What is the first thought that goes through your mind when you wake up on your birthday? Do you reflect on the past? Come up with plans/changes for the future? Jason Wachob, an entrepreneur and author, shared what he did a few years ago when he woke up on his 39th birthday.
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Jason Wachob: Just A Normal Guy
Jason Wachob was already running his MindBodyGreen company and was doing very well. But on that day, he decided to write a blog post titled 39 Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 39 Years. Many of his life lessons are ones that I still remind myself of each year. In Lesson #2, Jason writes “Just because you’re working 16 hours a day doesn’t mean you’re being efficient with your time. You still have to work hard to succeed, but if you’re not also organized and efficient, you’re just wasting time.” I’m a huge believer in working smarter, not harder, which to be clear….does not mean I’m not willing work hard.
This blog post is extremely inspirational, real and is chalk-full of common sense. I love how he touches on all aspects of life: health, relationships, marriage, work, habits and happiness. This is a really great list. I wasn’t the only one who read it a few times. This is how his book was born when he got an offer from a publisher.
Jason updated his list of 39 the last two years, and #41 talks about how he resisted at first in writing a book. But he quotes Benjamin Franklin, “If you want something done, ask a busy man.” He made it happen (read about how he did it!) and the tips is If You’re Passionate, You’ll Prioritize.
Wellth: noun | A new and more valuable life currency
His book credit shows the definition of wealth vs wellth. Wellth is a life exemplified by abundance, happiness, purpose, healthy, and joy.
The world is a better place with this book in it. His books is titled Wellth: How I Learned to Build a Life, Not a Résumé.
On his list of 39 points, #25 really resonates with me and what I teach. He says, “Gratitude is the key to happiness.” True. True. True. We need to always be grateful and appreciative for what we have and see the glass half full, instead of complaining for what we don’t have and seeing the glass half empty.
Another good point he made about happiness that spoke to me is #16, “If you’re not happy with yourself, you’ll never be happy in a relationship.” His biggest point to happiness in life is balance. He doesn’t believe in one-size fits all approaches to health or life.
Positive People Influence our Lives
It is so awesome how Jason Wachob’s mother was such a positive influence in his life. She made him “an eternal optimist” with her encouragement and outlook on life.
When Jason was younger, he played Varsity basketball for 4 years and he learned many lessons through that experience that has made him a winner at life. One of those things has to do with adversity. When facing adversity, he asks these questions:
- How do you handle losing?
- Do you rise above it? Do you blame others?
- How do you react?
- Do you get used to it and become complacent?
Jason is the CEO of MindBodyGreen. He does his best to live it out and help others live a healthier, happier life. He repeats “thank you, thank you” over and over in bed, as soon as he wakes up. He encourages a life of gratitude. He relaxes through meditation every morning. To kick back, he balances work and free time. He will meditate, do yoga and go to the gym to stay healthy and release stress.
Jason carries that mindset to his company. People that work at MindBodyGreen need to have a balanced life and build a culture of health, happiness and wellness. Without balance, you will fall apart. This brings joy to the workplace and makes work easier when everyone is happier.
Share in the comments how you strive for a life with balance.
I totally agree that gratitude is the key to happiness! It doesn’t matter what you have the only way you will be happy is if you are grateful for the little things around you:) Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I will share this with others as well.