make up your mind that you’re willing to start doing
whatever it takes to get there.

Techniques For Keeping Yourself On Track

 Keep a daily journal of your progress. Each day (or week
if daily is too difficult) record 1 or 2 ways you made
improvements. Also write down what you could have done
better and what you need tomorrow.
 Tell a friend or join a group. Having encouragement from
like minded people is a powerful motivator. These folks can
also kick your butt back into shape if you veer off your path
 Hire a professional. Starting any new large lifestyle change
can be difficult. Getting help from someone who has been there
and done that will get you started off on the right foot.

Moving on.

Step 3. Help and love others

relentlessly
“The best cure for weariness is the challenge of
helping someone who is even more tired. One
of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who
serves almost always benefits more than he or
she who is served.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley

If that doesn’t speak to you, I truly don’t know what will. It is a

quote that perfectly sums up why it is imperative to give your time
and assist others in some way.

Here’s a story to help illustrate that point:

Picture yourself on your way home from work during a rainy day.
It’s the end of the month, so soon you will have bills to pay, and
you feel like your job isn’t enough to provide for your life.

While you’re walking, you notice a family of three, over by the

corner in an alleyway. A mom and her two children, sitting in a
cardboard box, huddled together for warmth. They have no sign,
only a few belongings, and no food, shelter, or other basic
necessities nearby.

Compared to them, I’m sure your situation got put on hold and in
light of theirs doesn’t seem so bad right?

That’s only part of the power of what considering other’s needs

and being a light in the world around you can reveal. It helps put
all of the events, thoughts, and feelings of your life into
perspective.

It’s not as if you suddenly won’t have bad days or feel down about
yourself at times. But getting to see those less fortunate than you
will help you decide on what’s really important.

Also, encouraging or helping another human being also

doubles as motivation for yourself. Apart from the rush of
dopamine you get (happy chemicals in your brain), the person you
helped is likely to be grateful to you and make that known.
Hearing those words and knowing the feeling of helping someone
else goes a long way towards improving your self-worth and
esteem levels.

Wanna know some things you can do to help

tomorrow?
 Volunteer at a homeless shelter nearby. Gain empathy
by hearing the variety of stories.
 Compliment 3 strangers at the grocery store. Do it next
time you’re there. You might make someone’s week with your
simple act of kindness.
 Donate money to a local charity. You know the money will
have a huge impact. Very little effort required.
 Give someone who is emotionally distressed a few
minutes of your time. Offer them any comfort you can. You
never know who is right on the edge and needs a friend.

These kinds of actions work as a positive feedback loop and the

cycle of you helping someone, who feels inspired to help another,
who goes out and does the same, can make a huge impact in a
short amount of time. It’s not only good for you, it’s better for
society.

Living this way, with purpose and the satisfaction of having a

cause apart from your own needs, is one of the most fulfilling
things on the planet, and will go a long way towards boosting your
mood, and reshaping your outlook on life into one that is much
more optimistic and positive.

Step 4. Eat natural food, drink more

water, and exercise for at least 30
minutes 3 times a week

The importance of fueling your body correctly

I shouldn’t even have to touch on this one, but I will. You’ve got to
eat better. Simple as that.

Picture putting unleaded gas into a Ferrari, or even worse, trying

to put soda in the tank and expecting it to start and run smoothly.
That would be nonsense right?

Well, that may be an extreme example, but it’s not that different
from putting processed or unhealthy foods and drinks into your
body. Our bodies were designed very specifically with certain
nutritional requirements. Because it’s so resourceful, it can handle
eating a pizza every day with a gallon of mountain dew, but not
properly or for long.
Eating a balanced diet and fulfilling all of your those requirements
is pretty simple. No fancy diets, no spending tons of money.
This healthy eating chartsums it up nicely:
A tip you can think about to help yourself stay on track is that if
you can’t find it growing on a tree, grow it in the ground, pick it off
of a plant, flowing on it’s own, or roaming/flying around in nature,
you probably shouldn’t eat it.

When it comes to water, this is a no-brainer. You need to be

hydrated. Your body needs water to survive and function properly.
It has a million functions to keep your body running smoothly. Do
it more often.

It’s time to get active

You need exercise for the same reasons you need to eat well and
drink water. It’s all about health and energy.

Have you ever seen someone struggle to walk up a large flight of

stairs (or even worse, been that person)? It’s painful to see the
human body struggle to get through the day from lack of energy,
not be able to perform certain motions or maintain natural
positions because of bad health or start failing because it’s not
being maintained properly.

Exercise doesn’t mean running a marathon every month or going

to some insane cycling class at your local gym after signing up for a
$100 per week membership. It can be as simple as taking a 15
minute walk every day at your lunch break. It can be playing catch
with your kid outside for an hour. Even watching a follow along
workout on YouTube.

The point is to start to consider how your body FEELS. Is

it painful for you to sit down for long periods of time? Do you get
out of breath easily? Do you feel sluggish most of the time? These
are all signs that things aren’t going well.

Start out small with light stretching and some form of physical
exercise each week, and slowly make improvements as you get
stronger and in better shape. Not only will you feel and get around
better, but watch your mood start to get waaaay better as well.
#FitFam

Step 5. Read more. Try 2 books a

month
Knowledge is the key to growth. The more you continue to grow,
the better off you’ll be. When you’re better off in life, you tend to
be satisfied. Satisfaction and happiness are best friends.

Guess what one of the best ways to acquire knowledge is?

WRONG.

It’s reading! Whether you prefer books, blogs, fiction, fantasy, or

whatever else, you’ve got to do it. Yes, I know there are many other
ways to consume information, and not everyone is a visual learner.
But our minds still process information best by reading it from
physical words, rather than a screen.
Keep in mind that any and every problem you
have ever had or ever will have has most likely
been had by someone already, and they’ve
written a book on it.

Reading is important because you can always find ways to enhance

or improve your life more quickly, rather than trying to learn the
lesson on your own.

Even less practical books, or non fiction novels provide your mind
with useful perspectives and helps to keep it stimulated. A more
stimulated mind helps you process information more efficiently in
the future and can enhance creativity as well.

Step 6. Meditate every single day

Meditation is often a misunderstood practice. When you think of
this you might first picture a monk up in a temple somewhere, or a
hippy from the 70s going on about free love and peace.

The reality, however, is that meditation is simply the process of

clearing your mind, increasing your level of consciousness, and
improving your relationship with your thoughts. When done
regularly, it can have some amazing benefits for your life. Such as:

 Lowered anxiety
 Improved immune system
 Greater emotional stability
 Stress relief
 Increased focus
 A more balanced temperament
Along with many others. But even better than the benefits, is how
little effort is required to get started and start seeing positive
effects.

When it comes to meditation, there is no right or wrong way to go

about it. You’ve simply got to find the style that works best for
your brain and lifestyle. Same goes with time.

In the beginning, while you’re getting a feel for the habit, take 10–
15 minutes either at the start of your day or right before you go to
bed to practice. That will ease you into the process.

Meditation Resources To Get You Started

 Guided Meditation On Youtube
 Headspace Meditation App
 Great meditation blog and podcast for beginners

Step 7. Spend time in nature

For starters, there an insane amount of benefits to spending time
outside.

But the main benefit of being outside and experience

fresh air is for the sake of tranquility and peace of mind.

Today’s society has become a series of hyper-connected moments

with media, friends, jobs, and a million other distractions and
responsibilities. Humans are busier than ever before, and it’s not
necessarily resulting in getting more done. It’s mostly stressing
everyone out.

Being in nature is the exact opposite of that.

The brilliance behind taking a hike, camping,
playing in a river, or walking through a park, is
that there isn’t much going on. It’s incredibly
difficult to be stressed out in nature.

Nature does what it does, and doesn’t vary all too much. There are
sounds, but none that constantly grab your attention. There is
motion, but it is steady and even. This naturally allows you to be in
a more calm and present state, which is awesome for your brain.

Step 8. Keep a tight circle of friends,

family, and loved ones. Spend quality
time with them 1+ times a week
Even the most introverted people need companionship and
positive interaction with other humans.

The right network of friends and loved ones can be a source of

encouragement and excitement. It can challenge you to be a better
version of yourself, comfort you when you’re feeling down, and
help you decompress if you’ve been feeling stressed out.

It’s important not to get so wrapped up in your own

situation or hardship that you forget that there are
others you know who want to support you and spend
time with you.

If you’re feeling like you don’t have anybody that has your back or
if you’ve isolated yourself and don’t know how to dig yourself back
out try this:

1. Scroll through your phone or facebook feed

2. Find your best freind that you haven’t talked to in a few months
3. Send them a message letting them know you’re thinking about
them and miss them
4. Ask them to make plans to hang out sometime in the near
future
5. Write it down on your calendar and ask them to do the same so
it happens
6. enjoy and heal

Allow yourself to be vulnerable to others and build up a solid

group of people around you that will always bring you up.

ALSO…

You’ve got to eliminate every negative influences in your

life. Mean spirited, jealous, or lazy friends are the quickest way to
not achieving anything for yourself.

Their energy and decision-making process will rub off on you and
do much more harm than good. Take a few moments to ask
yourself the following questions about anyone you spend time
with:

 Does this person make me sad more often than happy?

 Do we add value to the other’s life?
 Why are we friends? Is there real substance at the core of our
relationship?

If you’re answering no to any of those, that’s probably a bad sign.

Clear out the nonsense, strengthen the good.

Moving on.

Step 10. Laugh and smile often

Life is kind of like training a new puppy.
It’s a huge responsibility, it doesn’t care what you say, and it’s
almost always rewarding in the end. But, it also can be extremely
frustrating and cause you some stress as well.

That’s where smiling and laughter come in. Making yourself smile
can actually make you feel better.

So a quick and dirty way to live a more fulfilled and settled life is to
ensure that you’re getting a lot of laughs and lighthearted
moments in on a daily basis. If things are really tough, and the
positive emotion isn’t happening organically on its own, then
forcing yourself to smile works fine instead.

*huge smile emoji*

Do not get discouraged, friend. You are in control of your life. If

you can conceive of it, it is possible. I wish you luck with all future
endeavors.