Here’s my question to you. Are you TRULY living?
Why am I asking this question? Simple. I want you to be alive, instead of just merely existing.
In 2019, most of us have everything we need (and more) yet as a society we are more unhappy than ever.... but why?
The average lifespan these days is 84. Of those 84 years, we spend around 25 years sleeping. This leaves us about 59 years left. You, me and just about everyone else on this planet has responsibilities. By responsibilities, I mean, most of us have to work or go to school, neither of which really grant us the freedom to do exactly what we want, 100% of the time. So, living, TRULY living, at least to me, means that you're living life with vitality. Does it mean doing everything you want to, exactly when you want to? No. That’s obviously not realistic BUT, it does mean that you are in control of your life. You are in control of your feelings, emotions and your life plans. Existing, on the other hand means that you are going through life in a somewhat stagnant state, just letting life happen, without much control.
Here's where it gets complicated. Most of us don't really know that we are "just existing". Sometimes we get so caught up in our day to day (our hustle) that we don't even realize we are no longer living with intent. Sometimes it comes out in form of depression, sadness or anger. And sometimes, it makes us question the purpose of life.
A lot of us (myself included!) spend WAY too much time in front of a screen. We have our laptops, tvs and phones in front of us, watching other people live their seemingly perfect and adventurous lives, wishing we were doing that too. Here's the good news. We can find a way to get out of the "filter funk" and start realizing that life is NOT about what it looks like, it's about what it feels like. I am not saying that social media and our insane dependence on electronics are the sole culprit at play for why we, as a society are no longer feeling fulfilled but I think it's definitely part of the problem.
Sometimes, we really need to look deep down inside and ask ourselves what we truly want in life. I don't mean fancy cars and a big house but I mean values, something we believe in and a passion to pursue. Life is wayyyy too damn short to be living half way. So, get out of those toxic relationships. If you don't love someone, set them free. If you hate your job, quit. If you want to travel, work really hard, save that money and go on an adventure. If you want to lose weight, stop eating unhealthy food and come up with a plan to get yourself where you want to be. Bottom line - Stop making excuses for yourself. You are the driver of your life and YOU ARE WORTH IT. You deserve to be in control of your life!
I have made A LOT of difficult decisions in my life that required me to be extremely uncomfortable but the pay off was absolutely worth it. If you don't already know, they include: getting divorced from someone I no longer felt connected to but didn't want to hurt, quitting my job that was no longer fulfilling me, starting a business that consumed every penny I had and travelling to foreign countries I couldn't communicate in. I did all of this within the last 2 years because I was so sick of making excuses for myself and not feeling in control of my life. I was sick of just existing and wanted to truly live. I can tell you that it's worth it be in control of your own destiny. Is it easy? Absolutely not. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. BUT it's 100% better than letting life pass by and not having a plan.
BTW - This blog post isn't encouraging you to quit your job and go lay on a beach somewhere for the rest of your life with a promise that it will solve all of your problems but it's absolutely encouraging you to live your best life, whatever that definition is for you. Be happy and feel alive, for the short time we have.
