15 Ways to Live Life Fully
“There are two ways to live: You can live as if everything is a miracle, or you can live as if nothing is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
Do you realize the full potential of life, and of all of its miracles, great and small?
Or do you simply take for granted the wonder that is everywhere, all around you?
The above quote, spoken first by Albert Einstein, speaks to the essence of what it means to live life fully. To miss out on all the wonder will be a pity. It happens when you become caught in the emotional content of your daily dramas, frustrations and pain. You are not able to step aside and appreciate what you already have or what the world has to offer to you.
Everyday, there are miracles occurring all around.
The earth hangs in the balance of space,
the heart beats within the human,
a child is born in the womb of its mother,
the birds fly in a beautiful dance,
a rosebud blossoms,
a radiant rainbow lights up the sky after a thunderstorm,
and more.
Are these the miracles that you are able to see everyday? I experienced a shift ever since I made the decision to view life as a gift. In a way, it is a matter of perspective. You make a choice. By making the decision to view life as a miracle. In so doing, you find that you are able to experience joy even in the simplest things. You are able to breathe into each moment and enjoy the fullness in the here and now.
Are you Living your Life to the Fullest?
On a scale of one to ten, how fully are you living your life?
An honest appraisal can open your eyes to changes that you need to make. If you gave yourself a low score, it is probably time to start making some of those changes.
Keep in mind that the only thing standing in your way is you. In order to live life to the fullest you need not be able to climb Mount Everest or sky dive off some South African cliff. Instead, you must learn to make the most out of what you are given, to look for and embrace the small miracles in your every day life.
Here are 15 ideas to get you started.
How to Live Life Fully
1. Start with the Mirror Test. I find that I am saying this over and over again but it warrants repetition: if you are engaged in negative self-talk when you look in the mirror, you cannot claim to be living life fully. Negative self-talk patterns such as self-criticism, self-deprecation and self-judgment hold you back from being the person that you fully can be.
So start by eliminating negative self-talk. It does you no good. Instead, realize that you are a miracle and that you are deserving of living a life that is full, rich and complete.
2. Appreciate everything. The roof over your head, the car that you drive, the person that shares your life. We become accustomed to so many things, and so we take things for granted. Sometimes life shows us what would happen when these things are taken away from us. However, we do not need such events to happen before making the decision to appreciate everything.
3. Be in touch with beauty. Beauty is all around you. When was the last time you make a point to notice it? The next time something strikes you as beautiful, try to stop and take a picture. Consider creating a “wall of beauty” somewhere in your home. Over the next month, try to cover the whole wall with the beautiful things you’ve experienced in life.
4. Start a miracle journal. Make a note of the incredible, wonderful and miraculous things that happen to you everyday. Write each thing that happens in your notebook. Take the time to re-read your journal monthly. Remind yourself each and every day that your life is full of miracles.
5. Create an environment that reflects positive energy. This can mean anything from fresh flowers on the table to inspiring artwork on the wall. It will only take you a moment to stop and look at these. Surround yourself with things that will help to remind you to live your life to the fullest.
6. Be spontaneous. Some of the greatest moments in life are unplanned. Spontaneity shows a willingness to allow destiny to guide your path. Great things can happen when you are willing to allow and accept life’s little surprises, openly and eagerly. So seize the moment!
7. Be in charge of your own happiness. Don’t let other people’s fears affect you. Avoid toxic relationships that do not serve you. Accepting responsibility for your own feelings gives you power over them. From the moment it is all up to you, you become empowered to take charge of the way that you experience life.
Since you are responsible for how you feel, you know that you have the power to feel good or to feel bad, as you choose. Today you can choose to feel good, regardless of what is going on externally.
8. Breathe into the moment. Yesterday is gone, dwelling on the past can only rob you of what this moment has to offer. On the other hand, tomorrow may never come, hence worrying and obsessing over what it might bring is useless. Whenever you find your mind getting caught up with the past or the future, bring your awareness to your breath.
Being here in the moment, however, gives you the opportunity to experience life fully and completely, in whatever way you choose, right now. Begin by bringing awareness to your breath, through meditation.
9. Say yes to adventures. Life is to be savored, with its buffet of options. I don’t know about you but I seldom feel bored. I am always on an adventure, whether with a new creative project, sport, undertaking, class or energy healing modality. If anything, I feel rejuvenated when there is something new to learn.
10. Create a bucket list. So you do have a dream to climb Mount Everest or go cliff diving? Well, everyone has a list of different things they want to do before they die. If you want to live life without regrets, create a bucket list with the items that you absolutely would love to do. Pick one or two seemingly impossible item and make a vision board for it.
11. Go for Mind-Body-Spirit Wellness. You cannot exactly be living life to the fullest if you are neglecting one important aspect of your life. It is all about having a certain balance. You undertake self-care in all three aspects of mind-body-spirit. Find ways to restore the balance into your life.
12. Work towards Work-Family Balance. Not just for the self, there is an external healthy work-family life balance that you need to strike and maintain. Don’t neglect the needs of your family for work. The Chinese has this saying: a family in harmony will prosper in everything. I have found it to be true because it can be hard to work effectively whenever there is some major conflict going on at home.
13. Go for your Dream. What is your one-consuming heart desire? Is it to find a soul mate, a passion that you can turn into a business or a healthy loving family? Look inside and connect with it. Create a heart-centered vision, make a vision board and go for it!
14. Live with Purpose. A sense of purpose gives your life greater meaning. You know what you are here to do. You become activated every morning by your sense of purpose. Purpose is about your contribution to the world. You are aware that you can make a difference to the lives of people around you.
Read this article about why think about death in order to create a life that matters.
15. Live from the heart. I cannot imagine a life being full without experiencing true love. Love is the one thing we all are able to give, regardless of age, race, gender, economic status or any other thing.
Love does not have to mean romantic love. We can love anyone, at any time. Love can be holding someone’s hand when they are having a bad day, reading a book to an elderly person, or doing an anonymous good deed for a stranger.
You start with self-love and then, the ones around you. You may find it easy to extend love to a stranger because there is no attachment. However, when you can forgive the ones who have hurt you in the past, you experience freedom and when you no longer blame your parents for “screwing up your life”, you experience freedom. You have learned how to love unconditionally.
It all Boils Down to Love
Fear no longer exists in the presence of love. You experience appreciation, compassion, kindness, beauty and freedom.
When you live with love, you experience a miracle like no other.
You are living life fully.
Love and Abundance Always,
Author. Adventurer. Life Coach. More About Me.
Share Your Thoughts Below
What are your thoughts on living life fully? Is there a way that I have missed out on. Share your experiences.
Evelyn Reply:
August 7th, 2012 at 5:39 pm
Hello J.D.
It is great that you are an adventurer yourself. It’s awesome that you are taking projects about leading epic adventures. It sure sounds exciting!
And yes, absolutely! We are way better with a more positive frame of mind.
Awesome Adventures Always,
Evelyn
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