You've started to eat more healthy foods, maybe even started working out. Maybe you've quit that bad habit. But what if I told you that there is something else you can do that can have just as much effect on your long term health as quitting smoking (though you should DEFINITELY quit that too!)?
SEE THE 3 KEYS BELOW TO LIVING LONGER!

You can have friends but still feel isolated. And isolation could be killing you. We were designed for relationships. Not just to know people, but to KNOW AND BE KNOWN by people in an environment where we are accepted and loved.
Various recent studies have been done that show the danger of isolation. Like this study  

So, if you want to increase your chances at living longer, you need to fight isolation.

TAKE THE INITIATIVE. You can wait for friendships to develop, but often you need to get the ball rolling. Identify some people that you admire and respect. Find people who are moving in the same direction as you and then make the call, invite them over, step out of your comfort zone. Sure it's easier and safer to just stay home or not reach out, but you could be missing out on a friendship that would help you grow and develop.

MARGIN. If you don’t have time, you can’t build relationships that fight isolation. The catch is that we often fill up our schedules and so it masks the isolation we feel with busyness. Busyness and being known are not the same things. Create time in your schedule to develop relationships. How many times have you thought “I need to get together with so-and-so” but then you just never plan it and your schedule gets full?

ONE DIRECTION. Not the band. There’s a reason why we connect with certain people. They like sports, we like sports. They are green thumbs and so are we. But we also need people who are going in the same direction as us spiritually. Who are those people in your life? The great thing is that our spiritual direction is one of growth and connection. Knowing and being known by God. Grace and forgiveness and authenticity. The exact things that fight isolation.

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One of the ways to fight isolation at The Journey is through Running Partners which you can check out here: Running Partners here!  It might help you live longer. It will certainly help you live better!

 

Paul Urban