Part 2 "Life is an adventure, dare it." ~ Mother Teresa

So here are some of the thoughts that were ruminating in my head from this post. These "Life" posts are not meant to come off as preachy or as though I have mastered any of these things, because I am quite sure I have not, so please don't take them as such. I'm just sharing some thoughts with you all and in many ways reminding myself of what's important to me all at the same time. :0) Having said that, I'll share a list (which by no means is exhaustive) of things that I think are key to extracting as much out of life as possible.

• Seize each day- You know "Carpe Diem". Live each day as if it's your last because you are not guaranteed tomorrow. Be present to enjoy the moment.

• Appreciate the little things - A favorite quote of mine is, "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will realize that they were the big things." It's all about the details.
  

• Be adventurous- Explore, live on the edge a little and embrace new challenges. Visit new places with your loved ones, even if it's a restaurant you've never been to. Take the road less traveled.

• Serve - Find purpose in life by selflessly serving others. This can be your community, your church, your family. The key is in the selfless part. That means you do it without broadcasting how much your doing.
  

• Laugh- Laughter is the best medicine and inner joy is beautiful! It lightens our mood and reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously.
  

• Keep it all in perspective- As Denis Waitley put it, "I had the blues because I had not shoes. Until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet."

• Focus on the positive - Is the glass half empty or half full? Focusing on the positive cultivates an attitude of gratitude and appreciation. I would rather be able to appreciate things that I cannot have than have things I am not able to appreciate.

• Live with a constant sense of wonder- You cannot deny that miracles happen every day if you've ever seen a baby come into this world or watched a sunset. This world is amazing! If you don't believe me watch this 11 part mini series. Even if you do believe me, if you've never seen it you need to. ;0)
  

So that's it, those are some of my thoughts on life and how I want to live it. I only get one opportunity to live my life and I want to make the most of it. I do not want to get to the end of my life and have a boat load of regrets, things I wanted to do but never got around to doing for one reason or another. I don't want to sit by and let life happen around me. This is my life and my job to live it, live it with purpose, make it count! If I choose not to I have no one to blame but myself.


Lastly, here are some lyrics to a song that I love called "Alive" by Becki Ryan (who incidentally is a Christian artist). I love how they convey a desire to live life passionately.


I wanna run with reckless emotion
Find out if love is the size of an ocean
Even if I crash down and burn out
At least I'm gonna know what its like to feel alive

I wanna feel till my heart breaks wide open
I wanna blaze like a fire that's growing
Even if I crash down an' burn out
At least I'm gonna know what its like to feel alive