There’s a lot of chatter these days about “living your best life.”
On Instagram alone there are 1,466,032 posts (and counting) with the tag #bestlife. So I decided to do a quick Google search, “what does it mean to live your best life” because when I look at all of those IG photos—few look like what my best life looks like to me.
And it got me to thinking about how when we compare our normal day to day life to the perfectly curated highlight reel of exotic travel pics and sexy selfie poses that show up on social media, it’s easy to get confused about what it actually means to live your best life.
Just like with happiness and success, each one of us has a different definition of what it means to live our best life. So the first step to living it is actually defining it.
What does living your best life mean to you?
To me, it’s a constant work in progress.
It’s this tricky balance between following my passion with Balance & Thrive, with feeling good in my mind, body and spirit, and with showing up the way I want to for my family.
It looks like fitting in time to work while my kiddo naps, committing to a book club so I force myself to read (something I enjoy but never do unless I “have” to), sitting in the sauna for 10 minutes after working out while my kiddo plays in childcare, and shooting hoops outside with him, taking family walks around the neighborhood, and cooking (which I don’t love to do, but I enjoy the result of).
None of it is especially fancy or exciting. It’s the little details of my day to day—and that’s the stuff that actually makes me happy. Those simple day to day things are what feel good and give my life meaning and purpose.
That’s what my best life looks like, how about you?
When you know what it means to live your best life, it becomes a lot easier to actually live your best life.
To fill your days with the things that matter to you most, that fill you up, fuel your energy, and that you actually enjoy.
And to stop doing all of those things that leave you feeling wiped out or that hijack your joy.
It also becomes a lot easier to not get caught up in comparing your real life “best life” to the edited, perfected highlight reels that others post.
Your best life gets to be whatever you want it to be.
Really think about this for a minute though – don’t just assume that you want to sit on a beach for the rest of your life sipping smoothies or fancy frozen cocktails and fitting into a size 2 bikini never to worry about another thing again.
It’s not real.
And just because that’s the imagery you see – doesn’t mean it’s the real life you want (and it doesn’t mean that’s what’ll make you happy).
Don’t compare your real life to someone’s planned—took 45 minutes to get the perfect shot—photos.
It’ll leave you feeling like who you are and how you’re living isn’t good enough(not true!!), and you’ll miss all the goodness that already exists in your life.
Your best life truly is the simple compilation of things that help you to feel good and to be (mostly) happy day in and day out. The simple moments of doing the things you enjoy with the people you love.
That’s it.
What does your version of your best life look like? Are you living it? If you’re on IG, I’d love to see some photos of you living your real life best life—be sure to tag me @balancethrive.
If you’re not quite living your best life yet, what are some shifts you can start to make today to bring it a little closer?
To help you get started, grab your journal and start to free write about what a day in your best life might look like.
Once you’re done writing that out, go back through and circle some things you can start with right now.
Pick one to make a priority today!
Here’s to you living your best life.
Emily
P.S. If you’d like some help taking this one step further, I’d love to be your coach so you can live your best life every day! Get in touch here.
P.P.S. And for some extra inspiration – here’s a song the instructor played during our Amp Cycle class Saturday morning as she asked us to think about living our best life. Warning – lots of explicit lyrics so if that’s not your thing, I’d go ahead and skip this song!