Live the life you want

Hannah - age 4

If you are ever feeling stressed out – spend the day with a three-year-old. No, not to add more stress to your life, but to remind you what it was like when you didn’t have a care in the world. Hannah wakes up every day with a huge smile on her face. She bounces out of bed as if she just had 3 cups of coffee. She finds intense joy in the simplest of things – “Mom! Look, I found a leaf! Mom! A bird!!” She never just walks from place to place – she gallops or skips. She also sings a lot throughout the day. She has big plans every day, but her day is not carefully thought out. She flies by the seat of her pants. She lives in the moment. Every child that she meets is her friend, and she truly believes in the goodness of people. She thinks she can do anything and always tries. She is not afraid to fail, probably because it never occurs to her that she might. She constantly tells me how much she loves me and is never afraid to express her opinions or emotions. She doesn’t think before she speaks, and will tell you exactly what’s on her mind. She tells me all the time that she’s not my baby anymore, and I know she’s growing up fast. But, ahhh, to be young, innocent, and carefree again!

I wrote the above when my daughter, Hannah, turned three. She is now four and still approaches her days in the same manner. Imagine if we approached life in this way. Imagine starting each day feeling positive and full of hope and wonder at what the day might bring. Imagine not being afraid of anything!

Try new things today! Don’t think about the what ifs: What if it doesn’t work out? What if I fail? What if other people think I’m crazy? The only what ifs you should think about are: What if I can have everything I want out of life if I pursue my dreams? What if I’m not afraid to change my life for the better?  

Reinvent your life. Start taking the necessary steps to live your dream life. Yes, it’s scary to step outside of your comfort zone. Yes, others may tell you you’re crazy or it just might not work out. Who cares? Feel the fear, but do it anyway. We only get one chance to live the life we’re truly meant to live. Make a list of all of the things you would like to do this year…of everything you want to change. Now, take the necessary steps to make these things happen! It sounds simple…and it really is. It’s that simple.

If your life is happy and fulfilling and everything you want it to be, that’s awesome! If it’s not, then why not? Doing the same things day in and day out will yield the same results. So, you need to make changes. Determine what is getting in the way of happiness, success, your dreams. Adopt a “can do” attitude. You can do what you set your mind to. You have options. You just have to make the decision to change the things in life that you are unhappy with. So, change jobs, start a new business, move to your favorite vacation spot, take up a new hobby, or get in the best shape of your life.

Now that you’ve made the decision to make changes and pursue your dreams, you have to deal with the fear and apprehension. What is stopping you? Are you afraid of what others might think, of how your decisions might affect those around you?  But, are your current actions actually making you miserable? If so, then you need to think of yourself first for once. What do you want to do? What do you want out of life? Are you afraid of failing? It is true that things don’t always work out as planned. But, the only way you can actually fail is if you don’t take any action…if you do nothing. The great thing is that you have the power to make decisions. When something doesn’t work out, you just have to decide what path you will take next.

But, what if it does work out? What if you make decisions to change your life for the better and things work out exactly as planned?  You could have a career that you love. You could go skydiving. You could be living by the ocean, enjoying beautiful weather year-round. Whatever your dreams are…you must make them happen! You must! So fly by the seat of you pants, gallop from place to place and don’t let fear get in way of your dreams. You deserve to get what you want out of life. You just have to realize that and go for it!

Christy Burke

Christy is a freelance graphic designer, full-time mommy, positive thinker and part-time blogger.