Are You Working Toward What You Want Out Of Life?

It can be hard to find balance in life sometimes. I think for many of us. There are so many things we would like to do, yet at the same time so many things pulling at us, things we ‘have’ to do…or  feel we ‘have’ to do.  The goal should be filling your time more with the like to dos then the ‘have’ to do’s. But like anything in life, that is all easier said than done. But who ever said it was going to be easy anyway? It’s not. The big picture of it all could be daunting…overwhelming at times. The big picture of all you want to do and make of your life can at times seem next to impossible. Yet the truth is, it’s not. The secret is to…slow down… start small…and say no.

That seems so counterproductive. Well, it’s the exact opposite. Once we stop running around, rushing from place to place as if our lives are some kind of race, it frees up time to think. Saying no is about not over committing yourself as many of us are guilty of doing. It’s hard when your family or friends need help with something or are always setting up things that they want to do but ‘hope you’ll come along’. Or some of us might put our children in so many activities that before you know it you’ve become a taxi driver, and not just only to your own children. But where does that leave time for you? What about those dreams you once had as a child? If you don’t slow down, one year, five years, ten years will pass and you’ll be looking back wondering to yourself where all the time went. Well, it all went to running around, doing things that sometimes weren’t things you ‘really’ wanted to do in the first place.

Yet if you slow down and really think about what you want to get out of your life, your mind shifts. Those ‘one day I want to’ thoughts begin to drift around your mind more so as time goes on. They are all buried deep inside of every single one of us somewhere. They just got kind of lost along the way as life got in the way.

If you have the drive, the will, the passion, the desire, the courage, the persistence, the patience and the knowing that you will get knocked down over and over again…then you will find your way. A struggle, yes. Is it worth it? Yes.

And in all honesty, the struggle is never really over. It’s not like you just wake up one day and say ok, this is it, this is exactly where I want to be. That’s not possible because we’re all changing constantly. That’s a good thing! There is always room for change and improvement. And life won’t let you just be. It always throws something at you. Always. Sometimes life throws the most unexpected things at the most unexpected times. Life can throw things at you that have the potential to stop you cold in your tracks. When that happens, no matter how hard it seems, don’t lose focus on what you want. Just. Keep. Going.

My point is, make sure the life you are living lines up with the values and hopes you hold inside you. Sure all of us would love to live this perfect life of ‘living our dream’. No it’s not going to happen overnight, and there is no ‘perfect’ anything but keep pushing toward what puts a smile on your face. Whether it’s big changes that you eventually commit to that go after your dreams or small changes that completely satisfy your otherwise hectic days. I know many people, some of whom I love dearly, that the life they are living is not the life they want to live by any means. It makes me sad to see that.  It would be a different story if we all had a chance at another life and could say ‘I’ll do it differently next time’. But unfortunately, that’s not how this works. We get one life and it’s up to no one but yourself to make that life of yours… yours. Yours to be proud of, yours to be strong in, yours to be happy in or yours to be exactly who you once dreamed to be.

Like I just said,  it’s not going to be perfect. We all have obligations that at times need to come first. Yet why let them completely stop you? The secret is not to focus on the big overwhelming picture. Don’t let the hard things life throws at you find a permanent place in your mind. Don’t let your obligations become your entire life. Don’t let your fear of failure that might hang above you win. Don’t let the voice inside your head put negative words in your mind and definitely don’t ever listen to anyone who ever tells you any negativity of your goals or dreams. If you want to achieve something, no matter how big or small, it’s yours for the taking. But the secret is to start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself to the point of giving up. Start small. Make small goals and make them your daily practice. Eventually new doors will open with patience, persistence and your drive to succeed at whatever goal you have in mind. Eventually all the small positive changes you make in your everyday choices will add up and get you on the right path to where you want to be. Sometimes those little positive changes will make those obligations you have in life seem not so bad after all. Small positive changes might even eliminate those obligations you felt held you back in the fist place.

Just think of this, picture yourself 10 years or 20 years older. Then think to yourself as you look back, how will you feel had you never tried to push yourself to reach your goals? In 10, 20 years, you can’t go back in time. But you can start today and make your life worth something to look back on.

Get out there and find your purpose. Find those dreams you once had as a child or as you grew wiser. Just remember, It’s never too late to make small changes to your life to make your ordinary life extraordinary to you.