Live Your Life on Purpose

You are a person of destiny. You are equipped. You are talented. You are creative. You were designed for a purpose.

To live a life of purpose means to live your life with Intention. To say you’re living with intention means that there is meaning and purpose behind all your actions. When you are living with intention life doesn’t just happen to you, you are not merely existing, everyday is not “just another day.”

It is quite easy for us to get caught up in the minutia of everyday life. There are so many distractions that can often lead us away from our life’s purpose. This is something a lot of us struggle with and not living with intention is often times the source of much of our unhappiness.

To live a purposeful life, you have to:

1. Find What Makes You Happy, Do More of That.

Think back to the times when you felt truly happy or fulfilled. What were you doing? Who were you with? What emotions did you feel? Once you’ve identified these things, try to incorporate more of those experiences in your life.

2. Get out of Your Comfort Zone, Be Intentional.

Living beyond your comfort zone helps you embrace uncertainty and unlock your true potential. If you say “yes” to experiences, or activities that shake up your sense of security, they can lead to the discovery (and confirmation) of your talents. When you strive to live outside your comfort zone, you will find yourself confronting some limiting beliefs that often times stem from fear. Move through these things knowing you will come out the other end having grown as an individual.

3. Take Time for Stillness (Mindfulness)

We are in a world of constant stimulation and distractions and it can be hard to quiet the turbulence of our thoughts. Cultivating stillness and silence is a powerful way to restore our balance and energy. Tapping into stillness creates inner clarity and expanded awareness that will help you discover yourself with greater ease and understanding. Stillness also allows us to pay close attention to our thoughts - we become active participants in our lives. We start to notice the things that make us happy and it’s easier to reject the things that don’t.

Start living your life today purposefully and intentionally. Go!

Creating a Life You Don't Need a Vacation From

I came across a meme on Instagram that said "Create a Life You Don't Need a Vacation From" and it resonated with me quite deeply. It made me reflect on my own life and ask some really deep questions: Am I living in my purpose? Do I love what I do? If I didn't get paid for my work, would I still enjoy it? Am I living my best life? 

In general my answer is yes to all of the above. However, there are areas where I could certainly be doing better. It made me think of so many people who constantly wait for the weekend or wait for vacation or  holiday until they can finally relax and have some fun. Don't get me wrong, I love a vacation like anyone else. But there is a difference between feeling like you need a vacation and actually just enjoy taking them. I personally try to take a small vacay almost every weekend. It makes me happy!

I don't ever want to be in a position where my adulthood includes days that I'm just trying to get through so that I can get to two weeks of vacation. I don't ever want to be in a position where I am waiting on retirement to enjoy life.

So, what exactly does it mean to create a life you don't need a vacation from? This will be personal to every individual but in general it is striking a balance between :

1. Being challenging enough to keep you stimulated, yet comfortable enough to not feel constantly stressed out.

2. Having a sense of purpose and meaning, to get you excited to wake up in the morning, but having some idle downtime to just be, without having to do.

3. Incorporating things you love to do on a daily basis, but being realistic that there would also be other things that just have to get done.

The key, I've found, is to be intentional in all that you do. You have to wake up each day with a vision backed by intention and fueled with purpose.  

Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life - Anon

Some things that I have incorporated that really helped me in this area, and that might help you as well include:

1. Taking Care of Mind, Body and Spirit - Many times when we feel unhappy is because we are not nourishing an aspect of our lives. Eating healthy, exercising and getting sufficient sleep are very important. Strike a balance! Sometimes we need to turn the tv off, get off of social media and spend time with ourselves. There are a lot of things on the internet that are simply distractions from our purpose. Do not get caught up. Cultivate an attitude or gratitude for the life you have built up to this point, enjoy where you are right now.

2. Stop Complaining - I'm not always good at this and continue to make progress in this area. It is simply useless to complain. It makes you miserable and changes nothing. There is so much to be grateful for! I started keeping a gratitude journal and there is a prayer I keep in the notes app on my phone: " God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the wisdom to know the difference." If you're in a situation where you're simply not happy, take steps to remove yourself.

3. Be Intentional - Wake up each day and set your intention: I will be happy today. Today will be fantastic and I will complete all my tasks in a timely manner. No one will steal my joy today. I will work out and eat clean today. I am amazing! I am the best orthodontist and I will create some beautiful smiles today. I am going to rock these 24 hours! etc. You will be amazed at how these simple intentions will alter your mood and set the tone for the rest of your day. Be happy! and take steps to live a life you don't need a break from.