We hear phrases like that often. "Live life to the fullest.Live your best life.Live well.Live on your own terms." I myself, say those things often.And, I mean them, but what does it mean to live well, or to live to the fullest or live our best life? What does that equate to?I used to say that I was born in the wrong era, inferring I would have been happier in a simpler life when "the world" most often consisted of one's community instead of actually experiencing as we do today. the world at our fingertips.I no longer feel that way because quite frankly I like the world at my fingertips.I like being able to utilize the internet and having access to the news across the globe.I like electronic gadgets, and am far too attached to my laptop.That said, I do recognize that balance is in order in all aspects of life.There is still that deep core cry within me for the simple things in life, or maybe I should better describe it as the important things in life.I believe that giving place to those important things in life is critical, as it will ultimately define the quality and depth of our lives.So back to the question. What does it mean to live life to the fullest? I think in details, it means very different things to each of us.But, in a broad sense it means that we must embrace life and actually live it.Our society has become very automated and fast-paced, unfortunately the byproduct often eliminates the need to be physically active.Additionally, as a society we rarely participate in community in the ways most of us did a couple decades ago.We sit and watch other people live on movies and TV and flip the channels with a remote control so we don't have to get up and walk a few steps to manually do so.Recently I lost track of my remote control for my TV and realized I didn't even know what the switches designated on the actual TV, other than the power on/off switch! (I found it and once again rely on the remote.) But the point is, it is easier to stay in and watch a movie, get on the laptop or for some game or gamble online or participate in a virtual community (ie. second life) play wii (at least that usually involves real movement!) than to go out and talk to people and participate in life in an interactive face to face way.Have we lost much of the "community" we used to experience as a normal component of day to day life? I think many of us have.Some of us have our clubs and groups and if they are a reflection of who we are and we are actively a part, it is a boost for us.I think often church provides community also.Neighborhoods are being built now to encourage neighbors to interact and play and work within the community (much like the "old days").When it gets right down to it, I think an important component that we have lost much of as a society in the last couple decades, is simply having quiet time or free space, hearing ourselves, spaces of time that are not designated for anything other than daydreaming or writing or thinking or planning or imagining.Instead, we keep our minds busy with either working or numbly watching others live (on TV and movies) or in the electronic world of gaming or internet related activities.It is common now to hear of women and men who cheat online and/or create relationships with people they don't really know from across the internet highway, sometimes doing great damage to their "real life" as a result.We have merged the lines of right and wrong, or even best or acceptable, in the unrealistic idea that the internet is anonymous (it's not by the way).So the timeless answer to the question is simply the same as it always has been. Living life to the fullest means finding purpose and making a difference.Living your best life means to actively make choices for the long term view in mind, not just to fill up the space between now and when you go to bed tonight, or you go back to work on Monday.Living life to the fullest also means that you make choices to be bored at times and fill the white space with thinking and dreaming and planning.Let's consider the lazy days of summer in days of old when no cell phones or texting or electronic games filled every teen-ager's hands when they weren't in the pool.What did they do? They talked or laid out and closed their eyes and thought and dreamed and "big gasp" they may have even been bored for an hour or so! We all need to think and breathe and live, not just work or mind numbingly veg or busy ourselves with disconnected connection such as texting.For me that may mean making some hard decisions to change my life in some drastic ways to achieve what I feel I am meant to be and do.It may mean that for you as well, or, it may simply mean you begin to slow down and listen to your children more or take some time for yourself and get to know who you are, or say hello to your neighbor or take cookies to the woman across the street who just had a miscarriage or lives alone and hasn't heard from her son or daughter in months.We can do very simple things that make a huge impact, sometimes it is as simple as a smile or a sincere compliment.It's time we begin to actively live our lives again.If we order our worlds to choose only those that fit our agendas, we lose out on what real community is.We lose the benefits of learning to adapt to all sorts of people, not just the ones we naturally gravitate toward.In the communities of times past we had to work out all sorts of things.We learned how to relate on a much broader level than we often do today.Have all of our personal choices limited our ability to establish strong, healthy, long term relationships? In some ways, I think it has.At least it is something we need to be aware of.My family is like many families today, we are so busy living our independent lives that we aren't very active in each other's lives.We love each other and are there for each other when we need to be or someone reaches out, but not on a day to day level or even week to week level for the most part.We are like most people today, all so busy working and trying to take care of what we have to, that we are too tired to do much beyond that! Whether it is predominantly with your extended family or those who have become family to you.Or those we don't really "know "yet.Let's all choose to reach out at least once a day.In the recent movie "Evan Almighty", Morgan Freeman playing "God" said, as he was giving water to a stray dog, that ARK meant one act of random kindness at a time.Let us all choose to live our lives to the fullest by..OMaking it a point to have times of quiet space to think and dream.OSee, hear and interact with others outside our normal routine.ORemember to incorporate ARK into our lives. Initiate and/or participate in "Acts of Random Kindness" oMake good choices for ourselves instead of just letting life drag us through each day.OListen to others.We don't always need to be the one talking.Really learn to listen.OIncorporate some simple active time into your life.Consider doing something you don't normally do. Participate in a club, church or community activity.Find active things you enjoy that don't involve the internet/computer, online or independent games, or TV.OEvaluate what is really important to you and set out a plan to take steps toward those things.(IE. I am taking steps toward my passion to become a writer full time, by authoring articles about subjects I believe "matter".) oAnd finally, from time to time stop and evaluate where your life is going.Make sure you are directing your life instead of allowing life to drag you along for a haywire ride.Slow down, breathe, think, choose, give, interact.Live your life to the fullest!
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