Your Life is Your Canvas: Are You Choosing to Create a Masterpiece?

Do you love your life?

Are you being intentional about creating a life that lights you up, at home and at work?

Are you being an example of what it means to create an extraordinary life for your children, or are you teaching them to settle for “good enough”?

These hard questions are the very ones I’m asking myself this month.

Each year, as I celebrate my birthday, I take time to pause, reflect, and reevaluate my goals and the progress I’m making towards those goals.

This tradition is about more than just marking another year—it's about ensuring that I am living intentionally, making choices that align with my values and desires.

And while I’m at it, I hope that I am setting an inspiring example for my children of what it possible when it comes to creating a life you love.

Living by Design, Not Default

I, like so many of us, spent much of my adult life on autopilot, reacting to circumstances rather than shaping my destiny. We find ourselves in routines that may feel comfortable but don't resonate with our true selves.

The result is often a life that feels like something to endure rather than a journey to enjoy.

It wasn’t until navigating divorce a second time that I decided to stop sleepwalking through life and start living by design.

This meant taking control, making conscious choices that align with my core values and goals, and taking actionable steps to create that vision.

As the author Brianna Wiest so wisely says:

“True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.”

This perspective has profoundly influenced my approach to life for the last 10 years, emphasizing designing a life that fulfills and nourishes my soul.

The Power of Daily Choices

Intentional living isn't about making grand gestures overnight; it's about small, consistent choices every day. For me, this includes simple but powerful practices like meditating, journaling, walking in nature, and nurturing meaningful relationships. These daily acts of self-care replenish my energy, enable me to show up as my best self, and help me to get clarity on what I want in my life.

Intentional living also involves making significant life decisions that align with our values. I've made deliberate choices—starting my mediation practice, overcoming emotional eating, letting go of stagnant relationships, and becoming a life coach—that have transformed my life.

These choices, both big and small, taught me that living with intention means continually assessing what works and being brave enough to make changes, even when they're uncomfortable.  Maybe especially when they’re uncomfortable.

Choosing Extraordinary

We are the architects of our lives, and it's up to us to define what success looks like.

I call it “choosing extraordinary,” some call it “choosing a life you love.”

It means asking ourselves, perhaps for the first time, what we truly want, in all aspects of our life, and making deliberate choices to achieve those dreams.

Choosing to live intentionally isn't a one-time decision; it's a continuous process of self-reflection and adjustment. It’s about regularly asking yourself: What do I want my life to look like? How can I design a life that reflects my deepest desires and values?

Understanding that our choices, whether big or small, shape our lives is the heart of intentional living.

The Importance of Course Correction

Living intentionally doesn't mean every decision will be perfect or that we won't encounter obstacles. Course correction is essential.

As Stephen R. Covey noted, airplanes are off course about 90% of the time during flights. Yet, they almost always reach their destination because the pilot constantly makes small adjustments. This natural process teaches us that making adjustments doesn't mean failure; it's a necessary part of living in alignment with our goals and values.

By embracing course correction, we allow ourselves the flexibility to grow and adapt, guiding us closer to the life we envision. Just as a plane adjusts to stay on course, we can recalibrate our actions and decisions. This perspective transforms our understanding of life's challenges, seeing them not as setbacks but as opportunities to refine our path.

Setting an Example for Our Children

One of the most profound motivations for living intentionally is the example it sets for our children. They learn more from our actions than our words. By crafting a life aligned with our values, we show them they too have the power to shape their futures and live authentically.

Growing up, my father worked underground in a nickel mine for over 30 years to support our family while my mother was a full-time homemaker. He taught me that one must choose between making a good living and pursuing a career they loved. This message implied that financial security came at the expense of passion.

To this day, more than a decade since my father’s passing, I have to remind myself that this isn’t necessarily true.

I often grapple with the guilt of making a great living doing something I love.

There's a voice in my head that still whispers, "Who are you to have found a career that lights you up and allows you to earn more money than your father ever did?"

Yet, I also tell myself that my journey is an example of what's possible. I strive to teach my children they don't have to choose between fulfillment and financial stability. They can design a life that encompasses both.

Living intentionally is about showing our children that life is a series of choices and that we have the agency to make decisions leading to fulfillment and joy.

It’s about giving them permission to never settle for mediocrity.

My Invitation to You

As I celebrate my birthday this month, reflecting on my own life and engaging in a little “course correcting” of my own, I encourage you to do the same.

Whether you are contemplating significant changes or simply seeking small tweaks to create a more fulfilling life, now is the perfect moment to make intentional choices.

It's never too late to make new choices and start living by design rather than by default.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. - Lao Tzu

Ask yourself what you want your life to look like, identify even just a single step toward that vision, and take it. Whether it's making time for self-care, pursuing a new career path, strengthening relationships, or choosing to end some, every choice is an opportunity to begin to create a life that you love.

Remember, your life is your canvas.

Paint it with bold strokes, vivid colors, and a vision that excites you.

You never know who your choices are providing inspiration to.

Heck, I think even my Dad would be proud. xo

___________________________________________________________________

If you're ready to take the first step toward creating a life you love but don't know where to start, I’m here to support you every step of the way. Book Your Discovery Call here.