I’ve been creating a new bracelet design with the affirmation ‘live your best life’. It was something my 20 year old nephew had written on a text message about a completely random chat we were having, but it stuck with me and really made me think. My hubby wondered what it actually meant. He didn’t get it. My 13 year old tried to explain as he felt that he knew and it resonated with him, but it’s quite difficult without literally just repeating the words with a couple of ‘you know likes’ in front of them and saying them in a more pronounced way.
So I did what anyone in the 21st century does, I googled it. I do this before any of my bracelet designs just to see what comes up because there may be a hidden meaning to them that I haven’t realised, better safe than sorry!
One of the first things that came up was this blog post which caught my attention and I felt really explained it well. You can read it for yourself: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/live-your-best-life-meaning/.
The author writes that the most important thing in the phrase is the word ‘your’. You need to look at what is most important to you on an achievable level and go from there. Take tiny steps and remember everything is within your control. I quote “Take chances, take risks, try to appreciate the things you do have, and surround yourself with people that bring out the best in you.” The author Heather Snowden has hit the nail on the head for me and I love it.
I think that we struggle with doing anything for ourselves these days because we are so bombarded with what everyone else is doing. That is why the word ‘your’ is so important in this phrase. What do you really want for yourself? What will work for you? What is it about your life right now that you love? It’s not about anyone else, just you. And this is hard.
We all have so many people we have to be, for me it’s a mother, wife, professional, corporate parent, work colleague, employee, daughter, auntie, cousin, friend, consumer, decision maker, home keeper, accountant, blogger, teacher, advisor, social media guru (well maybe not this last one but we all need to have a goal and understanding the mind field of social media would be fabulous!), but you get the gist. It’s quite easy to loose yourself in all of this and get caught up in being this person for other people. Don’t get me wrong, I love being all of these, I feel lucky and honoured to have these titles but remembering to find time just for you is hard, this is why appreciating what you do have is so important. I wouldn’t change any of these titles for the world because they all make me who I am and although it can be quite challenging and feel overbearing at times, they all bring out the best in me. I’m at my happiest when I’m helping others, in whatever form and so when things get tough I remember the people that I have around me and my heart swells. I feel very lucky.
I also take tiny steps, sometimes I even go backwards a few before I go forward again. I get frustrated with myself and lack confidence in my abilities. I over worry and feel anxious. Generally on a daily basis. I look at other people’s lives and other more high profile and successful people doing what I would love to do so much better than me on the ‘t’internet’, I don’t feel good enough. I know this about myself and I still plod on because I know that no matter how small my steps I am going forward and in my own time. I am in control of what I do and no matter how small the difference I am making to someones life, it is a difference.
The point is ‘living your best life’ doesn’t have to be living on a massive yacht drinking cocktails on some Caribbean island (I don’t know where that came from as I’ve never wanted to do that, but it seemed right for this blog!) because this will only be reality for a very tiny amount of the population, and this doesn’t mean to say that it is making them happy and fulfilling their lives.
You have to go with what you have and make the most of that. You are the only person inside your head who knows exactly what you want.
We are all still learning and doing the best we can, I know I have to work on my self doubt and I’m terrible at taking chances and risks because I’m a big scaredy cat and will always take the safe option. But I know my limits and have turned opportunities down because I haven’t felt they were right for me. I haven’t regretted these decisions because I know that if I had trodden those paths I wouldn’t have been true to myself, and for me that’s what really matters. ❤️
#daisydoesn't 