The quest of almost every individual today is not just to have a long life, but to have a healthy and happy one as well. People plunge headlong into an ocean of trying this and testing that, of having as much as possible, and of working extra time to get all three in life -  longevity, happiness, and health.

More and more people today get tired and burned out while trying to figure out the kind of life they want to live. They end up wanting more, rather than being satisfied with what they have. They wake up to the reality that life is getting shorter, more fragile, and more taxing.

Schedules just keep getting more hectic. Even if you get to avail yourself of paid overtimes, the workload just keeps piling up. Exhaustion gets the better of you. Even with all that overtime pay, you still cannot afford to find real rest and vacation to do what you want in your so-called “free time.”

Fact is, most vacations are tightly planned and pressure laden. They say that you have to keep up with some schedule to make the most of your vacation time. When you really think about it, most vacations are really extensions of the pressures you thought you left at the office. Just the same, they often mean you have to beat some deadlines. People tend to feel more tired after such “vacations.”

As technology offers amenities and new possibilities that are more modern, people build dreams and ambitions faster than what their pulse rate or heartbeat could endure. The result is a mechanical life enslaved by pressures from deadlines, company goals, and other people’s expectations that have no bearing on what you really want to achieve for you and your family.

Instead, you and your family are dragged reluctantly into the rush of things and are merely fitted into somebody else’s schedules and “cut-off” dates.

Later, the hustles and bustles all end up in a shortened life span; and there at the end of your rope, you realize you have done nothing you really wanted to do in your life. Modernity also keeps pushing us to quick-fix foods that not only cut the time for food preparation, but shorten our health and lives as well.

Not all these killer pressures have to continue if you do not want them to. It is really your choice. Would you drag yourself into such things that will lead you to a short, unhealthy, and miserable life; or would you stand up and decide what you want to do with your own life to achieve longevity, health, and happiness?

Reading this blog and keeping the principles here in mind are not enough to achieve the desired result. Neither will trying a little be sufficient, like deciding to apply the principles for three to six months, or even for a year. Instead, you have to commit to a life of doing these steps and principles. Faith is the key. Real faith is not just mental belief — it is living each moment of your life based on principles.

There are some easy yet essential steps involved in attaining a longer, healthier, and happier life. These steps are not intended to be more authoritative than hospital treatments. When you are sick, it is always best to consult with your physician. This site is merely for added information on how to live a better, healthier lifestyle.

But, in addition, adopting a healthier lifestyle can help you feel better on many other levels too… spiritually, emotionally, mentally, etc.

So, in the posts of this blog, I’ll be exploring tons of ways in which you can make small changes that add up to BIG benefits for your physical, spiritual, and emotional/mental health. I’ll give you lots of tips for healthy living that you and your loved ones can start using right away to live a healthier life.

Oh yeah… who am I and what makes me such an expert? Well, my name is Kathi MacNaughton; I’m a registered nurse and consumer health writer. You can see my work on About.com and HealthCentral.com’s Allergy Network & AsthmaCentral. But, even more important, I’m a lifelong believer in healthy living.

So, are you ready? Great… Let’s Get Healthy Now!

To your health,
Kathi