People often say, “Life is short”. They sometimes say it with regret lingering in their voices, sometimes with a composure that comes with acceptance, and sometimes with an insatiable thirst for new experiences. It’s true that we get only one short life to live. If we live the right way, one life is more than enough.
1. Be True to Yourself
If there were systematic steps to living life to the fullest, the first would definitely be listening to our inner voices that know our needs and desires best. We are all easily influenced by our families, friends, celebrities, and especially social media, which seems to glorify materialism and new travel experiences. We buy into everyone else’s ideas about the best way to live while disregarding the opinions of the person with the most say – ourselves.
If you want to live life to the fullest, tune out the outside voices and listen closely to your inner voice. Find out what you truly want and go for it!
2. Don’t Let the Past Haunt You
The past is something we cannot relive or change. All that was and has been is now just a fragment of our memories. However, some of us may dwell in the past, think too much of the events that unraveled and lose focus of the present. Once we stop living in the present, we’re not living our lives to the fullest.
As hard as it may be, we should understand that it’s part of human nature to make mistakes and learn to forgive ourselves and others. Only then will we be able to move on and truly live life in the now.
3. Don’t Wait for Others to Do What You Want
Sometimes, we find ourselves waiting for another person to play their part so we can do what we want. If you want to go to the movies or the concert of your favorite artist, you don’t have to wait for your friends to confirm their schedule. You can always buy a single ticket and head there yourself. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet interesting people and find new opportunities.
4. Quit Complaining and Take Action
It’s natural to complain about things that bother us. The truth is, we all complain. However, we should make a conscious effort to complain less and take action to change the situation to suit our needs whenever possible. For instance, if your new manager expects you to work extra hours multiple times during the week without pay, have a conversation directly with him or her.
After calmly explaining your side of the story, there’s a pretty good chance that you and your manager will reach a fair agreement. On the contrary, if you simply complain to your co-workers about your long work hours, you’ll see no positive change and will only harbor negative feelings.
5. Set Goals
If you’ve been following my blog and interviews, you will know by now that I’m an avid believer in the power of goal setting. Although they can be overseen and underestimated, goals are powerful enough to change lives. When you set the right goals and follow them through, you can achieve absolutely anything you set your mind to, even things most others would consider impossible.
Haven’t decided on your goals yet? Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out in just 4 simple steps using my goal-setting exercise.
6. Do the Things You Love
Don’t do something for the sake of it. If what you do makes you unhappy, that’s an indication to stop doing it. If you enrolled in a science program at college but don’t enjoy it, find another course you think you’ll like and switch, even it means doing an extra year or two. You cannot live your life to the fullest doing things that kill your joy, so don’t settle for less than what you love.
7. Be Fit
The saying “health is wealth” is apt in every sense of the word. Fitness plays an important role in our lives because if we’re mentally and physically fit, then we’ll be less prone to health problems. A person with good health can live life to its fullest without limitations.
To live our lives to the fullest, we’re not limited to the 7 steps I’ve given above. There are many, many more ways to maximize your life. Once you start living without inhibitions, you’ll get the hang of the right way to live. Just remember, the sky’s the limit!
-Andres Pira
About Andres Pira – philanthropist, real estate tycoon, author, speaker, and global citizen. Andres Pira enjoys living in Thailand where his journey began from ไม่มีที่อยู่อาศัยให้กับมหาเศรษฐี.
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