HOW CAN I SUCCEED IN PRACTICAL LIFE

It is quite difficult to write about this concept — we see you and you see us, but you do not know. We do not know everything, and yet we are capable of learning more and more every day. It's as simple as that. And how? Isn't it very obvious? And if I tell you to sit down for 2 hours and read this article, what will you have? What will you get from me? You will get nothing. All because I am talking about the idea of practical life.

Many people can talk about it as excellent practice in their everyday lives because it is a great way for them to connect with others. But they cannot explain what happens after that; they cannot describe the whole process they go through when they can find out about such aspects, of knowledge, when they will be able to make use of all the available knowledge to improve their lives.

So, what can you expect then? To put it simply: how will I succeed in my professional life (in your personal life too) when I try to teach myself something new or discover something new?

Let's start by defining what the term 'practice life' means: one must not only have a high-level, professional approach to life, but they should also become good at performing well in their personal lives. As a rule, there are certain skills and techniques, which help people to grow.

When we talk about professional experience, however, we primarily refer to professional expertise. These include things like writing, speaking, advertising, coaching, etc. These things are often acquired through training or education in some form, for example, in the classroom or on the job and so on. The thing is that these things are different in each case.

For instance, if you go to a school where you learn to read, it does not mean that you will become adept at reading very quickly. Likewise, if you learn a new skill, not everyone knows how to perform a given task perfectly. Or, suppose you're driving somewhere and suddenly encounter a pedestrian who has no right-of-way (after the vehicle has already stopped). In this situation, a professional driver will have a right of way and is liable for all the consequences.

At the same time, however, if a person who is not a professional driver fails to yield to the road signs, he is likely to cause the pedestrian serious injury, such as breaking his legs, causing him to bleed onto the street, or even kill himself. Even though you want to learn more ways to live better, it is necessary and important to distinguish between professional and personal development. The point is that professional development is highly specialized, while personal development includes any kind of experience people might acquire during their lifetime: hobbies, sports, leisure activities, or whatever else makes an impression on them.

But here's the problem, and it is rather tricky. This concept of practical life is a bit abstract. There are many books, articles, and websites dedicated to it, but the key reason why it is difficult to define just what it is is that it is very flexible. Not only can anything be practiced, but it is also possible to develop a hobby or a passion for something. What is more, there is rarely an end in sight, and even most of our ancestors did not live very long. And it is certainly true that we have lost most of our teachers and other knowledgeable people when their time has passed. But it also goes without saying that in some cases practical life is not such a good thing; there are many arguments to stay alive.

Let's take the issue of health-related situations as an illustration. Many people live up to 50 years. Of course, there are still those who die early on account of preventable causes, and a number of them were not. Most of the people who lived as long as 30 years and beyond, on the other hand, had some kinds of medical conditions which at least half of them could have prevented. They knew what would happen to them when they got old, and how they could avoid some issues or make sure that they would survive them.

In general, indeed, many individuals of advanced age cannot continue living very active lives, unless it happens that they have certain chronic diseases or medical issues which restrict their mobility, cause their condition to increase, or prevent them from being alive very long. Some people, in particular, have difficulties in maintaining their weight, and some have problems getting up and doing things properly. That is why practical life is not a very desirable quality in itself. However, even though it is very hard to decide what exactly practical life is, we can at least figure out the main aspects. Here we are going to touch upon some points and try to cover the most common ones. First, let's consider the definition of practical life. It appears in the following passage: "practical life is practical living. It describes our daily choices, choices of living, making of decisions, actions, relationships, choices, aspirations, goals." (The Boston Globe, 2016)

The second question arises from this definition: what, exactly, does living and making decisions mean? Well, we are not able to answer it for sure, since we lack knowledge about our bodies and brains and how they work, however, several theories have attempted to solve the mystery. One theory says we make decisions based on external factors (like weather, the economy, and culture), which determines what our worldview looks like and affects every action we take. Another theory suggests that our internal states, feelings, or thoughts, determine what is and isn't in our power (and determines our response to specific opportunities), and this influences every action we take.

A third theory, nevertheless, claims that the decision process is based on innate principles, namely intuition, gut feeling, and emotion; so, we make decisions by taking into account what we think we are supposed to do, and then, we act, then evaluate, weigh up the results and choose appropriate action. Last but not least, we make decisions by looking through all these sources, and we evaluate which one we think is best, and then we choose the one we think is best, and then finally we implement it and carry out the chosen actions, and therefore, we achieve our goals and aspirations.

When it comes to the question of choosing what to eat and drink, the first and the most obvious question arises: we can hardly say that all people are motivated equally by the desire to lose weight, or to become thin and look good, or to buy new clothes that make them look nicer by changing the size or shape of their clothes. Every person is motivated in his/her way, according to his own needs and desires, which often differ from the average consumer who often buys the same product over and over again, because the price set by a company is much higher than the current cost of ingredients that are used. In comparison to other products, a diet may not be so expensive compared to food. As a result, dieting is much easier for certain groups that need nutrition, or for whom eating is more urgent and valuable.

On the other side, it is less efficient (and cheaper) to buy readymade sandwiches or salads that come ready-prepared in pre-prepared packs. People who are not addicted to fast food take their diets very seriously. If we accept the latter theory, we will begin to comprehend what motivates them, why they consume fast food instead of healthier alternatives, and for what purpose.

The second significant question arises regarding motivation: why do people love to exercise, eat fast food, or feel like this? Because everyone has his/her reasons for doing so, what motivates different people is different. For instance, scientists have found that men tend to be more interested in physical activity than women, and the reasons for this difference are diverse.

Research has shown that young people who are obsessed with the sport have lower levels of stress, and are less stressed after a workout than people who do not. Sports are known to release endorphins which make people happy. Also, research shows that athletes and runners are happier than those who do not engage in these types of activities. Studies also show that athletes seem to be healthier than non-athletes at a very early stage in a person's career, even at the lowest level. Scientists suggest that athletes have better physical strength than those who are inactive, and they have a greater body proportion than athletes.

Besides, there is enough evidence that this type of exercise improves mental function, reduces the risk of depression and anxiety, improves sleep quality, and gives children better outcomes. It turns out that sports and physical exercise are really healthy. In addition to its benefits, studies also demonstrate that sports and exercise have emotional advantages as well, as it helps parents deal with kids who have been absent from the family for some time, and who find themselves feeling lonely. As a result, it is much harder to motivate someone to leave home without having to face a lot of frustrations and anger, than to motivate a child to spend time with his or her grandparents.

By combining physical exercise with social interaction, sports can benefit both the individual and society in many ways. Thus, we see that to teach oneself something new, it is essential to be able to find out where personal development is taking place and who is involved in it. The importance of practical life cannot be overestimated. Despite many attempts to define it, there seems to be no real definition, so it becomes absolutely clear that every person and every event and opportunity that arises in your future is based on the combination of your personal development and what you want to experience in your present state.