A single improvement is often enough to produce far-reaching consequences in one’s fortune. – Max Gunther, The Luck FactornnFor most of us the prospect of a invigorating beginning in a new Location, a fresh start in life — re-energizes us. It brings about a feeling of what I call that let-out-of-school feeling.nn“Why is this let-out-of-school feeling so important to our emotional health and well-being?” you may be wondering (I hope you are!).nnBecause the ability to notice and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us--no matter our location or vocation in life--is vital. A change of scenery or pleasant, much-anticipated diversion from our usual pace is often just the ticket to make that occur.n nAppreciation allows life to pour more of itself [life energy] into us.n n“The moment we fully appreciate beauty we become more than what we were (it lightens our greed),” Roberto Assagioli wrote in his book Psychosynthesis. “We live a moment of pure psychological healthnn“Full consciousness brings joy,” author Wayne Amos wrote many years ago. “One of the mysteries is that the universe contains innate joy. Once you open your senses to anything--a sunset, a waterfall, a stone, a blade of grass--the joy comes.”nnReady For Sightseeing?nn“We are departing for the skies. Who has a mind for sightseeing?” the poet Rumi asked.nnThe skies here are not the “friendly skies” a certain airline has encouraged us to fly, but the skies of imagination.nnA bit of wispy daydreaming wedded to commitment on our part and, before you know it, you’re on your way--to your new home; a new location, new city, new job, new friends, perhaps even to your Paradise vacation spot or favorite retirement destination.nnBefore selling everything you own or packing it into storage and heading out to the open road and new adventures, however, I suggest you ask yourself (as I have), “What do I want for myself in this new moment?” (Janet Rainwater).nnLife, I’ve found, does have a pesky way of asking you WHAT YOU TRULY WANT AND DESIRE and it wants YOUR reply. My own experiences have shown me that life wants: a crystal-clear answer from you--”Yes, this is it! This is what I want to be, do, and how I desire to enjoy my remaining time here.”nnIf your answer is, “I’m not sure,” then I suggest you close your eyes and daydream.n nFirst, try envisioning what an ideal day would be like for you. Write down, and be very specific, about what you envision.nnWhen you do this, you are departing for the skies within.nnFaith and Confidence in Your FuturennAll of us care about financial security. Money allows us to say “Yes” to ourselves and to new experiences in life. It is a bit costly to sample many of life’s delights (here and abroad), isn’t it?nnMoney, however, has no idea what we think OF or ABOUT it. Money is neutral in that sense. So, wherever you move--or even if you stay in your present location--your feelings about money (your scarcity consciousness/abundance consciousness quotient) will determine, even in Paradise, whether or not you feel financially secure.nnDr. John Diamond’s (Your Body Doesn’t Lie) wonderful affirmation, “I have faith and confidence in my future. I am secure,” is worth taking along with you wherever you go.nnSecurity: A Place WithinnnI’d like to share with you my personal favorite definition of security:nn“Security is not a place of ideological stability but a direction inspired by curiosity.”nnHow’s your direction-inspired-by-curiosity doing these days?nnWell, I hope!nnThose of you who are about to retire, or have already, remember as you try to figure out whether to sell your home and buy an RV, take a cruise around the world, or settle into a retirement community, “Plan to keep busy.”n n“The practice of idleness is not as easy as it sounds,” Alan DeVoe reminds us.nnAsk those who have tried idleness and found it lacking in meaning and a source, eventually, of much dissatisfaction and unhappiness.nnCharles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, observed that “Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use.” nnTo those of you a few years away from that “idle” life you imagine will be so wonderful--perhaps several or more moves are yet in your future--you have a big question to answer:nn“In what should I creatively invest the remaining capital of my days? What projects? What goals? What do I really CARE about?”nnI’ve known people in the 80’s--and one woman in her 90’s--who are still asking themselves similar questions.nnOne thing is certain. To quote the philosopher Lao Tse, “If you do not change direction [assuming you are dissatisfied at present], you may end up where you are heading.”nnWhat Dreams May BennThe Italian film-maker Fellini wrote, “There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.”nnHow strong is your commitment to what you say, in your heart of hearts, you really want? Is there anything you can start doing TODAY to power up your dream?n nAre you willing to make the initial investment of buying back the time you are giving to television every night, the office talk that goes nowhere, shopping, or “having’ a few every night before heading home,” into achieving at least one thing in your heart of hearts you know you desire? nnOnly you know. No one else does. The results we see in a few years, however, will let everyone you know how you decided.nn“Your health is bound to be affected if, day after day, you say the opposite of what you feel, if you grovel before what you dislike, and rejoice at what brings you nothing but misfortune,” Boris Pasternak wrote. “Our nervous system isn’t just a fiction.”nn“Man’s main task in life,” Eric Fromm wrote, “is to give birth to himself. This is possible only when our interest in ourselves spills over into caring about our fellow men and women. Usually getting there requires a bit of living before that spillover occurs (except, perhaps, in those children who seem to be born with “old” and “wise” souls). nnThey are the exceptions.nnWe cannot live only for ourselves,” Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick) wrote. “A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow-men; and along those fibers as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes and they come back to us as effects.”nnTry not to let everyday life get you down. If you do, down scores a triumphant victory over life, doesn’t it?nn“The lucky renew their energy through the activity in which they’re engaged.” –-Max Gunthernn“There is no end,” Fellini reminds us. “There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.”nnn