The art of making a good life
Of course, people who are close to us are our lucky charms. But often charming little things and new adventures give us great moments. How to be happy and enrich your life a bit every day.
Sometimes nothing works out. The bus drives us away right in front of the nose, the boss puts pressure, because it is scarce with the project date - and the hairdresser visit in the evening, we can also buck because of all the stress. If we then jetted home and see two friends in front of a bar, who are just going to sleep, we think: They have a good time! I also want to have such a nice life !
Only: What is that, a nice life? Ute Lauterbach, philosopher and author of the book "Lebenskunst in a Nutshell" summarizes it as follows: "A life in which one is as free as possible in the mind and as far as possible in the heart." And so it gets complicated! Because we should listen to our hearts, to what is good for us - but that does not make it easy for us to have a world in which reason is constantly demanded. And yet it is worthwhile to follow the pounding in the chest, not the hammering in the head.
First of all, we have to learn to ask the right questions. What do I enjoy? When am I happy? When do I enjoy? We should take our time to do this: time to pause, to listen in and to watch each other. Slowing down life, thinking, speaking and even walking. For only those who stroll through life, watchful but relaxed, they can see it in all its beauty and diversity. And he gradually senses which things he should concentrate more on now, which needs he should give more often.
To make a nice life is a matter of practice. The art that needs it has little to do with talent - but, paradoxically, often with discipline and boldness. Even if those are qualities with which we seldom associate happiness with life. But even to pursue a beautiful goal, the motto applies: Who really wants something, he can do it too.
Basically, a fulfilled life can be built on three pillars: The first pillar stands for movement, lightness, enterprise, small adventures. The wind in your hair, the sweat on your skin, the lasting memory of a great night - all that makes life special.
The second pillar: friendship . Soul ties that are inseparable. Reliability, confidence and harmony.
The third pillar is that of beauty: to create a pleasant environment, to clean up the disturbing, to be creative, to rest. We should be ready to lose ourselves in beauty, we must not be afraid to get lost at short notice. Doing nonsense, laughing a lot, falling in love. Not in a man, but in the love in itself.
Without knowing it, we are already in the middle of it, in the beautiful life that we have always imagined. Maybe we just have to change the angle to see it too. "Everyone can decide whether the glass is half empty or half full, as they always say - it's up to you, " says Lauterbach.
A helpful ritual for doing so: to take stock at the end of each day. To remind us what beautiful moments we have experienced. When we were hilarious and spontaneous - just ourselves.
A few suggestions for such intense moments to be happy can be found in the picture gallery.
