Everything changes when nothing’s changing

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman

So what’s that old saying? Life’s what happens when you’re waiting for life to happen. Something like that.

I know I am not ancient by any means but I do believe I am starting to figure something out that a lot of people don’t figure out till later in life. That life is life. Every day, all day. We have a precious gift from God that is life and so many of us waste so much of it. Why do we work so much? Why do we stress about EVERYTHING? Sometimes we even stress about our stress!! We need to start stepping back and asking ourselves if it is really worth all the energy it takes to worry about something.

Many of us obsess over something for long periods of time even though the obsession and worrying will do nothing to actually solve the problem?

Too often we go through life on autopilot, going through the motions and having each day pass like the one before it.

I am a firm believer in the statement that we make time for what is important to us. If you are not making time for the things that make life worth living (family, friends, relationships, spirituality, YOURSELF) than you have a problem. Because one day we will look back at all the time we spent getting ready to live our lives and realize that we forgot to live and now it’s too late.

“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” Jack London

There is always a voice whispering at the back of your mind. It says “It’s time to make a change”. Or “When will I start to truly live my life?”.

Just a little something that’s been on my mind and I thought I would share. Here are the few tips on living life to its fullest from your truly:

#1 Find your passion:

When you give in to your heart’s deepest desires, you begin to see life in a different way. Everything seems to look more vibrant and alive, reflecting your inner state of being. You might feel pressured to follow a certain path to please your parents, friends, or spouse, but that might not necessarily be the path you want to take. Part of embracing your true self is in listening to your inner voice, not the voice of others telling you how to live your life. Only you can walk your path and make your dreams come true. Make sure you live life based on your ideas rather than everyone else’s. No one can tell you how to live your life except for you because it is only yours to live.

When you follow your passion, you unlock parts of yourself that have been dormant for years. You can transform your life from complacency to unbelievable exuberance by choosing to listen to the power of your own inner voice.

#2 Break out of your comfort zone:

You can’t see the world through a mirror, eventually, you need to break out of your comfort zone to find the magic you are looking for.

Just do something new, Don’t just stop there. Think outside the frame  Do something new, no matter what you are interested in. The important thing is that you take a look at where you are or what you are curious about and then explore or expand upon one thing and see how it makes you feel. How it makes you come alive with a smile again.

THE LIMITS OF THE POSSIBLE CAN ONLY BE DEFINED BY GOING BEYOND THEM INTO THE IMPOSSIBLE. – ARTHUR C. CLARKE.

#3 Conquer Your Fears:

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” – Jack Canfield

Fear is the thing which is stopping us from doing what we always wanted. Whatever we want in life or whatever fear is stopping us, we don’t need to leap at it in full speed. Just take one small step forward. Then another one. It might be both scary and exciting but not so uncomfortable that you back down.

What is holding you back? Whatever it is, recognize it, and face it. Do what you are most afraid of. Only by facing our fears, we can be free from them.

#4 Make someone you love come alive with an unexpected gift:

It’s time to nourish up your relations. Surprise your closer ones with a gift. It could be anything, you can buy them a banquet of flowers, a ring, a personal note or even you can organize a dinner for him or her. See your closer ones come alive with a big smile and feel how you come alive too.

#5 Talk to people:

Like face to face. Talk to them and listen. Really listen to what they are saying. How many of us know our grandparent’s life stories? What about our bosses? Take the time to converse with other people! It will be well worth your time! And it forces us to consider other people and help us to be less self-centered.

#6 Make yourself a priority:

I know this sounds little selfish but this is very important. If we do not do things for ourselves, we will begin to lose our sense of self-worth. When this happens, we let ourselves go and we are usually the last to notice. Do things for yourself that make you happy. If you are not happy or healthy you become unable to do things for others. There has to be a balance!

#7 Practice unconditional love:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

By giving your love to others no matter their actions towards you, you learn how to love without conditions. How others treat you is a reflection of them, not you, just as how you treat others mirrors your own character. Responding to life in a hateful manner makes you more inclined to feel stressed, negative, and ungrateful. It also discourages others from wanting to spend time with you and blocks positive energy from coming your way.

When you learn to look at everything from a loving perspective and realize that everyone deserves love despite their words or actions, you say yes to life and no to anything less.

#8 ENJOY THE SIMPLE THINGS:

”Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” – Ferris

You surroundings are filled with beauty. Life is not a race, slow down your rut and look around. Embrace the beauty of nature, spend time with your loved ones, play with your children, talk to your parents, watch the sunset and lot more. If you stop and look around, you will notice that life in itself is a gift, and should not be taken for granted.

#9 EMBRACE YOUR INNER CHILD:

There is a kid inside every adult body. Sometimes you just need to bring that kid out and do what that child might fall in love with. Like eating ice cream, play hide and seek, go to amusement parks, play games and much more. Just don’t be lost in your adulthood responsibilities. Sometimes it’s worth it to forget the real world for a while and get lost in an endless land of imagination and wonder.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso

#10 Rediscover what’s important:

Take an hour and make a list of everything that’s important to you. Add to it everything that you want to do in life. Now cut that list down to 4-5 things. Just the most important things in your life. This is your core list. This is what matters. Focus your life on these things. Make time for them.

#11 Forgive:

Learn the power of forgiveness. There is already so much going on in our lives, we don’t have space for grudges. I really like what Catherine Ponder has said in her quote:

When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.
Catherine Ponder

When was the last time you did something for the first time? Huh? Do it. Go out today and do something for the first time! Make it exciting!

I say all this to really just remind everyone that we don’t get to push pause in real life. We get a certain amount of time and when it’s gone, it’s gone! So start living now and quit waiting for a better time! There’s no time like the present!