Six Months from Now

"In 6 months from now, it could all look and feel so different.  Remember that every thought you choose today and every action you take is authorizing your future life.  Don't let today be an accident.  Live on purpose.  Be intentional" ~ Cara Alwill Leyba

Photography by Sara-Anne Photography

Living a life of happiness has nothing to do with where we want to arrive, it only has to do with enjoying the experience it takes to get there.

We all crave community because as humans, we are social...some people more so than others and it's so important to have friends and family to help out when things get tough.  It's also, and I think equally as important, to be independent and figure out what's best for you while taking into consideration the opinions of others.  There is so much talk these days about "staying authentic", but what does that really mean?  My life has changed so much over the past several years that I don't even feel like the same person some days.  Our authenticity is different at different stages of life.  I'm figuring out who I truly am again, or reinventing myself into the person I am supposed to be and I'm finding my new place in the world because the circumstances of my life have changed.  Being, or staying authentic is important, but changing and evolving is a part of that.

I thinking that the phrases "living intentionally" and "living on purpose" are also sometimes hard to understand.  It feels hard some days to live intentionally or on purpose when it seems that the circumstances of our lives are beyond our control.  What we do have control over, is the way that we react to those circumstances literally one moment at a time.  No one is perfect, and inevitably, we will react badly from time to time, but how amazing is it that we have a choice?  We get to decide from moment to moment who and how we want to be.

I always (mostly) start every day feeling happy and excited for life, even though things aren't exactly as I would like them right now.  It's later in the day, when my work is done (or I stop working) that my mind tends to take over.  Figuring out how to live intentionally in the evenings is challenging for me.  I am trying to adapt to my new circumstances and create new rituals and habits to make things easier.  I know that taking care of me...eating well, lighting that candle, taking some time to get to know myself again is important.

So what is it that I ultimately want?  I honestly don't know exactly what I want..mostly it's a feeling of peace and clarity.  I can tell you things that I want, like a new car or a trip to Italy, but just how it all plays out is up to the Universe.  I know that if I am not able to be happy, right now today in some way, that I won't be able to be any happier when I get that new car or arrive in Italy.  The only way to live a happy life of peace and clarity is to decide to be happy right now, in this moment because this moment is always all there is.  (Goodness, I need to read this to myself tonight!)

Happiness comes when we learn to enjoy the journey and not worry about the destination and I think when we've figured that out, then authenticity comes naturally.

The beautiful thing about being human is that we are all different.  What makes me happy might not make you happy.  We all have distinct ideas and preferences about our lives.  A well lived life, no matter what that means to you is made up of the moments and has nothing to do with achieving a specific destination or goal.  It's the little things that matter.

Pay attention to the little things, because one day, you may wake up and realize that they were the big things and then it might be too late.

Change up your daily routine...get up earlier or sleep more if you need, meditate, be outside and enjoy nature.  Read a good book or learn a new language, Smile, sometimes even if you don't feel like it.  BE GRATEFUL.  Appreciate the simple things like the warm sun on your face or the beauty of the sunset.  Savor the food you eat.  Be Kind...being kind make you feel good!  Appreciate your friends and how they enrich your life.  Be a good friend.  Choose experiences over things.  Don't compare yourself to others.  Learn to love yourself as you are, knowing that change can't happen until you love yourself.  Get out of your box and do something unexpected.  Listen to the whispers of the Universe.  CELEBRATE YOU!

"Life is nothing but a series of moments and the key to happiness is living each moment with purpose and intention."  Don't let today be an accident!