Living Life to the Fullest
The Question?
How many of you ask yourselves, am I living life to the fullest or am I simply existing? Well I use to ask myself this question every day. It was like I was watching my life happen as a participant with no real control of it. But there comes a time in each of our lives where we have to decide how long are we going to allow other people, circumstances, and situations to drag us along as a pawn in our own life. Well I came to my breaking point when I realized all of my accolades, accomplishments, and money meant nothing as long as I was simply existing in life and not living it to the fullest.
Am I living life to the fullest? Well if you have asked yourself this question with no ready response in the affirmative, then you are not. If you have to think about the last time you were happy or truly satisfied with where you are in life, then you are not. If you are looking at everyone else and comparing them to yourself, then you are not. If you feel like giving up and throwing in the towel, then you are not.
The Answer!
So I want to give you some simple techniques to help you begin to live life to the fullest. These techniques aren’t overly complicated or flashy. But they do require commitment and consistency. You must decide now that you want to live your life to the fullest and you are worth the sacrifice to make it happen.
Step 1. Identify where you are in life and begin there. So often we’re looking at where we wish we could be in life, or where we think we should be by now. We think about the different choices that we could have made that would have put us in a better position or place. You know the “shoulda, woulda, coulda’s” of life. All of these things may be true, and they aren’t necessarily bad thoughts to ponder. But the reality is that, continually pondering on these thoughts does nothing to change the fact that we are where we are. And if true change is going to take place then we have to start somewhere; since there is no magic pill to change our current location in life we may as well start HERE! Wherever here is for you. The key is not from where you start, it is in actually starting and making the changes necessary to become the best you possible! Write the vision and make it plain (Habakkuk 2:2, KJV)
Step 2. Identify your own unique skills, talents and abilities and use them. Now that you have decided to start the journey to being who you were destined to be and you have your vision written plainly for where you plan to go; you must identify what you have that will be useful and beneficial to the journey. It does no good to covet what others have or cry about what you do not, because you simply cannot use what you do not have. But maybe you can write, cook, sing, or dance. Maybe you are an encourager, a great confidant, a good listener, or are good with your hands. Maybe you are a phenomenal speaker, teacher, or artist. Whatever that skill or talent is that you possess, it’s time to activate it and make it work for you.
Each of us have something within that is unique to us and only works because we are using it. There may be a lot of speakers in the world but none of them are you! What invention or song is waiting to be released that only you can create? Understand that as you discover, realize, and embrace your unique talents, there will be some bumps along the road. You may even encounter some setbacks, but don’t quit because failure is necessary for you to win. If you own a smart phone, what happens when a glitch occurs in the system? Do they scrap the phone and throw away the vision for the product, or do they create a repair or upgrade to continually perfect it? Well your abilities are the same, always be willing to reinvent, upgrade and build upon what you have to make it better. Remember it is only unique because of you, no one else can make it work! The authenticity come from within you. Your unique purpose in anyone else’s hands is simply a counterfeit!
Step 3. Determine what you can do within your power and do it. So you have begun the journey and have identified your unique skill or talent; now it’s time to do what you can. What is within your power to do? Have you ever heard that “faith without works is dead?” Well the same is the case with a plan or vision that isn’t being enacted or talent that is being used, they are useless and therefore dead. The first thing that you can do is trust yourself, then give yourself permission to try; don’t accept failure as final, but instead grow from it. Then you have to work your plan. You may not have a lot of money but you have a skill to make money or at least the ability to learn. You may not have confidence, but you can develop this by using positive affirmations or simply accepting the strength that lies within you. Whatever it is that you have within you to do, do it; use it.