How to Live a Good Life: Soulful Stories, Surprising Science, and Practical Wisdom

257 Pages·2016·7.25 MB·English

by  Jonathan Fields

Praise for
How to Live a Good Life
“Amid the pressure of our everyday routines, it’s easy to forget
what matters most. We yearn for lives with more energy,
enthusiasm, and connection—but where to start? The brilliant
Jonathan Fields shows us, in this thought-provoking and action-
provoking guide. With engaging (and often funny) stories,
cutting-edge research, concrete ideas, and examples from Fields’
own experience, How to Live a Good Life will inspire readers to
start living their good lives, today.”
— Gretchen Rubin, New York Times best-selling author of
The Happiness Project and Better Than Before
“An incredibly wise, compassionate, and clear guide to living
the good life. You’ll immediately want to give it to your ten-year-
younger self and say ‘Read this right now!’”
— Neil Pasricha, New York Times best-selling author of The Book of
Awesome and The Happiness Equation
“We’ve all been there: going through life on autopilot, feeling ‘fine’
but no longer excited about the dreams we once held so close to
our hearts. How to Live a Good Life will dust off those dreams,
bringing them out of forgotten places and back into view.”
— Chris Guillebeau, New York Times best-selling author of
Born for This and The $100 Startup
“How to Live a Good Life skillfully pairs potentiality with
action. Fields’ voice is refreshingly down-to-earth and his
enthusiasm is contagious. My ‘Good Life’ buckets
runneth over after reading this book!”
— Kristen Noel, Editor-in-Chief, Best Self
“Fields is shining his spotlight on possibility—not lofty dreams,
not success strategies, not motivational techniques—but
possibility. Straightforward, dynamic, and written with the
vitality he wants readers to discover in themselves, this book
explains how anyone can live a more energetic, joyful, and
passionate life.”
— Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight
“Fields offers a simple yet powerful lens through which to look at
your life and design your days—through connection, contribution,
and vitality. His work is not just a wake-up call, it’s a road map
and a rousing reminder of your gifts.”
— Elena Brower, co-author of Art of Attention
“This book is a wake-up call to what really matters in life.
Jonathan takes you on a journey where you’ll pause, reflect, and
prioritize what’s most important to living a good life and then give
you the simple tools to actually go live it.”
— Jadah Sellner, author of Simple Green Smoothies

Soulful Stories, Surprising Science,
and Practical Wisdom
JONATHAN FIELDS
HAY HOUSE, INC.
Carlsbad, California • New York City
London • Sydney • Johannesburg
Vancouver • New Delhi
Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.:
www.hayhouse.com® • Published and distributed in Australia by:
Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au • Published and
distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.
hayhouse.co.uk • Published and distributed in the Republic of South
Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za • Distributed in
Canada by: Raincoast Books: www.raincoast.com • Published in India by:
Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in
Cover design: Caroline Winegeart • Interior design: Nick C. Welch • Interior photos/
illustrations: Winegeart, Caroline Kelso
“The Summer Day” from House of Light by Mary Oliver, published by Beacon
Press, Boston. Copyright © 1990 by Mary Oliver, used herewith by permission of
the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical,
photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording;
nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for
public or private use—other than for “fair use” as brief quotations embodied in
articles and reviews—without prior written permission of the publisher.
The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the
use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical
problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The
intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you
in your quest for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. In the event you
use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher
assume no responsibility for your actions.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the
Library of Congress
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4019-4841-2
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1st edition, October 2016
Printed in the United States of America
To Mom, with love
C O N T E N T S
Introduction 1
Who Is This Book For?
Who Am I to Write This Book, and How Is It Different?
Where Do the Ideas I’m about to Share Come From?
Let’s Get Your Good Life Going!
The Good Life Buckets™ 15
Your Vitality Bucket
Your Connection Bucket
Your Contribution Bucket
The Three Laws of the Buckets
How to Fill Your Good Life Buckets 23
Take Your 60-Second Snapshot
Draft Your Good Life Project® Team
Join Our Virtual Family
Two Paths: Deep Dive or 30-Day Challenge
Let’s Make It Happen
Vitality Bucket 31
Wake Up
Make Exercise More Fun Than Sex
Snooze to Live
Take a Green Day
Get Your Gratitude On
Dance Like Nobody’s Watching (Because They’re Not)
Own the Unknown
Take a Forest Bath
Unfix Your Mind
Take the Slow Lane
Connection Bucket 99
Discover Your Social Set Point
Find Your People
Cultivate Compassion
Look Up!
The 60-Minute Love Bomb
Find Your Four Loves
What’s Your Love Language?
Dial In to Source
Vanquish the Vampires
Uncage Your Conversation
Contribution Bucket 159
Spark Yourself
Know What Matters
Tap Your Strengths
Find Your Killer App
Get Out of Your Head
WOOP It Up
Give to Glow
Practice the Loving No
Love the Job You’re With
Think Ripple, Not Wave
Bringing It Home 227
Endnotes 233
A Personal Invitation from Jonathan 235
Acknowledgments 237
About the Author 239