Living Happy in Daily Life

What do you do daily to ensure that you’re living life to its fullest? If you're struggling to think of anything, that's okay, you're not alone. Here's the thing – you are not going to enjoy every minute of every day, terrible things may happen such as a car accident, a fall, illness, financial struggles, or the loss of a loved one. But these things are just part of life.
​I was driving my 14-year-old grandson to his tutoring classes on Saturday morning. Traffic was light. I consider myself a careful driver. Unfortunately, on this day a person decided to drive through a red left turn signal and pulled in front of me. There was no way to avoid the impending accident. So, I quickly swerved to the right and was able to cause the cars to collide side-to-side. Now my grandson would be late for his study time. Me? I had to face the whole accident investigation business. I called my wife who arrived quickly and made sure that the morning was not a total loss for our young student. In the meantime, the officer allowed me to drive my car home rather than having it towed. 

An incident such as that normally is the cause for a total “breakdown” for most people. But, I refused to allow a simple accident that I could not avoid to ruin my day. My insurance would cover the repair. And I was able to make a social event I had planned for later that evening. The day turned out just as I decided it would. Other people’s decisions or miscalculations do not mean that I must stop living life to its fullest. My joy and my happiness are my choices. They are never dependent upon others.

Three Questions
If you're trying to determine what it is you really want from your life, or what it is that will help you live life fully, then ask yourself these questions. As you think about your answers, rely on your intuition to understand what you're trying to tell yourself.
1.  What Does Your Heart Want Right Now?
Right now, at this very moment – what do you want? Empty your feelings onto a sheet of paper and review it later. It might not make a whole lot of sense initially, it's essentially free writing to direct you. It isn't about doing something because your brain is telling you to, it's about relying on your intuition to lead you.
2.  What Are You Feeling Right Now?
Follow your intuition and sense where you are being led, no matter where it may be guiding you. Emotions aren't always wise, but your intuition is, so listen to your gut. This will help you filter out some of what you have written as you've let yourself flow onto the paper. It's part of the process required to make sense of what you've put down on paper.
3.  What If It's Different Than I Imagined?
Nothing is ever as you expect it to be. If you are truly following your purpose it won't matter whether it unfolds as you imagined, there's a good chance that it will be even better. It's important to remember, though, that even when chasing your dreams there will be bumps along the way. Life can never be perfect, but there is something about life's imperfections that make it worth living.

What Limits You?
We all feel held back by assumptions and expectations at various points in our lives. We are comfortable in the box that we have created for ourselves, at least, that's what we tell ourselves. In truth, we've allowed ourselves to become trapped in a box with a trap lid. What assumptions could be limiting you from making progress in life?

• I can't earn less than X to live a happy life
• I'm too old for this
• I'm not good enough
• My marriage won't survive this change
• I don't have what it takes
• I don't have the necessary skills
• I don't have anything to offer
• I'm too tired
• My life won't be better than this
• There's nothing special about me

 
Getting Started
If you’re considering something related to your career, why not volunteer in a place related to that purpose? It's a great way to see if it really is what you want and get a better feel for things. Alternatively, you could shadow someone who is in the career you want for yourself and see what happens.
If your purpose isn't career-related, it should be much easier to launch yourself headfirst into it. When you are lying on your deathbed, those limits won't mean much. The key to living a full life is finding out what really matters to you, determining what you want, and going after it full force.