How to Design the Life You Love
Creativity has never had a low point on Earth. Humankind has somehow shown extensive passion for finding new ways of accomplishing various tasks. From inventing the wheel to redefining its purposes in several hundreds of ways, innovation keeps us going.
Creativity is a river that flows infinitely within each one of us. Some tap it better than others, but there is hardly a soul I know that suffers from a total absence of creativity.
I have found inspiration from the dew dripping off of a blade of grass, from the gleaming taillights of cars as they wink and glare at the car behind, from the morning calls of a songbird that is excited to start a new day, to the deep words of writers and poets who’ve touched millions of hearts through their works.
With the internet revolutionising the way we look at creativity, I find Pinterest to be one of the best places to find inspiration. During one such Pinterest exploration, I came across this beautiful quote: “She designed a life she loved.”
I read it a few times before its true meaning began to sink in deeper. Doesn’t it make complete sense for us to take up the responsibility of designing our lives just the way we want it to be? Some may see this as an impossible task, others may only believe in it like a dream ~ but few have the grit to find a way of designing a life that aligns itself to their values and the things that they love.
Looking over my shoulder, cherishing the life that I have spent so far, I can recall phases of life when everything wasn’t as rosy as I wanted it to be. Life threw in surprises, some were lovely but others were trying times.
These bittersweet experiences of life have honed me into the person I am today. I have made mistakes in judging people, I have seen my trust dwindling in people, and I have overlooked opportunities that once knocked on my door. But despite all of this, I stand today as a passionate blogger and a proud business owner, solely because of the life I have lived.
So, I pick up on the threads of yesterday to weave myself a better tomorrow where the things around me can be beautifully designed the way I would want it to be. To answer the question, “How would I design a life I love?” ~ I would reply with a formula that has few exceptions and works excellently well on an almost universal scale.
How to Design the Life You Love: The Ingredients
My Kith and Kin
No matter how many tests and trials life takes me through, knowing that I have support and that I can find courage in my family, makes me a stronger person. My husband has helped me face my tribulations more gracefully. Parents, cousins, brothers, sisters, and aunts and uncles, nephews, and nieces complete us. They are my weakness and my strength. Life’s design is never complete without family, no matter how and where they are.
My Metier
My works define me more deeply than anything else. Blogging has inadvertently become an essential part of me. Few people I know can enjoy their work as much as I do. Although, I must admit that it did not work right from the beginning. There were several fruitless attempts, but I am glad that it paved my way to a profession that helps me live life at my own pace and on my own terms.
My Clan of Friends
Friends are like pillars. They have been my support and I theirs. In doing so, life has taught me many lessons. From spending an afternoon full of laughter to joining others in times of despair; life is dreary without friends and I can hardly imagine one without them.
The Solitude
Sometimes, I find solace in myself more than others. Being all by myself, I can tap into the real depths of my creativity. I can understand my limits without being stopped short by someone else. It gives me the time to reflect on my actions and reactions.
Finding the Balance
Designing a life I love will have all these elements in a balanced way. From taking time out for family and friends to ensuring that I can give time to myself and my work; everything matters and doing it right depends entirely on me.
Having experienced life for these many years now, I realise that the small and big experiences together make life worth living. On the micro-level, every single day is made of smaller experiences ~ simpler experiences, and at the macro-level, life is marked by the bigger moments of happiness and despondency.
Striking a balance isn’t possible all the time. Sometimes, work needs more attention, and at other times, family becomes a priority. In designing a life that you love, you must make time for your sources of happiness ~ be it friends, family, work, or yourself.
To conclude: Do everything that you want or simply lie down in your bed and do nothing at all for a day. It works brilliantly in fuelling your energy and helping you start every day with a lively mind that looks forward to life as it unfolds in each moment.
But if you feel like you are caught up in living a life that you do not love, then I hope to spark a light of hopefulness that encourages you to pave the way that you want to walk ~ to build the bridge which can help you cross the river of life, to navigate the ship that takes you to the greener side.
A lot of us already live a lovely life. Sometimes we just forget to appreciate it.
That sums up my views on how to design the life you love. How do you feel about designing a life that you would love? What’s your take on it all? Feel free to share in the comments.