A few years ago, there was an acronym that was really popular on social media: “YOLO.” It stands for “You Only Live Once.” On social media, it was generally used to explain why people did potentially dangerous things. Like “Snuck out to see my boyfriend last night. YOLO!”
It was a way to excuse away reckless behavior (and maybe brag about it a little), but there is a truth behind it: You do only live once, and playing it safe, and going the easy route, can mean that you’re living a life that isn’t true to yourself – that you’re living a life without purpose.
Creating a Life of Purpose
A lot of our life is spent avoiding risk and danger, and the easiest way to avoid the uncomfortable is to settle for the comfortable. We settle in so many ways:
We live in a place we don’t love because we don’t want to move.
We work at a job that isn’t fulfilling because we don’t want to take risks.
We come home and rest and relax because it’s easier than working on our goals.
But when we do this – when we fall into this trap of settling – we also let our goals, ambitions, and the things that we can achieve pass us by. We don’t live our lives with PURPOSE: lives that are focused on achieving the things that are most meaningful to us, and lives that allow us to live with greatness.
Living a life of purpose is about giving yourself something to shoot for – where everything you do is about making sure that you are focused on the ideas and dreams that are best for you. In some cases, that purpose can be for a higher calling, such as helping those that are less fortunate. In other cases, that purpose is about creating your absolute best self – a self that you can be thoroughly proud of, and one that gives you an abundance of contentment because you are using your best self to make an impact in the world.
How We Stop Settling and Start Living with Purpose and Clarity
To live a life of purpose, you first have to get to know yourself. That means figuring out who you really are and what really matters to you, and losing some of the shackles that have held you back from moving forward.
It also means being uncomfortable, because only when you’re ready to take risks and venture into the unknown can you start to make changes. You have to be prepared to work when you’re not feeling up to working, to try new things that may not be successful, and to choose the harder path even if the easier path is right there in front of you.
Learning to Live Your Life with Purpose
You have only one life to live. Make it your goal to no longer accept the easy route, and to stop being a settler. You have the potential to live a great life – a life of joy and purpose – you simply have to be willing to break free from your comforts, take the road less traveled, and see where it takes you.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to live a life of purpose and would like to talk to me about life coaching, please call me today at 1-800-937-2029. Change can be scary. But with a coach in your corner, you can find out what your values and goals truly are, and make sure that your life has the direction and resolution that it deserves.
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