Learn to understand the true meaning of living your best life and take advantage of the free 30-day challenge to help yourself build the foundation for happiness and fulfillment.
If you’ve been on social media in the past few years, you’ve probably heard the phrase “I’m living my best life!” And if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably thought to yourself, “what is the best life and how do I live mine?”
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Unlike all the Instagram photos and captions might make us believe, living your best life is a lot more than treating yourself to a fancy cocktail or spa day here and there. In fact, living your best life goes a lot deeper than that.
To live your best life is to fully embrace the joys of being alive. It is consciously creating and chasing the life that you want.
Does that sound like an idea you can get behind?
Let’s break it all down by starting with what exactly it means to live life fully, why it’s so important for your mental health, and how you can start to become the “best life” version of yourself today.
What It Means To Live Your Best Life
When defining what it is, there is no one size fits all template for life. Each of us has unique interests, dreams, and goals. Remember that your idea of your best life might look completely different from anyone – or everyone – else’s idea. Though living your best life can mean a lot of other things to a wide variety of people, here are some common traits of a fulfilling life that tend to be similar no matter the situation:
→ Having a Sense of Adventure
Being adventurous doesn’t have to look like climbing mountains or boarding planes. People who live fulfilling lives know that you can find adventure in everyday life simply by being open to new experiences and willing to take chances. You might not be interested in backpacking the Swiss Alps, but I’m sure there are hobbies you’ve wanted to try, classes you’ve wanted to take, or friends you’ve wanted to make. To live your best life means to go for it – take the risk, embrace the adventure, and don’t let fear hold you back.
→ Fully Experiencing All Emotions
Living a full life means experiencing all parts of the human experience, emotions included. People who live life fully are able to openly feel and process their feelings – the good, the bad, and the ugly – rather than trying to ignore or avoid them. When you fear negative emotions or shut yourself off from them, you are essentially cutting yourself off from the full depth of the positive emotions, too. When you’re able to live your best life, you’re in tune with your feelings and aren’t hesitant to openly express whatever comes up.
→ Having Self-Awareness and Acceptance
How can you live your best life if you don’t even know what the best life for you is, or if you’re afraid of how it’ll be received? People who are able to live life fully have a deep understanding of who they really are, what matters most to them, and where they want their life to go. They also don’t have time to focus on insecurities or self-doubt, because they’re too busy working to make their goals a reality. In order to find fulfillment, it’s crucial to take the time to get to know yourself and ultimately embrace who you are and what is most meaningful to you.
If you know you need help cultivating more self-awareness and self-love, try one of my self-paced personal development digital workbooks or journals.
Understanding How To Live Your Best Life
Making a major life shift or changing daily habits is no easy task. In fact, sometimes it can be downright challenging. So why do people continue with the difficult process of taking risks, embracing emotion, and learning to love and accept themselves? The reason is simple, even if the task itself isn’t: it’s because it’s worth it.
There are endless benefits to embracing your true path and learning how to live your best life, but here are just a few of the top impacts this kind of change can have:
→ You’ll feel greater life satisfaction
Living a full, adventurous, and meaningful life results in a deep sense of satisfaction. When you’ve lived your life in tune with your emotions and desires, and have put in the effort to chase what you want, you won’t feel like you’ve missed out on experiences or opportunities. This not only saves you from the damaging experience of regret but also provides accomplishment and satisfaction with your life choices.
→ You’ll find an abundance of new opportunities
Allowing yourself to explore and experience new things is the key to discovering what you love and enjoy. It’s also the key to opening up new doors and opportunities you’ve never even dreamed of. When you’re open and accepting of what comes your way, you’ll add to the richness of your life by fully embracing all the new connections, skills, and experiences you attract.
→ You’ll achieve higher levels of happiness
Denying yourself the chance to live your best life can lead to feeling jaded and pessimistic, which is one of the most challenging inner conflicts to overcome. When you align your life with what really matters most, you’ll find your daily mood improving and your overall happiness increasing. For tips on how to boost your mood, check out the many ways to naturally improve your mood.
5 Ways to Live Your Best Life
While each of us has to discover our own individual path to finding a fulfilling life, there are a few common elements that all people who live life fully can agree are most important. The following mindset blueprints will guide you in making positive, healthy changes so you can live your best life.
1. Find what is most meaningful to you
To live life fully, you first need to understand what is most fulfilling to you. Our lives are filled with choices, and it’s important to align all of your choices – even the seemingly small and mundane – with the life you want to live.
To uncover what it is that makes your life most meaningful, try keeping a positivity journal. Every time you feel joyful or have a happy experience, write down what caused it. After a while, you may start to see a pattern. Are you devoted to your family, and want to spend as much time with them as possible? Maybe you’re very career-driven, and want to work towards a promotion? Whatever it is that you find brings you joy, that is the place to start.
2. Give yourself permission to let go of what no longer serves you
Once you’ve decided where you find the most meaning, you’ll want to start making choices that align with your values and interests. This means making decisions about what can stay—and what has to go—from your day-to-day life. When you want to live life fully, you have to decide what lifts you up and also what brings you down.
Over the course of two weeks, keep a log of everything you do in a day. Take note of how much time you spend on each task, and how you feel emotionally afterward. Are there parts of your day that leave you feeling completely drained and unfulfilled? Are you in certain relationships where someone seems to take much more than they give? Consider where it might be helpful to make changes or set boundaries.
3. Try new things and be patient with yourself in the process
Now that you’ve kicked those unproductive habits, you’ll find how much more time and energy you have to pour into things that serve you. Whatever it is that you choose to try out, be sure to give yourself a lot of grace and have patience. Living your best life doesn’t happen overnight. Trying something new can be scary and frustrating, especially when it doesn’t click right away, but it can also be incredibly rewarding and add so much joy and excitement to your life.
What’s a hobby you’ve been meaning to try out? Local community centers often offer adult classes if you’re interested in arts, dance, sports, or socializing. For at-home options, try cooking, crafting, journaling, or yoga.
4. Be kind to yourself from the inside out
Physical wellness is incredibly important for ensuring you’ll be able to live life fully for years to come. However, physical health shouldn’t be harsh or filled with crash diets and non-stop fitness programs. Remember, above all else, to treat both your mind and body with kindness. With every choice you make, meal you eat, and movement you make, you should stay kind and true to yourself.
If spending time with family is something that’s important to you, try incorporating an active family walk into your routine. If you’re interested in cooking, find a healthy recipe to test out in the kitchen. Try to find movement and meals that are gentle, fun, and aligned with what matters most to you.
5. Set intentions and stick to them
Do you ever find yourself rushing through the day without much thought, or operating on autopilot and just going through the motions? What would happen if instead you woke up and decided to set a very clear, specific intention for what you wanted to feel, do, or be that day?
If you have a busy day, rather than rushing or dragging yourself through it, try waking up and telling yourself that today you will be present. You can set your intention with a quick morning meditation or journaling session, followed by repeating affirmations throughout the day. When you start to feel like you’re rushing or dragging, repeat the following phrase: I am here. I am grounded. In this moment, I have everything I need.
I hope you have learned more about the meaning behind living your best life and will be enjoying the free 30-day challenge to help put it into practice.
