Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life.”
At times, it’s seemed as though life contains an endless supply of days.
I thought this for sure when I was younger. It didn’t matter how long I held a grudge or how long I waited to do something I wanted—there would be an unlimited pool of other opportunities. At least, that’s what I thought back then.
Maybe it’s a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, the moment when you realize life happens now and that’s all you’re guaranteed. It doesn’t really hit you when you merely know it intellectually, like you know your ABCs, state capitals, and other concrete facts.
It hits you when somehow you feel it. Your health declines. You lose someone you love. A tragedy rocks your world. It isn’t until you realize that all life fades that you consider now a commodity, and a scarce one at that.
But maybe that’s irrelevant. Maybe living a meaningful, passionate life has nothing to do with its length and everything to do with its width.
With this in mind, I recently asked Tiny Buddha’s Facebook friends, “How do you live life to the fullest?” I was inspired by what they had to say, so I’ve used them to create this list:
1. Live in the moment. Forget the past and don’t concern yourself with the future.
2. Fully embrace the now, no matter what the situation.
3. Do the things you love.
4. Learn to forgive and embrace unconditional love.
5. Live every day as if it’s your last, embracing each experience as if it’s your first.
6. Believe in “live and let live.”
7. Use quiet reflection, honesty, and laughter.
8. Be other-centered.
9. Find calm in making art.
10. Focus on today and how you can do your best to live it to the fullest.
11. Participate in life instead of just watching it pass you by.
12. Stay healthy, eat right, and most importantly, be kind to all.
13. Forgive yourself, appreciate others, listen to your gut, do things you enjoy, and remind yourself that we are all loved and connected.
14. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
15. Question everything, keep it simple, and help whenever and however you can.
16. Try to enjoy every minute of every day.
17. Appreciate life’s every second.
18. Step through new doors. The majority of the time there’s something fantastic on the other side.
19. Remember that all is a gift, but the most precious of all gifts is life and love.
20. Keep your spirit free, be flexible, let go.
21. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” ~Baz Luhrmann
22. Don’t attach to outcomes.
23. Spend as much time with a two year old as possible.
24. Enjoy each and every moment of life. Every day is a new challenge and opportunity to discover something new.
25. Budget travel. It is always an adventure! You get to enjoy what fate has to offer with limited means.
26. Be honestly thankful for every breath you take.
28. “Trust yourself. Trust your own strengths.” ~Gandalf the grey
29. Pause momentarily before everything you do so that you notice everything you should or could notice.
30. Follow your hopes and not your fears.
What have you done today to live life to the fullest?
