Written by: Tim Irvine
The picture you are looking at is that of Arthur Kennedy Sr. He’s one of my heroes and a shining example of how to live life. You can learn from him, so read on to find out how.
Arthur is 90 years old and took this picture a few weeks before writing this article. His trip to the Grand Canyon was part of his 90th birthday celebration. I’ve only known him for the last ten years, but in that time, he’s travelled to many exotic locales in the world, usually multiple times a year. Herein lies the important message.
Arthur isn’t managing his health to the nth degree; he’s just enjoying life doing things he loves to do.
Sure, he pays attention to what he eats, but not religiously. He loves a great meal and a nice bottle of wine.
He exercises regularly but does so to continue to do the things he loves, with travel being at or near the top of the list. It helps to keep him young.
He has family that he spends a lot of meaningful time with, including some of his travel.
Regardless of a person’s age, there are many lessons to be learned from Arthur. There is, however, one thing that he has just nailed: He fills his life with experiences and people that he loves, and supports it with behaviours that allow him to do it whenever he wants. That’s the secret sauce that brings him happiness. It is also the same sauce that brings the rest of us happiness.
It’s worth thinking about how you might be able to adapt to this simple overarching approach. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, give yourself a score on how well you are doing but exclude 7 altogether. If you are 8 or higher, you are already doing a great job. If your score is 6 or lower, you may want to consider adjusting some things to have a bit more joy in your life. Pick just one thing you would like more of and take any size of steps towards it. You will get there one way or another.
To adapt a slogan from Nike, forget about ‘Be like Mike’, be like Arthur instead!
