Rethinking What Really Matters: The 5 Most Important Things in Life

“As you walk and eat and travel, BE WHERE YOU ARE. Otherwise, you will miss most of your life.” – Buddha 

How often do you find yourself lost in your own thoughts when what you should be doing is focusing on the task at hand? 

How often do you defer to your phone as a security blanket so you don’t have to experience the world around you?

How often do you spend time with family and friends, only to later realize you weren’t present and can’t remember what was talked about?

For most of us, this is our daily narrative. We’re so busy being busy that we forget to actually live. It’s go-go-go but we don’t stop to appreciate life nor do we ask ourselves, “is this the life I want to live? If I was gone tomorrow, would I be happy with how I spent my time?“

And it’s no wonder — we live in a fast-paced world that’s constantly feeding us “information” and lots of “junk food”, but depriving us of the nutrients (like love, connection to nature and exploration) that we need to reach our full potential. 

The result? Malnourished masses of people wasting their time while neglecting themselves, each other, their innate talents and their would-be creations. 

But, this doesn’t have to be YOUR narrative. Today you’re being given a choice, a second chance at life to rethink what really matters and live in alignment with your purpose. The question is, will you take it?

Here are the 5 most important things in life and how you can live in alignment with each of them: 

1.) Love

“Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists.“ – A Course In Miracles

Our entire existence is based on love. It’s how we connect to each other, ourselves, our Creator and make sense of the world around us. 

Love is the most profound, freeing, incredible feeling we can experience. And when we live out of alignment with it that’s when negative thoughts, feelings and experiences pour in.

Free yourself from limiting-self beliefs, hatred, negativity and anger. Open your heart and soul to goodness of love. 

What’s one thing you can you do starting right now to live your life in alignment with love? Whatever your answer is, start acting on it today! 

Love yourself. Love your family. Love your partner. Love your children. Love the world around you, and love everyone in it. I promise you, if you live your life in alignment with love you will always feel happy and fulfilled. 

2.) Happiness

Close your eyes for a moment, and think back to the last time you were truly happy. Where were you? What were you doing? Who were you with? Why did you feel happy?

Many times, we think happinesses is this out of reach feeling that we can only “become” once we reach a certain pinnacle of success, achievement or are outside of our normal elements (such as on vacation). 

But, happiness is a choice. It doesn’t mean every single day is going to be great, or that our lives will be perfect, but it does mean we’ll choose to allow happiness to be part of our lives every single day. 

A good chunk of our happiness comes from us learning to appreciate and say thank you for the many blessings we already have!

Start small. Do one thing every morning that makes you happy. Maybe this means waking up early and watching the sun rise. Or drinking coffee and having a nice conversation with your partner. And always remember to say thank you for what you do have.

Oftentimes, it’s the little things, the simplicity of life that brings us the greatest joy. Find yours today and never stop choosing it. 

3.) Connection

Take a deep breath. Do you feel the life pulsating within you? The air as it travels into your lungs and circulates before it’s quickly expelled again? You’re still here. You’ve still got now. And that breath you’re taking is your connection to this physical world and everything in it. 

Spend time everyday getting to know YOU and connecting with yourself. Spend time connecting with your family and friends. Put down your phone. Turn off your TV. Be present in the world, and use your senses and soul to connect with it. 

4.) Creation

“Don’t die with your music still in you.” – Wayne Dyer 

How much time do you spend on a daily basis honing your talents? Developing yourself? Creating? Building the life of your dreams?

The time we spend building ourselves up usually pails in comparison to the time we spend aimlessly scrolling through social media, watching TV and living vicariously through other people as we anxiously anticipate the future.  

But here’s the thing — all of us are creators. And we were born to create. Now, it doesn’t mean the creation process will be easy — on the contrary, it will be full of many challenges, lessons to be learned and opportunities for growth and improvement along the way. But that’s the point — if what we wanted to create was an overnight process and then viola! Its done then our life cycles would be A LOT shorter! 

From today onward, spend at LEAST 30 minutes doing an activity that will help you improve your talent(s) and become better than you were yesterday. And if you’re throwing your arms up wondering where you’ll find that 30 minutes remember this — we all have the same 24 hours in every day, the only difference is how we choose to spend them. I guarantee there’s something you’re doing daily that’s not serving your greater good, so cut that thing down and start working on what matters — you!

5.) Kindness

Have you ever done something nice for someone just because? 

And when you did that thing, how did you feel?

Happy? Joyful? Fulfilled? Loving? Emotional? 

The thing about kindness is when we exude it, we also receive it. When we give without expectation, we in turn are given without expectation. And many times, being kind is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves because it makes us feel good. And when we feel good we’re happier, healthier, more loving people. 

As you go about your day today, think of one thing you can do for someone else that will bring them happiness and make them feel good and do it! Maybe this means writing a nice letter to someone in your family you haven’t talked to in a while, or surprising your co-workers with coffee, or  buying someone in need groceries.

If you incorporate kindness into your daily life you will be amazed at how magical and purposeful your life will become to you and everyone around you.

Above all remember, when you live in alignment with your truth and are feeding your mind, body and soul with all of life’s goodness, living a fulfilling and happy life will come naturally to you. 

Xx,

Antasha

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 About Antasha Durbin: Antasha is a spiritual writer, life-long student of the universe, and psychic tarot card reader. Her website, cajspirituality.com, is dedicated to casualizing the spiritual experience and making it attainable for anyone, anywhere, anytime. Follow her for free, easy-to-digest and highly actionable advice on spirituality, mindfulness and empowered living.