I am blessed with the opportunity to live many years. The last half of my life has been much fuller and more productive than the first. My life has always been full and somewhat adventurous. Yet, looking back, perhaps I was more busy than impactful.
It took me several decades (maybe 4 or 5) to achieve the emotional maturity I now possess. Looking back, I was very naive about life and relationships at home and work.
I was merely existing, not genuinely choosing to live. Today, living means engaging with life in a conscious, purposeful, and richly textured manner. It means embracing life's vast experiences—joy and sorrow, triumph and defeat and using them for growth, learning, and connection.
Merely existing implies a certain stagnation, a life lived on autopilot, where my days blend without distinction, marked by simple routine. This is an existence of safety and predictability, complete with unexplored potential and unfulfilled desires. It's a state where I allow my life to be narrowed down to comfort zones, leaving little room for pursuing dreams or embracing the unknown.
Am I existing or living?
My distinction between living and existing is a matter of choice. It calls me to be fully present, to confront my vulnerabilities as pathways to authenticity and connection.
This involves asking difficult questions about my life's direction, setting clear intentions, and acting with the courage to bring those intentions into existence.
I am opting to live rather than merely exist, finding beauty in the ordinary, seeking meaning in my endeavors, and embracing love, work, and play wholeheartedly. In choosing to live fully, I elevate my existence and contribute to a more prosperous and connected world. The decision to live with strategy, intentionality, and purpose is a profound gift I can offer to myself and those around me.
It is never too late to wake up and smell the coffee. I am living proof.
How about you? Are you existing or living?
Watch for the blind spots.
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