How To Love Your Life (and it's not what you think)
Let me guess…you’ve heard about living your “best life”? It probably sounds a lot like this:
“Quit your job! Work for yourself! Travel the world! If you don’t love your life, you’re not doing enough! Do more!!!”
Blah, blah, blah…That’s pretty much all I hear when I read articles telling me how I to spend my time. I’ve reflected on why it annoys me so much and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because there’s an underlying implication of guilt that comes along with it.
There’s a pressure right now that everyone needs to live a mind-blowing, amazing life filled with out-of-this-world beaches and whimsical travel hats; but I personally think it’s a little much.
It’s to the point where anyone who wants to live a simple, quiet life are left feeling like they’re not doing “enough” with their time on this earth. We’re constantly told things like:
Not getting up at 5:00 AM? Your day could be more productive.
Not working to better the world everyday? You’re selfish.
Don’t love your job? You only have yourself to blame.
Feel stressed out? You just aren’t organized.
Not laughing on a beach everyday with a skinny caramel iced latte in your hand? Sorry…you probably suck.
My opinion? No one’s life is perfect and no one should have that as a goal. Living your best life can mean moving into a home when you're 25 and never moving. It can mean working a pretty good job that pays the bills and allows you to spend time doing what you’re passionate about. It’s okay if the only reason for having your job is to pay the bills. If your job is something you love and are passionate about, that’s amazing! But if the sole purpose of your work is so you can feed your children? Don’t underestimate the power in that. As someone who grew up in a blue collar home without extra money for Disney World or clothes that weren’t secondhand, I can tell you that I grew up feeling like I missed out on nothing. Don’t worry about reaching some sort of ideal that isn’t necessary for a happy home.
The point of this blog is not to tell you what to do with your time - you hear that enough already. The point of this blog is to give you permission to live your life however you want without feeling guilty about it. There are so many social pressures that sometimes, it can be a relief to have permission to just be ourselves.
What I will suggest?
Find something that lights up your soul every time you do it.
Find something that you love to do; not because others want you to or because it pays your bills; do it just because you love it. For me, that thing is writing music and singing. Sometimes I get paid for it but even if I never made another cent from it for the rest of my life, I would still do it. Why? Because I feel more like myself when I sing than any other time.
So how can you love your life? Keep your priorities straight, make conscience decisions and take a little time everyday to do something just because you love it. The beauty in this life really can be found in the simplest of things.
Heather Brockell is a Web Designer and Copywriter based out of North Dakota, USA. When she isn’t designing websites or writing, she performs as a professional figure skater and singer in ice shows all around the country.
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