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4. Enhanced self-knowledge and awareness Since time began self-knowledge and awareness
have been synonymous with happiness and achievement. To perform at your optimum level,
you will need to discover who you truly are beneath the masks you wear, and why you believe,
think, feel and act the way you do. You need to identify and understand the influencing events,
choices and people that have shaped your character from earliest days of childhood. You
need to discover why you react and respond the way you do to people and situations around
you. As you become more aware and accept yourself, you will begin moving toward more
happiness in all the areas of your life. This topics is covered in more detail in The Real You
Lecture.

5. Health and energy Radiant health implies freedom from illnesses, pain or disease that can
destroy our zest for life. Good health results in vitality which can make living much more
enjoyable. Your body is constructed in such a way that if you just stop doing certain things to it,
it often recovers and becomes healthy and energetic all by itself.

Whatever achievements you may experience in the material world, if you lose your health or
your peace of mind, you get little or no pleasure from your other accomplishments.
6. Loving and connecting relationships As humans we are social animals. We need other
people to communicate and share experiences with. We need other people who can help to

make us feel we are OK. It is important to have at least one person whose affection you enjoy.
This need not be a romantic relationship. A family member or a friend can also fill this need.

We are talking about the relationships with the people you love and care about, and the
people who love and care about you. Most of our happiness and unhappiness in life comes
from our relationships with others, and it is our relationships with others that make us truly human.

7. Financial freedom Financial freedom means that having enough money so that you don’t
have to worry about money. Achieving financial independence or freedom is one of the most
important goals and responsibilities of your life.

Basic needs vary from individual to individual. For somebody even an old car is a luxury while for
another even a Mercedes is not enough. The minimum we would want to start with would be
sufficient income to provide for reasonable food, shelter and clothing. What is reasonable will
depend a lot upon attitude.
Having more wealth or income than this reasonable amount may improve the level of
happiness for some people, but it is not a prerequisite for happiness. On the other hand,
excessive wealth may cause problems of its own making.

An increasingly large percentage of the population are plagued with money problems. Many
wind-up miserable and broke, having spent 40 years working long hard hours only to end up
with insufficient money to keep them in their retirement. They worry about money when they
wake up in the morning, while they’re having breakfast and during the day. They become
overwhelmed with it to the point where it severely impairs their happiness in all areas of their
lives. This is an unhappy, unhealthy way to exist. This is not contributing to being the best you can
be.