I once had a very close friend Gene who asked me to share information with him that would create his perfect living experience. Not discounting the natural negatives and circumstances I tried.

Several years later he walked up to me and exclaimed that we had come as close as possible. He felt like he was completely free and living his dream lifestyle, almost. Of course he still had some living expenses for the goods and services he purchased and there were taxes and insurance , but the living experience or part that truly impacted him as a living being had improved vastly.

So much so that Gene actually enjoyed the living experience again. He was free to do as he pleased and that freedom and the knowledge and accepted belief that he would be able to survive financially for the rest of his life eliminated many of the pressures and concerns he had held on to for so many years.

The key was that Gene knew what would honestly fulfill and bring him happiness .

It wasn't some radical earth shattering change, but rather a series of shifts and pattern alterations that led him to that place of happiness . The process and potential had always been there, but he either was unaware and not looking for it or was simply distracted by the process of making a living.

Sometimes people do that. They get so caught up in the living experience that they forget to carve out a life of their own. People get so focused on making progress that they cannot see that they have already passed their goal. If they slow down, shift down and apply their resources properly a comfortable lifestyle is within grasp.

In Gene's case he moved from the city into a country setting. He gave up the large home for the quiet country home and eliminated the financial and commitment burdens that keep people in the pattern of driving hard for income.

Every day when he awoke was a new adventure, a new experience of sun and butterflies. Instead of traffic and street chatter he listened to the birds in the trees and at night his family enjoyed the quiet solitude and the silent summer fireflies. Children could play across the lawns without fear and at night when Gene went to bed there was no dread of the impending day. He was mentally, emotionally and physically free, totally mercifully free and able to survive.

Survival and freedom are the fundamental human needs. Once you fulfill those two needs the rest of your life begins to align in order. Stress, pressures and confusion are eliminated as you become free to take the time to plan and manage your own living experience. These needs are what drive you to focus on income and income producing sources. People want a job and need a paycheck.

What do you really want out of life? Is it the job and paycheck or is it the result. That living position and feeling you get from living in the quality of the moment. Think back to a moment when you were sitting out in the summer on vacation and how it felt to be free of the cares and concerns of living for just that brief time. No job, no telephones and nothing to distract you from doing exactly what you wanted, when you wanted and as much as you wanted.

Gene felt that each day. He had shifted his life to be that situation in reality. Every day was a vacation day for Gene and he was free to come and go as he pleased. He had some obligations, but had taken the time to design a way of making them easier and more organized so they didn't eat up his free time.

Gene passed while still a young man, but the memory of him walking up and thanking me for saving him and releasing him into a living experience that was rich and fun again is fresh as if it happened yesterday. Influencing another person's life in a positive way has to be one of the most empowering and fulfilling feelings possible as a human.

Living better is living smarter and you must learn to take control of your own living experience. Don't allow the decisions and results of others to control your life path. Develop a clear vision of what will fulfill and bring happiness to you and then shift your lifestyle and patterns to make that vision a reality.

Author's Bio: 

Mr. Gentry has taken to heart the lessons shared with him over the years by his mentors. He continues to enrich himself through sharing his knowledge and insight with others in the attempt to better society by making even the slightest positive change in his fellow man.

Knowledge is worthless if it is not shared and utilized for positive direction and improvement.