Do you feel like life is passing you by? I used to feel that way. I felt like I was not making the most of each day and I was going to regret it down the line. I decided I needed to become more present and start living, and as I worked on becoming more present in life, I learned how to live life to the fullest. I learned things through practice and by becoming more aware of how certain behaviors and mindsets influence us in life.
Now, no matter what I’m doing in my day, I feel like I lived a day worth living when I go to bed. That feeling is indescribable. It is a gift that I think we all should give ourselves because if we are not meant to truly live our lives, then what are we here for? Following are 20 things I know for sure about how to live life to the fullest.
1. Don’t Be A Victim In Life.
I have many people in my family and know of many others who have a victim mentality. They are not living. They are stuck in the past and worried about the future. They are blaming other people for their unhappiness. And that’s all they do all day – regret, blame, and worry! That regret, blame, and worry are holding them back from living life to the fullest because they waste their days away focused on things that don’t matter.
Don’t develop a victim mentality in life if you want to live it to the fullest. Take ownership over your life and what happens to you, and then take action on creating the life you want.
2. View Life As An Adventure.
When you view life as an adventure, it becomes very interesting. You are more willing to do things that you may normally avoid doing. You become excited each day when you wake up, because you never know what is going to happen in your day. You start to enjoy doing new things and learning new things. Life just takes on a whole new shiny look, and it becomes very exciting.
3. Stay Present During Meaningful Experiences.
During meaningful experiences, stay grounded. Don’t get lost in thought. Don’t think about your to-do list. Don’t judge what is happening or worry about the outcome. Enjoy it. Focus on it. Live it! For me, rich experiences include when I’m doing something new, spending time with my family or friends, and when I’m out in nature. Even a simple walk is a rich experience that can make me feel alive and teach me something.
4. Have Faith That Great Things Are Possible.
If you want to get motivated to live your adventure, then believe that great things are possible. When you believe that you are supposed to live an abundant and happy life, then you are going to look at your present moment as if it is full of opportunities. You are going to enjoy what you are doing and look forward to what is to come, and you will take as much action as needed, which will help you live life to the fullest.
5. Don’t Dwell On The Past.
You may not be stuck in a victim mentality, but if you are dwelling on the past and what could have been, then you are not living life to the fullest. The mantra I repeat to myself over and over again is that ‘it couldn’t have happened in any other way’.
What happened came into my life for a reason, and hindsight doesn’t change the fact that the choices I made in life were the only choices I would have made with the knowledge I had. Moreover, everything that was out of my control would have happened the same too. Forgive, let go, laugh at yourself, and learn from your past. That’s a big secret on how to live life to the fullest.
6. Don’t Expect A Second Chance. Should you make a decision that could change your life? Should you take action on building the life you want today? If you are like many people, then you may be putting off those decisions and actions until tomorrow or a better time, but you may not get another chance to do tackle them! Instead of making excuses, remember that as you go throughout your day. I guarantee it will help you make more choices and do more things that force you to live life to the fullest.
7. Schedule In New Weekly Experiences. I try to experience something new at least once a week, and if I can, I do it much more. During new experiences, we feel the most alive. We look back on those memories fondly. We feel like we really did something with our lives. And if you have those experiences with loved ones, the meaning will get cranked up a notch – you will feel like you are living your relationships to the fullest too!
8. Don’t Listen To Your Elders!. Well, listen to them sometimes, but when it comes to fear, ignore them. Look at where they are, how many chances they took, and how much they lived their life, and then determine if their rules should be your own. In most cases, you will find that you don’t want to take on their lives full of monotony. Many people are just living to die. They don’t do things they love. They don’t do anything! So why should you listen to them?.
9. Follow Your Inspirational.
This one is a big one for me. I have had some inspiration to do some small and some big things in my life, and every time I’ve listened to my inspiration and followed it, I have had a blast. Your inspiration is that little whisper that tells you to do something or pursue something. It can be a hunch, a revelation, or a flash thought that makes you question something. Try listening to it more and your life will fill up with things worth living for.
10. Live And Let Live. This mantra is important to remember on how to live life to the fullest. It will help you avoid judging other people, which is a waste of time. When you are judging others, you are unable to focus on your life. You can’t live life to the fullest! Let other people be who they want to be and do what they want to do, and focus on being who you want to be and doing what you want to do.
11. Don’t Live By Your Age (Or Other Limitations That Aren’t Really Limitations). I have some senior family members who tell me every time I see them how limited they are because of their age! One family member is only 67, but he feels like life is pretty much over at this point. Yet, I see older people in my everyday life doing amazing things. Moreover, I see movie stars who are in their 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, keeping up with some of the younger stars.
The point is that when you put limitations on yourself, you limit yourself. You believe that you are limited. And, that limits your ability to live life to the fullest.
12. Expect Things NOT To Happen.
I’m not talking about the good things, but the bad things! If you are constantly worried about what could happen, then you are going to waste your days stuck in the anticipation of the future, and when the future comes and those bad things don’t happen, you will spend your time regretting not really living in the past.
13. Break The Rules. Some rules are important, but if you obey all the rules, then you will miss out on taking chances that will make you feel alive. Therefore, if you see a time that breaking the rules just may be good for your happiness, success, and life, do it! Just don’t break the rules when they are there to protect your life, or your life may end!
14. Grab Hold Of Your Opportunities. If you don’t grab hold of your opportunities, then they may never come back. And, if you NEVER grab hold of your opportunities, then you will never truly experience life because opportunities are what lead us to new experiences. So, go on that date, go to that job interview, sign up for that course, agree to meet up with someone new, and say yes more than no to make the most of your life!
15. Don’t Take Things So Seriously.
The truth is that what we do today never seems as serious tomorrow. I was watching a clip of a pageant mom throwing a tantrum about how poorly her daughter did on stage. She was taking it all so serious and was stuck in her anger and regret. Do you really think that’s going to matter in her life years down the road? Do you think it would matter if her daughter died tomorrow? Absolutely not! Taking a lighter approach to life has helped me enjoy my moments more and really appreciate and make the most out of what is happening.
16. Make Use Of Everything You’ve Got.
Following is a quote by Erma Bombeck that explains this tip on how to live life to the fullest beautifully. “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me.”
Live that way! Make use of your legs, your eyes, your voice, your arms, your love, your talents, your mind, your abilities, your skills, and everything else that you have been blessed with! That will really help you feel like you are putting yourself to good use!.
17. Don’t Hold On To Plans So Tight. I love scheduling stuff, but I’ve come to realize that you can’t hold on to plans too tightly or you won’t take hold of opportunities or let yourself experience what life has to offer.
For instance, I once had a friend come into town and he really wanted to see me, but my schedule didn’t have any room. I felt that I needed to stick with my schedule, so we weren’t able to see each other. I now regret not having that experience with him. I can’t even remember what I did that week, but I do know that seeing him would have added to my life much more than anything I had on the schedule.
The truth is that sometimes life knows better. Sometimes life knows you need a break, need to hang out with a friend, or just need to take a day off! When life comes knocking, answer the door.
18. Remember That Reality Is About Perception. I always think about a story I heard when I think about perception. I can’t remember the animal used or the story word for word, but I can make up something similar.
Picture four people blindfolded, all feeling different parts of a giraffe. One is sent up a ladder to touch its head and believes that it’s really tall. One stands on the ground as the giraffe leans down and thinks it’s very short. One gets bit by the giraffe and thinks it is a vicious animal. One gets licked by the giraffe and thinks it’s an affectionate animal. All very different viewpoints of the same animal, but all realities as long as the blindfold is on.
The blindfold in life is our beliefs and perceptions, which cause us to view experiences very differently from one person to the next. When you realize that reality is negotiable depending on your perception, you will feel much more in control and much more willing to start viewing and living reality in a more favorable way.
19. Stop Complaining!.
Complaining is a big waste of time, and you will never be able to live life to the fullest if you are doing it. Complaining blocks your ability to make good decisions. It keeps you focused on the negative and away from the positive. Even if you are surrounded by good friends and family and in a beautiful place doing something fun, complaining will take away from the moment and cause you not to enjoy anything. What a waste.
20. Use Your Experiences wisely.
One of the quotes I live by is by Auguste Rodin. He said, “Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” In other words, make the most of any situation you are in. If you are sick and can’t work, then take the time to do something at home that makes you feel good. If you choose to sleep, then don’t view it as a waste of time, but, rather, a chance to help your body heal! If you feel like you are using your time wisely, no matter what you are doing, then you won’t regret anything you do, no matter how small or insignificant it is.
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