Group Wellness Program60-DAY

HavePURPOSE

Have purpose• Having a purpose in life is good for health.• Why do you get up in the morning?

Plan de vida• Nicoyans have a plan de vida – a life plan, or reason

for getting out of bed every morning. The Okinawans call it ikigai.

• In the Hot Spots, people have a strong sense of purpose.

• In all the Hot Spots, people have work they have to do every day. They have to tend their gardens, herd their sheep and goats, enter singing competitions, catch fish, harvest grapes, clean the house, practice martial arts, look after children and much more.

Plan de vida• People in the Hot Spots often talk about working

hard. Super-centenarians tend to say that they have worked hard all their lives. For example, 105-year-old Consolata in Sardinia had to raise fourteen children and, as her husband died young, she had to do extra work.

• People in the Hot Spots enjoy their work.

Why do people in LHS enjoy their work?

Why do people in LHS enjoy their work?

• People feel they are a part of the community and their work is appreciated and has visible results.

• Their work often takes place in beautiful warm surroundings.

• Their work is often a sociable event; for example, people might work in the fields together or sit making handicrafts together.

• People are busy, and they work hard, but they do not experience the type of work stress which we can experience in the modern world. They generally do not have unrealistic deadlines or more than they can do.

• Activities are also not competitive. Everybody helps each other.

Why do people in LHS enjoy their work?

• In the US, retirement age is 65.• In the Hot Spots, retirement age is: never. There is

no word for ‘retirement’. People work into their 90s and beyond.

• In Okinawa, for example, elderly women do handicrafts. This keeps their hands supple and their minds engaged.

• In Hunza, elderly men have the responsibility of making decisions on behalf of the community. This makes them feel respected and gives them purpose.

Why do people in LHS enjoy their work?

Why do people in LHS enjoy their work?

• Purpose gives us a reason to get up in the morning.• It enables us to achieve goals, both big (such as

becoming President of the United States) and small (such as picking some grapes to make wine).

Having faith: a wider purpose

• In the Hot Spots, people have a strong faith. Different religions are practiced in different Hot Spots.

• Having a strong faith creates a wider feeling of purpose.

• In the Hot Spots there is also a feeling of closeness to nature which gives people a sense of belonging and hence a sense of purpose.

• Going to church also gives a direction to the day – for example, Juana of Nicoya, aged 105, walks to church most days.

How can we add purpose to our lives?

• Ask yourself what you want to achieve in your life. • Ask yourself which of these goals can actually be

achievable.• Look at both long-term and short-term goals. • Ask yourself: do I have enough purpose in my life?• If not, how can this be rectified?

Some ideas for having purpose

• Go out and help the community (for example, visit lonely elderly people or help in a soup kitchen).

• Learn a skill you have always thought you might be good at or enjoy but have never taken up. Perhaps learn a musical instrument or take up woodwork.

• Make a list of things you haven’t achieved but wish to achieve and tick them off.

• Find ways to be part of a community.

Some ideas for having purpose

• Think about your possible ‘higher purpose’. • Ask yourself: ‘what is my TRUE purpose in life?’• Think about the things you already do and the value

of those things.

Purpose and the BluePrint for Life

• When thinking about purpose, remember how it fits into the BluePrint for Life.

• Eating well can give you the energy and good health you need to do the things you want to do.

• Exercise and movement keeps you fit, creates an upbeat mood, and goes hand-in-hand with good eating.

• Being able to relax and avoid stress helps keep those things you feel purposeful about in perspective, and helps keep you in good health so as to be able to do them.

• Connecting with others creates a sense of your place and purpose within the community.

ACTIVITY:This week, write down 3 long term and 3 short term goals. Make a plan and develop a timeline to achieve those goals.

NEXT WEEK:protein