A quality of life definition is a tough one, right? I mean, and this is just me thinking out loud, but it seems to me that quality of life is one of those terms which can mean something different to almost everyone.
Seriously! I’ve seen pictures of villagers in some remote place in Africa, or Mongolia, and they were living in pretty primitive conditions, but they had smiles on their faces, they were laughing, they were caring for their children with obvious love, and I have to conclude that they live a quality of life which is pretty darned good.
On the other end of the spectrum, I have read about millionaires who had everything you could possibly hope for in material riches, who committed suicide. How good was their quality of life?
As I sit in my home office, in the midst of what I feel is a pretty happy retirement, I think of these things. As I patiently wait for my wife to retire, in nine months, and for us to begin a part-time RV life in our new travel trailer, I wonder about the quality of life, what makes for a great quality of life, and what makes for a terrible quality of life.
Heavy thoughts on a sunny March morning.
Possessions, evidently, are not part of the quality of life formula
We have to come to that conclusion, don’t we, that having an abundance of possessions has nothing to do with a good quality of life? The example I gave earlier would seem to support that conclusion. The old saying “you can’t buy happiness” rings true. Sure, having more money would be nice, but it’s not like I wake up every day mourning the state of my finances. My necessities are paid for; I have what I need and I have a few things I don’t need as a bonus, and for the most part, most days, I’m happy with my life. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t always been so for me. Seventeen years ago, in the middle of my last alcoholic binge, my quality of life was at an all-time low point, and I had more than enough money.
What about good health?
The nicest person I have ever known was my Aunt Lois. I didn’t know her long; she died when I was ten. But during those years I did know her, I never heard her say a mean word, never heard her say an unkind thing about anyone, and she always had a smile on her face . . . all the while battling a heart condition which kept her bedridden and which ultimately led to her death at the age of thirty.
I have a Facebook friend who has MS, and her positivity about life puts me to shame.
No, I don’t think good health has anything to do with a definition of quality of life.
What, then, is the common denominator for quality of life?
All I can give you is my opinion, based on my experiences over seventy-three years, but it seems to me that the people who are truly happy, the people who have a quality of life worth bragging about, are the people who love life and love themselves. As corny as that may sound, for me, that’s what it all boils down to.
Final thoughts on how to live a quality of life worth bragging about
It makes no difference how much money you earn, or how many playthings you own, or how many friends you have or the amount of fame you have . . . if you don’t love life, the fundamentals of this thing we call life, and if you don’t love who you are, your quality of life will never be as good as it could be.
So sayeth the old man!
In nine months, my wife and I are going to start the next chapter of our lives. We will get up each morning and see what we can do to witness the wonder of it all. Sometimes we will wander, RVing, in search of wonders. Sometimes we will simply stay at home and witness the wonders in our own city. But the goal will always be the same: we want to see as many wonders as possible in the time we have left, and if we do that, our quality of life will be one to really boast about.
Catch you down the road of life!
