Are You Living Your Best Life, And What Does That Even Mean?
Living your best life.
It’s becoming quite the popular phrase and one that’s probably going to sound dated in a few years.
Do you say it? Do you know someone who says it?
In the last week alone, I’ve heard it uttered several times at least, in reference to:
my toddler who was running around dancing and spinning in her sparkly tutu,
an acquaintance who posted pictures of a recently completed triathlon,
a retiree who spent the last month traveling abroad, and
a fellow business owner who seems to always be having fun and rarely working hard.
They are “living their best life”.
It sounds encouraging. It sounds supportive. It sounds trendy, but what does it actually mean?
Let’s look at the examples above for starters.
There’s the toddler, who has no inhibition, just freedom, expression and pure silliness.
There’s the athlete, who has accomplished a major goal and conquered a physical challenge.
There’s the retiree, who’s taking advantage of newfound freedom, experiencing new things, without work, or routines to worry about.
And there’s the business owner, who’s living a creative, spontaneous, and flexible life supported by a business she created.
Pretty great lives on the surface. Actually, if I’m completely honest, I feel a bit jealous. But do I even want what they have?
What is it about these particular scenarios that made me (or someone close to me) say “She is living her best life!”?
It’s About More Than What We Do
That’s when it hit me.
I don’t think it’s actually about the activity that someone is doing when “living their best life”. I think it’s more about how they FEEL about their life. And how they make US feel when looking at them enjoying their life so much.
So whether it’s triathlons, travel, dancing in your tutu, or if it’s just parenting, working, or taking care of your life, if you LOVE it, if you are ENJOYING it, that shows. We notice people who are soaking up moments like it’s their BEST LIFE.
That’s what attracts others to what you’re doing, to who you are, and makes them say, “she’s living her best life”.
What Would It Look Like?
If you’re regularly complaining, stressed, tired, and just trying to make it through, that feels - to you and everyone else - like the opposite of your best life.
I will be the first to tell you that your life is about YOU not about what other people see or think. But that kind of life can’t feel good, even to you.
Living your best life isn’t about anyone else qualifying it as such. It’s about you BELIEVING that you are doing just that.
So what would living your best life look like? Seriously, have you ever thought about that?
Why don’t you try to write it out. Go ahead. Take a few minutes right now to jot down any ideas that you have about what living your best life would look like.
Would it include travel?
Enjoying your job?
Taking a random Tuesday and going to the zoo?
Volunteering in your kids’ classroom?
Reading more novels?
Running a marathon?
Regular date nights with your husband?
Adventures and outings?
Family game nights?
Starting your own business?
Dancing, laughing, singing out loud?
I bet, living your best life wouldn’t take a ton of investment, or a complete overhaul of how you do life.
It probably just takes choosing to spend your time a little differently.
It probably means appreciating what you have.
It probably means smiling a bit more, being more present in your relationships, doing MORE OF WHAT YOU LOVE.
And you know the great news about that? You can totally do that. You can live your best life, starting today. You just have to know what that looks like and then commit to doing more of just that.
Need help fitting things that you love into your schedule? That’s my superpower. I would love to support you in creating a life that you love as a working mom. Let’s be in touch.