A lesson from Rachel Ann

I absolutely love this whole post from a college peer of mine, Rachel Ann, who I think is living an ideal life. Married, smart woman with an awesome job and surviving New York City! :) I had to pretty much repost this from her blog, "The Love Hive."

The greatest lesson of my adult life is this:

“This is your life.”

Like all great lessons like “love your neighbor” or “just do it,” I’m constantly being taught new applications and finding that it impacts my actions in a more significant way every day.

This is your life.

Upset because you don’t have time for yoga? This is your life. Find the time or don’t be upset.

Worried that you’ll one day need to cut down on frivolous expenditures to save more money? This is your life. This is your one shot to live into your ideal self.

Hoping that one day you’ll have more time to reflect more, write that book, snuggle your cat? This is your life. Do it now or don’t do it.

The corollaries to this rule are:

I can do anything I want, but I cannot do everything I want.

Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. (Corinthians)

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

Every few months I go through an exercise of defining my ideal self. For a few years, crippled by anxiety and having Perfect be the supreme enemy of Good, I felt paralyzed by my choices and assumed I would never be the person I wanted to be. And then it hit me: This is your life.

Is reading my Bible app on the subway the perfect quiet time? Is 10 minutes of yoga on my living room floor as good as 75 minutes in a fancy zen-inducing studio? Is eating roasted vegetables every.single.night as fulfilling as preparing a meal complete with side dishes?

Nope. But, this is my life. This is what I’ve got right now. And better to do something than nothing, right?

What did I get from this?

• Find time or energy to do what I want. If not, don't get so upset.
• You get one life. Live it now. Don't wait.
  
• Pick and choose my battles.
• Live more easily.