Like many people, I’m all about growing and changing and self-improvement. A video from Trent Shelton gets me so pumped up that I feel like I can do anything! A motivational message from Tony Robbins will have me shouting “Amen!” at the top of my lungs! Rachel Hollis doing one of her dances on stage? You can bet that within minutes I’ll be dancing around my family room, feeling like I can take on the world!
These people inspire and motivate us to “be the best we can be” and to “live our best lives.” Again, I’m 100% about that! I always strive to be the best I can be and to live my best life. I think everyone should. But there is also often a message with it (either directly stated or implied) that we should be “always changing” and “making constant improvements” and that if we aren’t changing or improving then we aren’t being the best we can be and we’re not living our best lives. This is where I must disagree. In fact, I take serious issue with the message that if you’re not always changing and you’re not always making a self-improvement that you’re “just settling” for your life the way it is. To me, this begs the question “What if you love your life the way it is?”
Life is a crazy, twisting, curly-Q, upside-down, corkscrew roller coaster ride. There will be plenty of times throughout your life where you will feel a desire or need to make some major changes and self-improvements. You’ll get sick of your job and decide to embark upon a new career path. You’ll realize you’re bored to tears and decide to challenge yourself to do new things. You’ll discover that you’ve outgrown your tribe and need to find a new group of supportive, positive friends. You’ll take a good hard look at yourself and know that you have to make some big, tough changes in your emotional and/or physical health. You’ll have a burning desire to sell everything and move to the beach – okay, maybe that one’s just me! Some of these changes and self-improvements will be a choice and some will be born of necessity. Some of them will be fun and some will be downright scary. You’ll be happy and excited about some of them and some of them you will face with fear and dread.
But there will be times in your life when you’re happy with exactly who you are and exactly where you are. There will be times in your life when you stop and look around and think “I love my life right at this moment. I wouldn’t change a thing.” Guess what? That’s not just okay! It’s totally, completely, seriously awesome! Savor those times in your life! Cherish them! Soak them in! Immerse yourself in the delight of those times! Don’t waste a single moment during those times thinking that you should be changing anything or feeling like you’re “settling” because you love your life just the way it is!
Do you love your job? Do you love your relationships? Do you love your current pace of life? Is your life relaxed, happy and drama free? Then my dear, don’t change a darn thing because like it or not, it will change someday, so ENJOY IT!
I recently watched a motivational video where the speaker (someone I adore, by the way) stated “You should never be satisfied with your life.” To me, that is a very depressing statement that implies that you’ll never be able to take a rest and just enjoy being happy with your life the way it is. Rather the message should be “If you’re not satisfied with your life, change it! But if you are satisfied with your life, enjoy it!”
What does it mean to have a “satisfying life?” You and only you can decide what a satisfying life is to you! Don’t let other people judge whether or not your life is satisfying! If you want to make a change in your life, do it! If you want to improve something about yourself, do it! But if you’re satisfied with your life and with yourself right now, enjoy it and embrace it! Take it from a “mature” (aka old) lady like me, those times in life are very precious and you should treasure them!
P.S. Also take a lot of pictures during those times and print them out and put them in albums. Old school, I know. Again, take it from someone who has been riding this roller coaster ride for a long time!
