A lot of what Gretchen Rubin discusses with her sister, Elizabeth Craft, resonates with me. But something I heard on her podcast struck me to the core- something that I've found myself repeating over and over again as I've made small decisions in my life, as I've calmed myself down over anxious feelings, and as I've thought about potential life-changing decisions.
"Choose the bigger life."
Out of all the quotes that I love (I'm also the biggest fan of Gretchen Rubin because she collects quotes, something that I actively started doing this summer before I even discovered her podcast!), again, this one haunts me. But instead of following me around like the ghost of Christmas past, like many tend to do ("do this," "do that"), I find myself putting the quote first and foremost in my thoughts. And when I find myself challenged, or anxious, or sad, I automatically think- choose the bigger life, Genna.
So, what is the bigger life? For me, it could be anything. For me, it means stepping outside of my comfort zone, following a passion, doing something that makes my heart sing, or choosing the road less traveled. For me, it could be anything that is difficult, challenging, even painful, but that might yield great emotional/mental/physical rewards (still working on those first two!).
It could be something as life-changing as quitting my job, leaving my friends and family, and moving across the Atlantic Ocean to a foreign country with no one but my kit-kat Rango.
Or, it could be something as simple as choosing to cook for dinner one night instead of going out, even though you are tired, and hungry, and stressed, and just. can't. even. Because maybe, you can even.
Or, it could be something as simple as choosing to cook for dinner one night instead of going out, even though you are tired, and hungry, and stressed, and just. can't. even. Because maybe, you can even.
For me, it's helping myself to grow in ways that I might not have even imagined yet- because how can I grow if I choose the path that I have always taken?
Eleanor Roosevelt said "Do one thing every day that scares you." When I read this, I loved it (word porn, anyone?). I reread it, I wanted to take it to heart, and I wanted to live by it. But, as with many other phrases that I come across, it became another beautiful collection of words on a page to be admired. Choosing the bigger life, for me, encompasses my past, my present, and where I want my future to take me. Being a military brat, I feel like we were constantly choosing the bigger life- whether we wanted to or were forced to. Perhaps that is why now, I crave simplicity and stability- and why that, for me, is the bigger life (I'm still exploring this- more to come in future posts!).
Something that I've thought about recently, in making "the bigger life" my own, is how I want to continue living by that. And I realized that I don't always want to make things bigger in my life, but I do want my life to be full. My life is full in so many ways- I have a loving family, friends who care about me, a stable job, the ability to choose my own food options, an adorable and loving kitty-cat, and I live in a beautiful country right by the beach! Sometimes, I tend to lose sight of those things. So, I've adapted Gretchen Rubin's saying and made it my own. Sometimes, I need to remember to choose the fuller life. I want the things, people, events, and love in my life to matter, and so I try every day to make the conscious decision to choose those things- the things that matter to me, the things I can appreciate when I'm feeling down or anxious or stressed out.
Something that I've thought about recently, in making "the bigger life" my own, is how I want to continue living by that. And I realized that I don't always want to make things bigger in my life, but I do want my life to be full. My life is full in so many ways- I have a loving family, friends who care about me, a stable job, the ability to choose my own food options, an adorable and loving kitty-cat, and I live in a beautiful country right by the beach! Sometimes, I tend to lose sight of those things. So, I've adapted Gretchen Rubin's saying and made it my own. Sometimes, I need to remember to choose the fuller life. I want the things, people, events, and love in my life to matter, and so I try every day to make the conscious decision to choose those things- the things that matter to me, the things I can appreciate when I'm feeling down or anxious or stressed out.
So what is your "fuller life?" Do you ever make the conscious decision to choose the bigger life? Or does it just come naturally to you? What are the things that matter to you and make you appreciate living? Has there been a shift in your life- where you once did things that came naturally to you, do you have a hard time with now? Or is it the other way around? How do you choose the fuller life?
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This is a sign seen frequently in Spain... it says "we are open when we are here... we are closed when we are gone... and if you come and we're not here, it's not a coincidence!" Sometimes this is nice and I am able to embrace the Spanish customs (siesta, tardiness, "manana"), and sometimes it's frustrating- like when you need gas to heat the water for your shower because you've run out and they are closed during the hours they said they would be open. I am constantly trying to choose the bigger life, and accept those things I cannot change... :) |
