On Purpose.
There are times in life that remind me that life is meant to be savoured. Life’s a gift and each day is fresh and brand new. It’s meant to be lived with purpose.
I often think about what my purpose is in life, because without purpose, there is no direction. I get caught up in the hectic pace of life, and forget to enjoy the little moments full of pure joy that are there right before me. If only I would stop, listen, and live consciously. Soak it all in. These little nuggets of joy are all around us my friends.
You see, kids know when these moments happen, they live within the joy of a moment and they don’t need to be reminded to live consciously. They aren’t aware of insecurities. They love and live without condition.
You know the saying “Dance like no one’s watching”? Have you ever watched a little girl dance? She always dances like no one’s watching. She isn’t yet burdened with outside influences. She just is exactly who she is. Purely authentic.
And then we loose pieces of that as we grow older. We lose our ability to just be.
I was thinking about Purpose today, and what it is that I want to achieve in life. It’s easy in today’s society to get caught up in the “Keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. We work so hard for “stuff”, and no matter how much one makes, there is always more “stuff” to buy. Love doesn’t live within “things”. Surely my purpose isn’t to be successful in terms of monetary possessions. What’s unique or purposeful about that?
I do know where there is no purpose in my life, and it’s taken me a long time to come to this place and accept that it’s just not a healthy reality. There is no purpose found within negativity, judgments, insecurities, jealousy, and lack of forgiveness. All these things weigh on a person’s soul. They are a burden on the heart. There is true freedom to just. let it. go.
How do you do that? You focus on the good, the now, the present, the positive, the gratitude. Perception, perception, perception.
Friendship and the ability to give unto others without expectation is a gift.
I was reminded these past couple of weeks that life is too short, and life is meant to be LIVED. Lived with purpose and pride. If I get to the core of it, I know that’s why I love to stay active, because it’s when I feel the most alive. It’s a gift. Yes, health is a gift.
There is no comparison to how I feel now versus how I felt when I first started the path to reclaim my life. I’m not only speaking about the changes physically, but more importantly the changes within my heart and mind. I took so much for granted. I didn’t feel the responsibility to take care of myself. I gave up in many ways. I’ve changed my lifestyle because there is no going back to that space I lived in for many years. It fills no purpose in my life today because I didn’t like who I was then.
I should clarify in case you haven’t read other posts, that I don’t believe happiness comes based on the physical body. I can only speak from my own personal experiences. For me, self-acceptance and pride happened when I found ways to feel alive inside again. Those amazing bits of life that kids just inherently know to experience. A big part of that was getting active and to stop watching life go by from the side-lines. Happiness is a choice, and a big part of feeling gratitude and joy lives within how one perceives life.
My goal is to live consciously, be reverent of the amazing moments life dishes out when one least expects it (and often in the most unlikely of places), and to live a life full of purpose and gratitude. Change can only occur when action is taken.
I know I’ve shared this quote a few times, but it’s one of those amazing life quotes that has to be read a few times to truly sink in!
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” George Bernard Shaw
I’ve lived far too much of my life waiting for life to start. I didn’t realize that life actually starts when I say so and I simply had to get out there and start living it! Not all of life is supposed to be “sunshine” and “rainbows”. How would we truly know how to appreciate life if it was always good? Adversity is what brings about reflection, change, and gratitude.
I have so much to be grateful for.
Thankful…
From my heart to yours,
Christine
Reclaiming LIFE 