3 Keys to Living Well…
Lately, I’ve had a ton on my mind: finances, career, creative content, goals, family, relationships- aargh! I know it’s really affecting me because my sleep has been interrupted more than usual (I haven’t really had a full night’s sleep without briefly waking up at 4am since I had my first son 19 years ago…that’s a WHOLE other blog topic!). At the same time, I have so many “downloads” that come to mind and I feel super excited about doing new things. Ultimately, I want to live well. I want to have ease. I want to rest. I want to keep joy inside and not merely receive it from external measures. With this in mind, I’m becoming clearer and clearer about the keys to living well and I want to share three aspects with you as I continue to ponder, shift and step into the life I desire.
1. Learn How to Live Well
If you've never actually lived well, it may seem like a big leap to do so. But what if you could learn how to live well? I believe you can.
There are dozens, if not hundreds of books, CD's and other helpful sources of information which teach how to get what you want. If you want something, there is a way to get it. However, we have to allow our mindset to be a growth mindset and not a fixed one. We may have to get extremely uncomfortable and step out on faith; after all, we’re at or beyond midlife. It’s time to put those years and years of prayers, readings and beliefs to practice! We must be willing to learn how to get what we want despite all that we already may know. Invest in yourself and your dreams. You and your dreams are worth the time and money you'll spend doing so.
2. Create Rich Life Experiences
Life is really just a series of experiences. Some experiences we learn and grow; others set us back. There are other experiences that make us feel fantastic and some leave us feeling stressed out.
I have learned that instead of waiting for great experiences to fall in my lap, I have to create my own rich life experiences. I’ve learned to start from a state of purpose by deciding what kind of experience I want to have and then I make efforts to make it happen. How can you do the same?
Ponder this example- if you're someone who loves fine wines, create opportunities for yourself to learn more about different kinds of wines. Visit local wine tasting events and when you outgrow that experience plan a trip to California's wine country or take a class from a world-renowned wine expert!
Rich life experiences occur when you take something you're passionate about and find ways in which you can fully immerse yourself in your passion in order to have a more fulfilling life.
3. Keep Life Simple
The one thing I’m learning more and more each day is that LIVING WELL does not equal DOING MORE. On the contrary, living well is requiring me to cut way back and focus time and attention on just a few select parts of my life.
Ponder on these two great questions that will help you keep life simple:
What do I really want? If I could do anything, be anything or have anything I wanted, what would I do, be or have?
After pondering these questions, I encourage you to try a simple brainstorming activity. Make a list of at least 25 things. Then see if there are groups of themes in your list. For example, if you write down you want to travel to Paris, Africa and China; you can group all of these together under TRAVEL!
The themes you see on your list will give you a place to start focusing your attention. Focusing your attention will give you more energy to do the things you really want to do because you won't be pulled in too many directions doing things you don't really want to do.
Ultimately, I simply know that I can and want to live well. I want the same for you and my loved ones. I encourage you to join me with pondering on what living well means to you. Let’s learn how to get what we want, create rich life experiences for ourselves and keep life simple.
*Attend the upcoming Finding Your Voice “Mind, Body & Soul Costa Rica Retreat” to participate in thought-provoking experiences and transformational activities. CLICK HERE to learn more
