A Full Life

I think on some level I have been comparing myself to famous, well-known people and feeling like I haven’t done nearly as much with my life as they have. I thought that just because someone spends their career in front of a camera, or behind the cover of bestselling books, that my little life just wasn’t quite that exemplary.

Thank heavens for my husband.  He commented one day that I lead a full life.  I questioned him immediately about that comment, and then digested it for a moment. He was right –  I do, in fact, have a full life as I suspect many of us do.  I just was not aware of it.   I am not a world-renowned leader, celebrity, or famous in any way, but little old me is doing pretty well with my little life.

By just hearing those words – full life – I woke up. What I do is important, what we all do is important. We make the world go round. While very few of us can achieve the highest heights of recognition, we can make all the difference in the world.

I needed to quantify my 57 years on this planet, so I decided to take a personal inventory of my life and see how the connections, interactions, accomplishments and relationships I have wove throughout my existence have trickled down to others and enriched my life in the process.   I took what I like to call the “George Bailey Challenge”.  George Bailey, from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” sacrifices his dreams of traveling around the world to stay home and run the family business after his father dies.  He continues working longer than planned so his brother can go to college.  By giving up on his dreams, George ends up suicidal, feeling as if he has done nothing with his life except watch everyone else live what he thought were fabulous lives with noteworthy accomplishments.  He wishes he had never been born.  At that moment an angel comes along and grants this wish and George gets to see what his corner of the world would look like if he had never existed.  This exercise helps George to realize the importance of his life, and the importance of his life on others as well. He was living a meaningful life but just did not recognize it.  George wakes up.  He was so busy being held hostage from the grief of losing his dreams that he did not see how valuable the gift of life is, and how large of an impact even one person can have on the life of so many others.

Most dreams do not come to fruition.  At some point, we all have to let go of the dream that probably won’t ever materialize, and look at our life as it is.  How to do this?  Take your own personal inventory. Focus your inventory on career, love, finances, spirituality, health, wellness, and family and see what you come up with.  The results are of great importance, and by just seeing on paper the things you have done and accomplished, you will amaze yourself about yourself! Reviewing this list is a first step in increasing self-confidence and taking pride in your life.   And remember – if you are less than dazzled with your list – it is never too late!

I feel that I am working towards honoring my life, which is a blessing that each of us can realize within ourselves.  Honor yourself by doing. Volunteer, write that letter, say that kind word and do a kind deed. Make your life so rich and full that you do not have time to be angry and sad about what “could have been”.  It’s what is happening now that matters.  With clarity and focus, a full life can be yours, and probably is without you even knowing it!

It is a good time to wake up and see what you have now.  Work with what you’ve got!