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Photo by Manasvita S on Unsplash
Is it enough to simply exist? Do you want MORE from your life than the same thing every day?
"I decided that the most subversive, revolutionary thing I could do was to show up for my life and not be ashamed." ~Anne Lamott
So the question is...
How will you show up for life, living FULL ON or simply existing?
The meaning of exist in Webster's Dictionary is - To continue to be or live.
This is my Story
For me personally, to exist or live full-on is like comparing surviving to thriving.
In our current environment, we may quite adequately exist to the best of our knowledge. We may work, pay bills, build our families and perhaps even take a holiday once a year. Many of our parents imprinted this upon us as children – as living. In fact, for many, this is enough.
For others, like myself, you wake up one day with questions racing through your head.
Is this all there is?
Am I truly doing what I want?
Am I happy with my life as it is?
As a teen, it was important to have my parent’s approval and support in what I was becoming, and I chose to do things to gain that approval. Their belief systems soon felt awkward about what I felt inside, and I started questioning whether this was enough for me.
I existed in a world laid out by their beliefs and standards, and as the years passed, there was an unsettling within me that prompted the question...
Is this all there is?
By age 18, I realized it was time for me to get some answers.
Coming from a strict religious doctrine, my questioning met with much opposition and hard decisions that would alter the course of my life. For many years I searched for the answers and remained in survival mode. My family disowned me for my search for knowledge outside what they considered the ‘norm.’ I was on my own, alienated from my family and the friends I had that were associated with the religion.
Dan Zandra and Kobi Yamada are the authors of the book One: How Many People Does It Take to Make a Difference, and Kobi wrote this quote:
"Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down."
This resonated deep within my inner being. While shopping one day, I found a decorative rock with that exact quote written on it, and it sits in view in my home so I can read it every day.
The One Book
With conviction...
I forged onward and, with time, became a stronger person realizing that my new choices were critical in the life I would form for myself.
Many decades followed with life lessons that would push me to learn who I was. I did not always find the strength inside to stay true to my purpose, and in those times, I was grateful for the training I had growing up in survival mode.
I now look back and realize I simply existed and for me, it was vital to find the moment when I could love myself enough to begin to live my life FULL ON and build my wings. It is a never-ending journey.
Life is full of experiences that move us to the next level, and for me, the lessons hit me like a sledgehammer as the internal dialogue of fear held on strong.
First, I had to realize the impact of living a life of existence, and that came when I acknowledged that for most of my life, I had an emotionally broken heart, never knowing what being loved unconditionally felt like. Searching in all the wrong places for that love I felt eluded me growing up.
Eventually, this manifested into a physically broken heart when I fell ill with heart failure. Through that experience, I became fully aware of the opportunity to continue to live and move from being a survivor - to a thriver, from existing - to living my life FULL ON.
It starts with living a life of gratitude.
Being grateful for the lessons, as challenging as they seem in the moment, and realizing that each lesson has a purpose, and that purpose is to provide a choice.
Some choices are better than others, and that, in and of itself, is a life lesson.
The critical thing to remember is that we choose, and if it is not working, then choose something different.
It is essential to be grateful for all life has given us, whether we see it at the moment as a chore or a choice, choose to find your purpose.
Find the life intended for you to live when you came here to earth.
Never stop listening to your inner voice guiding you, and
understand as challenging as the life lesson may appear, there is an opportunity to grow and expand, survive and thrive…. as you begin to live life FULL ON.
Finally…
One of the best ways to live a life of gratitude is to slow down enough to notice everything around you. Be Mindful. Show Up - Be present in the NOW, appreciate every step toward your passion, no matter how big or small, and do it FULL ON.
You can visit my website to learn more about how I incorporate happiness and joy into my work.