But here are some things we can try to do at least once in our lives so we can reach our full potential.
Here are seven things we discussed:
Find your ikigai
Committed to your health
do something that scares you
Integrate your favorite activities into your routine
learn different languages
Let go of things (people and things) that no longer serve you
travel
- Find your Ikigai
Ikigai is the Japanese concept of finding lasting happiness.
According to this concept, you find purpose and joy when you do something you love, but which is also what the world needs, fits your strengths, and has the potential to reward you.
In my search for ikigai, I found my purpose - writing.
So I guess there is a strong correlation between your purpose and happiness.
As Hector Garcia Puigcerver, author of Ikigai, puts it,
"He who lives for a why can bear almost any way."
- Commit to your health
I was a different person when I weighed 50 pounds.
I had low self esteem and it was normal for me to constantly criticize myself and my body in my head. Looking back, I feel sad because no one should treat themselves so negatively.
Committing to my health has made me a lighter, happier person.
It made me aware of my diet in terms of food, and even my information and technology diet.
There's nothing more important than good health -- mentally or physically. Don't start when something goes wrong; start now.
- Do something that scares you
It doesn't always require extreme stuff like skydiving or snorkeling.
For me, it was traveling alone, getting out there, and telling personal stories on the internet. The latter still scares me because it's never going to get easier, and my self-doubt continues to creep in.
But what I've learned from those two things is that good things happen on the other side of fear.
When I quit my job, something good happened, and it was pretty scary.
Something good happened when I ventured out solo at 21.
A place where you can change, grow and learn more about yourself and the world.
- Build it into your routine
Spend time doing something that truly makes you happy.
It's a shame how an activity that keeps our souls energized is done on the weekends or when we're free.
Why shouldn't we feel alive every day?
Whether it's drawing, journaling, or just doing a puzzle with the kids - we can allot 15 minutes a day to do it. The aim is not to do this activity all at once, but to do it little by little every day.
- Learn a different language
The cool thing is that most Indians know at least two languages and understand many others.
I am fluent in 3 languages but have learned French on and off since I was 9 years old. I hope to study again and study more seriously this time.
Learning a language can improve cognitive function, problem solving, creativity and memory.
But besides these benefits, it's also more fun to learn new things and see a place's culture from a language perspective, because it's an integral part of it.
- Let it go
Hoarding and inhibition create toxicity and prevent the emergence of new things.
Are you clinging to a relationship that just burns you out?
Do you hold on to things that hold you back?
Then it’s time to declutter, because life is so starved of people and things that no longer serve you and, worse, burn you out. It could be something as simple as blocking an item that brings back memories you can't go back to.
Why live in the past when you can live in the present?
Doing this might sound daunting, but you'll feel free afterward.
- Travel
“Travel and change of place bring new vigor to the mind.” — Seneca
Some people who can afford to travel also choose not to travel because they are fine and enjoying life where they are.
Like meditation, travel is not the same thing for everyone.
For me, travel is just walking into random lanes and that's it. Instead of focusing on the meal, I pick out a variety of local snacks as I continue to explore on foot.
For my friend, travel is all about hiking where she can and pushing herself to new limits.
For my husband, traveling is all about the joy of eating local food and enjoying local wine and whiskey.
Don't place expectations or definitions on it. But go explore what you haven't explored yet. Once you do that, the same thing happens inside - you explore things you haven't explored yet.
Let me know what you've done and what appeals to you the most. all the best!