Often people say to me “you’re so lucky” and while I do consider myself extremely fortunate to have the Pacific Ocean as my backyard, a loving boyfriend & a job I love, lucky isn’t the word that I would used to describe my life; in fact, I find that word a little insulting. I built this beautiful, adventurous life that I live by choosing my happiness before anything else. I chose to move to California by myself even though I knew no one, I chose to forgo stability to own a business, I choose to go out and experience live. Everything I do is a decision between staying comfortable or surpassing my comfort zone. Every day I make actionable choices to change the course of my life.

“ You make a choice, you change the future”

While the journey hasn’t been easy – sleepless nights, stressful weekends, 70 hour work weeks, questioning my ability, pushing myself, missing my family – it’s been 100% worth it. What you put out into the universe, you will get back & it’s the times i’m with my family I haven’t seen in months, or on vacation in a new place, or on a backpacking trip with friends, the pure, unfiltered bliss I feel, means so much more.

What i’m trying to say here is make choices. Make the choice to be the best possible version of yourself you could be. Don’t like your job? Wish you were more active? Have you always wanted to live in Florida? Make choices every single day that  will get you to your highest potential.

“I am not a product of my circumstances, I am a product of my decisions”

Below are some simple tips on daily choices YOU can make to be living your life to it’s fullest potential. Also, here is a relatable YouTube video on seeking inward & how to find your life’s purpose.

Realistic Non-Negotiables

Non-Negotiables are things that you absolutely have to do no matter what daily, weekly or monthly. I say realistic because if you set an unrealistic goals (i.e. you go from never working out to setting a non-negotiable to working out 5 days a week) you’ll have trouble committing because it seems impossible and is such a huge shift in your life.

So, if you want to be more active, maybe a non-negotiable is setting aside 2 hours a week to fitness. Maybe you want to read more, make a non-negotiable reading 5 hours a week. It’s small, simple decisions like this that allow you to slowly appreciate your life more.

Affirmations

Affirmations are a great way to start or end your day, or say to yourself whenever you’re feeling out of alignment. I like to say my affirmations in the shower, because I find that’s when I feel the most at peace during the day. Pick 3-5 affirmations and say them outloud on a daily basis. Write them on a post-it note and put them in your car, make them your lock screen on your phone, write them in your planner. Put them somewhere you see daily and recite them outloud.

Some examples of affirmations:

• I am exactly where i’m supposed to be
• This too shall pass
• I have the choice to change
• It’s only a thought, and a thought can be changed
• As I say yes to life, life says yes to me
• Listen to the universe

Gratitude

Everyday I write in my journal and then at the end I write 5 things i’m grateful for. If you don’t write in a journal, that’s fine, say them in your head when you wake up or before you go to sleep at night. No matter where or what time you say them, choose to be grateful no matter what you’re doing. Appreciate everything that life gives you and choose to see the good.

Understand you are the only person that can make you happy

This is something my mom has always said to my brothers and I. You are the only person that can make you happy, so instead of seeking out happiness from people or things, look inward and really think about what it is that makes you happy. What’s that one thing that keeps popping up in your head and you brush it away? Instead of scrolling through Instagram and calling people “lucky”, you need to choose to listen that whisper, stop hanging out with toxic friends or drinking too much coffee. It’s continuous little choices that YOU make are what will lead you to your happiest life.

In addition to putting in hard work and making little daily choices, talk and listen to the universe. I know I sound a little kooky (or right on target) to you, but I truly believe that if you put in everything you have, the universe will meet you there. Remember that “luck” will not get you there, everything you want is already inside of you, you just have to make the choices everyday to push out of your comfort zone to get it out.