time:  5:58am

Life can only be understood backwards,
but must be lived forward…..

I stayed up late the other night watching the 2008
academy award winning movie “The Curious Case Of
Benjamin Button” starring Brad Pitt & Cate Blanchett.

You may have seen it, and you may have been moved by
the unusual story like I was.  It is a fictional story
of of a man born in his 80′s and ages backwards.  It
follows Benjamin’s remarkable adventure of romance and
redemption from the end of World War 1 through the 21st
Century.

So why am I talking about a Hollywood movie you ask?
Well, it moved me in a way that has me approaching each
day in a more meaningful and deeper way.  It is
allowing me to look at my life, thus far, from a
different perspective & maybe with a little more wisdom.

I think some of us are confused as to what we think are the keys
to happiness.  It’s not the money and the fame so much.

You see, if your anything like me, you can sometimes
get caught up in lives daily monotony like:

~ all the errands you have to complete during lunch time
~ getting the car repaired
~ making sure my taxes are turned in on time
~ putting up with all the negativity on the news
~ making sure I meet that financial quota for the month
~ staying in physical shape
~ getting that bill paid on time
~ fighting traffic

Although these things have their importance, they
really don’t constitute the deeper meanings of life.
Yes positive mindset can lead to health and happiness,
but there is a lot more to it.

If you watch the movie, you will see the character
Benjamin, lives each day in amazement, curiosity and
gratitude.  These are his keys to happiness.

Just like us, he does suffer some hardships, lost and
regained love for his lady, friendships that come and
go, death, war, and growing so young that he eventually
passes away as an infant.

Benjamin has  little money, grows up in sort of a halfway
house for elderly people, and for the most part is a fragile
creature.  One would think it would be hard to have a “success
mindset” under these circumstances.

He isn’t too worried about tomorrow, but lives for
today.  He is amazed at his daily experiences and new
friendships and that brings him happiness and
contentment.

You will see what I mean if you watch the film.

Of course we must tend to business and provide for our
families, but I think we get so busy and easily
distracted that we aren’t enjoying the simplicities of
life that being alive allows us to experience.

Too many of us are wrapped up in our problems, the way
we think others think of us, failed relationships, what
we are lacking, our job, and what we have failed to
accomplish.

My suggestion is to approach each day like the
character Benjamin Button would.

Be eager, be humble, be generous, be helpful and be
nice to others.

Take a walk, read a book outside, think about what you
care about the most, and compliment someone.

If you love someone, tell them you do.  If you want to
start a business then do it and follow through with it.
If you hate your job and are complaining about it all
the time then get a different one. If you don’t like
your physical shape then go workout.

Life is too short to be unhappy.

It just seems like the other day I was fishing with my
grade school friend Alex and we didn’t have a care in
the world.  All that mattered was riding our bikes to
the lake to see who would catch the first fish of the
day.

Now, in the blink of an eye, I realize I am halfway
through this thing called “life”.

Stop and smell the roses my friends.  If your not sure
how to do that then watch Benjamin Button, he was
pretty good at it.

Find your keys to happiness,

Bert McClure
“Human Potential Specialist”
210.857.7271

**I appreciate your comments please**