But, it is a journey, and getting from point a) to point b) might include a couple of hundred detours and a rollercoaster.
At the end, which comes to us all, we should want those granite vases for cemetery grave markers to be packed with bright flowers from people who love us, and who we loved in return.
Celebrating life and living life to the fullest, something a little like the Yes! Man movie but less drastic. Over time you can make changes that you are proud of. Do things that make you feel alive, happy and with purpose.
Photo by Josh Felise on Unsplash
But how do you get there?
Gratitude
It cannot be stressed enough how important gratitude is. We are often thankful for the big things, like getting a promotion, marriage, love and other significant things. But we can often forget the small stuff.
The little moments of joy, the tea with a friend, knowing that your relatives are safe, those are all moments that we can be grateful for.
Starting something ‘official’ like a gratitude journal can help you keep track. Set a regular time in your day to make a note of the things that you are grateful for. Over time you will build this into your habits and find you are grateful for the small things more often. This is great for finding the joy in small things - even on a bad day.
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Breault
Connections
Are you a social creature and like to be around people? Or do you prefer that all your friends are ‘in’ your phone? Whichever you are, relationships with people can bring a lot of meaning into your life. If you think about all of your favourite times in life, the chances are that there were some beautiful people involved.
And connections can be about more than just the people you know. For example, if you have a few hours spare a week, you might choose to volunteer in the community. The sense of purpose, and helping others can make a big difference in your life.
Human connections aren’t always easy, and can often bring some complicated feelings and situations to us. However, for the most part, relationships bring us so much in life.
Creating
We spend all of our younger years painting, drawing and writing. Then for quite sometime after, many people find that the joy of creating fades. However, creativity does a lot for our mental health, and our general outlook on life.
But you might have to spend some time finding out what it is that you love. Sometimes the words just flow easily, other times, you have a clear vision that can be achieved with watercolours.
Letting your mind switch from work and responsibilities to joy and creation gives it a well-earned rest. Not only that but spending time doing hobbies makes us happier in the long term.
Every time we do our hobby, the happy hormone floods our body. The more often we do it, the more often we get that boost.
You can find lists online of all of the great hobbies that you can try out, and find something that really makes your heart sing.
Big Experiences
If we are health conscious and lucky, then we can live a long life. Which means we have space for some great and exciting experiences.
If you were told that you had a short amount of time to do everything you truly wanted to do - what would you choose?
Would it be as simple as learning to cook a specific meal, or would it be walking the Great Wall of China? In the end, what constitutes as big to one person isn’t significant to someone else.
If you were giving minimal time, you would want to spend the time with the people you love, say the things you wanted to say, and live in joy. And although that can be difficult to replicate when you aren’t in that situation, the sentiment of living and loving as much as you can is real.
Think of what the big things are to you. And make a plan to achieve it.
Learn New Stuff
Most of us wish we knew more about something. It might come in the form of traditional learning, like going back to school or taking online classes. It might also be choosing some passion projects that have really caught your interest. With the help of the internet, we have access to so many free resources that can help us gain a more profound knowledge of almost everything.
You can use this as an opportunity to get ahead in your career or start something completely new.
Learning makes us happier and fulfilled because with knowledge comes confidence about what you know. You are able to talk about many subjects in general, but when it comes to the topics you have chosen, you can speak with authority.
Meditation
Meditation is so good for us mentally and emotionally. There are different types of meditation, so it is easy for us to find something that suits our lifestyle and how we want to live. From long solo sessions when you just find that point of calm. Meditation sessions that are guided and are focused on a specific topic.
There are a number of meditation phone applications that can help you on your journey to better meditation. Meditation can help in times of stress and negative thinking too. We learn how to manage our thoughts in a healthy way.
We only have a limited amount of years to love people around us and build a life that we truly cherish. Celebrate life and live to the fullest as your most authentic self, and you never know what opportunities might arise.