How can you spend more time doing the things you want to do instead
of only the things you have to do? How can you live a life filled with passion
and purpose and still earn a living? How can you improve your health by improving
your quality of life?
Imagine living your whole life and then saying, “Wait! I need
another chance; I just wanted to try this one thing.” Imagine living your
entire life only to realize that what seemed to be urgent wasn’t really
urgent at all. Imagine a lifetime of saying, “I want to spend more time
with my family; I want to start my own business; I want to run a marathon or write
a book.”
It’s not hard to imagine those things. We’ve all been
there. We’ve all counted down the days to the weekend—that’s
what many people would call normal.
But life doesn’t have to be that way. It shouldn’t be
that way. And by following three steps, life won’t be that way: 1) Reflect
on where you are; 2) Ask yourself where you want to
be; and 3) Act to make something happen.
It’s a simple recipe, but you need to make time in your life
for thinking about your dreams. Define your dreams, and find out what it takes
to make those dreams come true.
Follow your heart, and dream big. Live a life of passion and purpose—a
life that doesn’t fit neatly in the expected lines others have defined,
but rather in the lines you draw for yourself.
You’ve got to take chances for the things you care about. You
have to believe you control your own future—that a life you love is not
only out there… but that in your heart you know where it is and you deserve
to get there.
So, what’s holding you back? Fear. Fear of the unknown, of
change, of failure. Fear that you have no clue what you’re doing. But knowledge
trumps fear. As you learn more about what you want to do, your fear is replaced
with confidence and excitement.
Perhaps because we’re restaurant owners, we think living what
you love requires a recipe. Some common ingredients that must be successfully
blended together: Passion. People. Place. Money. But there are only three steps
in the recipe. Reflect, ask and act.
Start by reflecting about what you truly care about. What touches
your soul? What inspires and excites you? Do you know what you really love and
what you’re passionate about? Reflect on what makes you happy. It’s
difficult to be healthy when you’re not happy. Think about the people you’re
with and where you live and where you work. Reflect on the role money plays in
your life.
Look at the whole picture, and then ask yourself where you want to
be. Are you surrounded by people you enjoy? Do you dream about moving? Do you
wish you could spend more time outdoors? With your family? Traveling? What exactly
are your dreams?
Living what you love can mean a major life makeover, a transformation,
or just a tweak. It can mean rediscovering the enthusiasm you once had in your
job. It can be in a far-away land, down the street, or in your kitchen surrounded
by your family. What you should never settle for is that your dreams—your
chosen life, living what you love—is out of reach. It never is.
Spend more time doing the things you want to do, surrounded by people
you care about, in a place you enjoy. Reflect, ask and act. Live what you love—it’s
your choice. PE
