How to Live Fully and Get the Most Out of Life
In the modern world, it is often easy to feel like we are missing out on something. We are constantly told that there is more to life than what we are currently experiencing and that by living fully we can find happiness and satisfaction. Here are five tips on how to live fully.
To Live Fully, Find your purpose
Do you know your purpose in living? Has it changed since you retired? Or started a family? Or lost a loved one?
I often say that my desire is to live fully until I die. What do I mean by this?
One part of the definition is to live with purpose. This explanation allows for a lot of flexibility as circumstances change. It can include service to others, fulfillment of personal dreams, or overcoming challenges.
Knowing my purpose motivates me to work through difficult or boring projects. Why am I vacuuming the floor or putting my computer files in order?
If I can feel the peace of a clean house, and no longer worry about finding this post once I get it written, I am living within my purposes of peace and service.
There are different interpretations of what it means to live fully, but at its core, it is about devoting time and energy to the things that are personally important.
How to live fully in the present moment
I first learned about living in the NOW a couple of decades ago when I picked up Eckhart Tolle’s book on this subject. If you haven’t read it I strongly recommend giving it a read! You can find The Power of Now HERE
You will find a whole new world exists in a time and place that you may be missing.
I often find myself either reliving yesterday or anticipating tomorrow. When this happens I totally miss today. Living in the present moment allows us to appreciate our life experiences.
I am not doing that really well right now because I sit here writing this and think about the day it will be posted and you will read it. WWPT (what will people think) overrides any peace within.
I will stop, take three slow breaths, and return to the soft click of the keyboard, the clean taste of the ice water I just sipped, and listen to the purr of Moxie who just jumped up beside me.
I return to this moment…and folks, this is the only moment I have to live. The more I am able to practice returning to NOW, the more I experience peace, regardless of whatever is going on around me.
To live fully means taking risks and making mistakes
Living fully must include risks and mistakes. Without them, there is no way to learn and grow.
Seldom does a day go by that I haven’t made a mistake somewhere. I put too much salt in a new recipe, I misspoke in conversation leaving a listener feeling insulted, and whoa! Writing for a blog and hitting ‘publish’, WWPT reigns again.
The only way to meet that voice with equanimity is to return to the present moment. Life is a risk…and to not take a chance to try out new things because of the fear of making a mistake is to not live a full life.
Have faith in yourself and others
We may have the best intentions for our lives, but without faith in ourselves we will not follow through.
I remember when my son was little and I would go to help him tie his shoes. He insisted “Me do it!”
Today he is rehabbing from a serious medical crisis and I watch that same spirit manifest with the same words. “I can do this!”
I am grateful for the help I receive from others when I find myself stumbling in an arid land of confusion and doubt, especially in the land of computer technology, but having an “I can do this!” attitude gives me the strength and wisdom to stay in the game.
And I want to stay in the game until my last breath.
Let go of the past
We can’t change the past, and it can be overwhelming to think about what we’ve done that we are not proud of, or the ways we have been hurt by others.
We could fill a book if we kept a list of all of these things. It is difficult to live a full life when tangled in cords of regret and unforgiveness.
I make it a daily habit to release these cords so I am free for the moment to enjoy life. The most effective practice I have found is the practice of gratitude.
Each day before going to bed I list three things I am grateful for that day in a journal. If you have never tried this, Here is a free gratitude journal when you subscribe to TheReflectivePen.
Conclusion -The key to living fully
The key to living fully is to find what brings you happiness— and do more of that. If you’re doing something that’s not bringing you happiness, then let go of it and move on to what brings you joy. You’ll be happier in the long run if you do!
I have found my purpose in the years since I retired by writing and sharing reflections with others.
You might define full living as spending time with family and friends, engaging in physical activity, enjoying your work or hobby, or learning something new.
Perhaps the best way to find a full life is to spend time journaling and asking yourself: What makes me happiest? What are my values?
And then take action.
Live fully in the moment, live your passion, and don’t wait for ‘someday.’
NOW is the only time that matters.
Want more weekly reflections like this?
