To live happily wherever you are and with whatever you’ve got, you have to recognize what inspires you. Ask yourself what drives you to wake up every day? I am not talking about a person you love dearly – a parent, spouse or children in whose honour you want to succeed. I think that’s a given. I’m talking about pursuing your interests, your dreams. We all have dreams and aspirations no matter what stage in life we are at. Those dreams should be nurtured – the embers of inspiration must be fed and the flames kept alive.
Sometimes, life gets in the way of living. There are deadlines to meet, bills to pay, dinners to cook, fragile hearts to soothe, hugs to give. We play a role we must dutifully fulfil as responsibility demands. It is the right thing to do after all. But do not let living extinguish the spark that lights you up as a person. Draw the line between living and surviving. Living is taking pleasure in the wonderful details of the life you have while surviving is simply keeping up with the drone of life. Living is being intentional while surviving is being functional.
This above all; to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.
Be true to yourself.
Do you have a reasonable measure of yourself? Shakespeare once said, “This above all; to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” Have a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses. It is the first step towards loving yourself. Coming to terms with the best of yourself best and your flaws could lead you on a journey of self-improvement. It is okay to seek help if you have determined that there are some changes you need to make. Take steps to polish those character flaws, adjust some attitudes, or adapt a physical change like becoming healthier or going down a few dress sizes. Give yourself permission to ignore the things about you that you can live with. Most of all, respect who you are. Do not engage in things that would undermine you. Set boundaries in relationships. By being clear in defining what you are willing to put up with and what you are willing to give, expectations are drawn reasonably and become easy to manage.
We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world, and we impoverish ourselves if we forget this errand.
Love what you do
We are made for work. We are destined to do something. Have you ever decided that on a particular day, you would take a break and do nothing? Then you end up just doing something fun, something that you like. It doesn’t feel like work but it certainly is not doing nothing. We need to do something that we like. We are wired to do work. In fact, work moves us from wanting to having. A big chunk of our life is devoted to working. The results of our efforts at work bear the mark of who we are. As former educator and president, Woodrow Wilson famously said, “We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world, and we impoverish ourselves if we forget this errand.” Our work defines us. We are what we do. It may be that we are stuck in a career that is simply a stop-gap because bills need to be paid. It is when that attitude and perspective become very important. Deal with the irritations, embrace your work but take steps to equip yourself as you pursue that which you would love doing eventually.We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world, and we impoverish ourselves if we forget this errand.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Support a worthy cause
When all is said and done, and your end of time has come, how will people remember you? We all leave a mark on this earth. How you are remembered depends on the things you have done in this lifetime. Find out what inspires you. Look for a good cause that you can be passionate about, something that stirs you to action. Look for a good cause that allows you to help others. Do things that changes lives. Helping others takes us beyond ourselves and our imperfect circumstances. It gives us cause to appreciate life more. To quote Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” It is not enough to be successful in life. You have to be significant. That is achieved by doing meaningful things. Leave a legacy of helping people. Be the change you want to see in this world.
In your lifetime, you must stand for something. Because if you don’t, you will fall for anything.
Have a faith to live by
What is your belief system? Faith or a set of belief system is something that gives your life definition. It serves as your moral compass, giving you a community of like-minded people which to serve as a support system when times get tough. It gives you the meaning of life here and beyond. Faith is the force that undergirds it all. A set of belief system that defines who you are. In your lifetime, you must stand for something. Because if you don’t, you will fall for anything.
Be SIGNIFICANT, not just SUCCESSFUL. Be INTENTIONAL, not just FUNCTIONAL.