My Best Life

   Good morning, Friends! This week I posted a Reel on Instagram, highlighting some photos from a recent trip to Nevada. And in the background, I used a song by Ben Rector called, "Living My Best Life.” But here's what I love about this song. He points out an incredibly important truth that our social media obsessed culture has forgotten. So often, we think of living our best lives as all the things we post pictures of: Drinks with friends, travel to exotic locations, delicious food, perfectly curated homes. And while those things are fun, beautiful, and can add a lot of enjoyment to our lives, the truth is, you can have all those things and still be miserable. You can #liveyourbestlife and still never have a good life. If you don't believe me, think of all the rich and famous people who commit suicide. Our best lives aren't created by how many fancy trips we go on or delicacies we eat. Our best lives encompass so much more. Our best lives require us to thrive. 

    Ben Rector points out a fundamental truth about our best lives. They probably look different on a daily basis than we thought they would. Because in order to thrive, we have to do something so much different than posting glitzy photos on social media. Our best lives require us to put in the work, to create good habits, and to care for our body, mind, and spirit. Our best lives require uncomfortable decisions like exercise, sacrifice, and healthful habits. Our best lives require us to learn and grow as people. Our best lives require us to tap into our spiritual practice and live on a level of love and peace that is above the daily concerns that try to pull us down. And our best lives, they aren't made up of those big moments we show everyone else. They're made up of the small daily decisions no one sees. 

    This should be good news for a lot of us. If you aren't a millionaire, can't drop everything and travel to Bali for a month, or don't own a beach vacation house in the Caribbean, you can still live your best life. You can make the decision to get up everyday and grow yourself, care for yourself, and nurture your passions and goals. You can put in the work to form habits which serve you mentally and physically, and in reality, when you do, you'll realize what your best life really looks like. It might include gorgeous vacations. But it might also be your daily yoga practice, your morning prayer time, or your evenings around the table with family and friends. Our best lives aren't just made up of picture worthy moments. They're also the little, everyday habits we build which truly propel us toward who we were meant to be. 

  This week, focus on the small steps you can take to be your best right here and now. Over time as you build your physical, spiritual, and mental health through your habits, you'll find you really are living your best life. I can't wait to see you succeed.

~K.L.W.