Life Is Short: 8 Steps To Living Your Life To The Fullest

Life is short, which is why it is so important to enjoy every single moment. Are you living life to the fullest?

It's easy to lose sight of the big picture. Life gets in the way. To-do lists, responsibilities, errands. It isn't your fault. Most of us are pre-programmed to fall into the trap of a worry spiral. We obsess about things that, in the grand scheme of things, don't matter.

Research shows that the average adult spends the equivalent of an hour a day worrying, whether that's obsessing about an unpaid bill or fretting over whether you have locked the front door. Every moment matters. Worrying is a waste of time and energy.

Sometimes it takes adversity or challenges for us to realize how precious life is. Have you ever lost someone that you loved? It can feel like they were here one moment and then gone the next. These are the moments when we realize how short life can be.

There is no guarantee of tomorrow, and we can't hit replay or rewind. If there was ever a moment to do things that matter to you and have gratitude for your life, the time is now. Because life is short, we need to embrace it. In the words of Paulo Coehlo, “One day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you've always wanted. Do it now.”

Are you ready to learn 8 steps to make sure that you are living life to the fullest?

In the video below I talk about why people get caught up in the illusion of happiness:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

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Life is short. It is meant to be lived. Are you fully living it?

The sad reality is that a lot of people go through life having never really experienced everything that life has to offer. Why? Because they live in fear. The idea of taking a risk scares them, so instead, they stay in their comfort zones and ignore

If you feel as if you are sleepwalking throughout your life, it's time to wake up and make a change. When we have passed, and someone is speaking at our funeral, do you want to be remembered as someone who lived life to the fullest or someone that hid in the shadows?

Life is short. Let's explore 8 steps to make sure that you are living life to the fullest.

1. Embrace New Opportunities

Conquering fear of any kind requires that we embrace new opportunities and be open to change. Any new opportunity Change isn't easy for people. Staying in one's comfort zone feels a lot safer.

However, that's not where the magic happens.

How would your life change if you started to see problems as opportunities for learning and growth? If you want to experience life fully, you need to seize the day, as scary as it may be.

Opportunity looks and feels different for everyone. One thing that remains the same is that an opportunity provides a platform for us to try new things, test what works and what doesn't, and find ourselves in the process. Nobody wants to live with regret, so make a change, dive into life, and see the world with an open mind.

2. Be Present

When we look too far forward, we miss out on all of the amazing things that are standing in front of us. The present moment is all that we have, so why not slow down and fully embrace the present moment? Here's the problem. People either get stuck living in the past or obsess about the future. As a result, they are unable to focus on the here and now.

In the words of the late great Louise Hay, “The point of power is in the present moment.”

It all comes down to one's perspective on life. Many of us know how valuable it is to live in the present, but why is it so hard to do? Our world encourages to operate in autopilot mode. We may try to be present, but then we tend to fall back into non-stop distractions and stressors.

Neuroscientists have discovered that when we are young we have more novel experiences, which create more vivid memories. As we age, we have less “new” experiences, so it's harder for these memories to stand out in our minds.

I encourage you to try being present more often – with yourself and with others – and watch how your emotional state shifts.

3. Work Hard, Play Hard

In a world that is so focused on achievement, how is it possible to find work-life balance? Is it possible to work hard and play hard at the same time? Queen’s University biology professor Lonnie Aarssen came up with a possible reason for why people feel inclined to “work hard, play hard.”

According to Aarssen, humans experience a “legacy drive” – in which they want to leave their mark on the world – and a “leisure drive.” Both of these drives can help people cope with their own mortality by leaving behind something when we die.

The next time that life feels overwhelming, focus on doing little things that make you happy, whether that's working out, going for a walk in nature, or spending some time with friends. Drop the goals and find space to think less and just be. We all need to enjoy the small moments of life that we tend to take for granted.

4. Don't Take Life So Seriously 

The world wants you to take life super seriously. Don't fall into the trap! Every day we are tested with something. However, we always have a choice how we are going to respond. We can either get stressed out, angry, or overwhelmed, or we can learn to be positive, laugh more, and relax into our struggles.

In order to experience true happiness, I think we need to throw our hair back once in awhile and remember how important it is to play and have fun. There is freedom in accepting things as they are and finding the good amidst the bad. Bad things happen, but that's just a part of life.

Elbert Hubbard said it best – “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”

5. Live for YOU

You are the author of your life story. Don't give somebody else that much power over your life. What are your dreams and goals? How do you want to be remembered? Every day that we wake up we have a choice – we can follow our hearts and make decisions from that place, or we can follow the crowd.

In his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, Steve Jobs talked about his experience of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In this speech he reminded each of us that life is short:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Don't allow anyone to dim your light or let their opinions and judgments get you down. All that matters is that you can look in the mirror every day and be proud of the image that is staring back at you. That's true happiness.

6. Take Care Of Yourself

Taking the time to take care of your mind, body, and soul isn't selfish. It's necessary. Unfortunately, a lot of people think it is because our culture doesn't reward self-care. We are taught that, if we want to succeed in life, we need to ignore self-care.

In her new book, The Magic of Mojo: The Creative Power Behind Success, Ariana Ayu teaches entrepreneurs and other high-achieving individuals to tap into your mojo for greater personal AND professional success. She believes that the rule of thumb for achieving authentic success is to prioritize self-care.

We know that there is a strong connection between increased burnout and lowered productivity. Imagine how much more businesses would grow if they made it a priority to create a self-care culture, where people were encouraged to take time to nurture themselves.

If you don't honor what you need, how do you expect to live life to the fullest? Creating a ritual of daily self-care is necessary for your health and well-being. When life knocks us down, learning how to love and nurture yourself ourselves is one of the greatest gifts that we can give ourselves.

How do you take care of yourself so that you can experience life to the fullest? The beauty of self-care is that it gives you the opportunity to ask for what you need and do it on your terms.

7. Challenge Negative Self-Talk

Negative self-talk is designed for one purpose only – to prevent us from achieving happiness in life. Examples of negative thoughts include, “I am worthless” or “I'm a failure.” Don't allow that pesky voice inside of your head to tell you that you don't have what it takes to live your best life.

Research shows that we have over 50,000 thoughts per day – the majority of which are automatic and out of conscious awareness, proving that it is so important that we observe our self-talk.  This doesn't mean that we can stop our inner dialogue altogether. However, we can be more aware of what it is telling us so that we can take the steps to change our way of thinking.

The result? A happier and more satisfied life all around.

“Be mindful of your self-talk. It is a conversation with the universe. You are a being, full of infinite possibilities! Focus your mind with positivity and you will have dictated the direction of your journey, your soul, and your being, cascading in infinite abundance.” – Angie Karan

8. Worry Less

We all worry from time to time. However, when it starts to become a bad habit that takes over every decision that we make and prevents us from truly living our lives to the fullest, then we need to make a change. If you are prone to worrying, step back and ask yourself, “How does my worrying benefit my life?”

We need to start asking ourselves difficult questions that prompt us to shift our perspective and see life through a more empowering lens. Let's face it. What we focus on, we attract into our lives. If you are constantly ruminating and worrying about things that are out of your control, you are going to create MORE negative experiences into your life, further preventing you from being present and happy.

We can't take all of our problems away, but we can wake up every day with a grateful heart and look at the bigger picture. As Wayne Dyer said, “When you change the way you look at the things, the things you look at change.” Anyone can turn a negative situation into a positive one.

Life is short. Don't waste any time or energy on things that don't make you happy.

It is your right as a human being to live the life that you love. Don't wait for life to happen to you. Take action and do the things that make you come alive inside. In the words of A.R. Lucas, “If there’s even a slight chance at getting something that will make you happy, risk it. Life’s too short, and happiness is too rare.”

We've all got one life and one life only. At the end of the road, we want to say that we lived it our way. Are you ready to start living life to the fullest? The time is NOW!

Are you ready to learn how you can master every area of your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!