The following article was published Cascade Discovery, March 2004.

‘Living Life to the Fullest’

How many of us truly live our lives to the fullest? I’m talking about the day-to-day, moment-to-moment: "Hooray I’m alive and I get to live in Bend Oregon," kind of livelihood!

If you suspect that something is preventing you from living life to the fullest, begin exploring any obstacles that you find along your way. Many of us exist year after year in a state of autopilot. We engage in activities that are expected of us rather than choosing to do the things that make our hearts come alive.

When we allow something to touch our hearts, we experience a pulsating feeling that instantly energizes and causes us to loose all track of time.

I know that I am not living life to the fullest when I rush through my day without taking time for me. If I’ve taken care of everyone else, yet forgotten to pause, reflect, and focus upon the many elements that are important to me, I’ve missed the significance of my own life.

When we fail to open our eyes to the many possibilities available to us each and every day, we are not living our lives to the fullest. Rich, full living is a matter of choice and not simply a destiny.

We each have our own sayings, behaviors or habits that prevent aliveness!

Familiar sayings that we fall back on are expressed like: "I can’t…", or "I tried that once years ago and it didn’t work…", and, "That is just not me," or, "I simply don’t have the energy!" Ask yourself: If you don’t have control over your own energy, who does? Who’s at the helm of your ship?

Behaviors that prevent us from experiencing life’s greatest rewards are also quite familiar. Some of us choose to anesthetize ourselves with work or belabor life’s daily irritations. If we ruminate over life’s more negative aspects rather than anticipating positive outcomes, we are creating road-blocks.

In January, for example, one of my clients caught himself telling a friend, "This will be the most difficult year of my life!"

Though ‘Sam’ will be faced with some extremely challenging decisions, he does not need to make this his mantra for the entire year.

Being the multifaceted individual Sam is, he will undoubtedly create numerous positive experiences and opportunities for himself! Actually, Sam acknowledges that during the coming year he will get to teach his new grandson amazing things; float in his brand new rocking red sea-kayak; explore travel destinations that he’s only read about; and perhaps even fall in love. How alive will Sam be this year? Will this in fact be his ‘most difficult year?’ His choices and attitude will determine this.

Habits often get us into trouble when we are trying to expand into a more fulfilling life. Have you ever gone to your favorite coffee shop and been irritated that someone is sitting at ‘your’ table or found yourself indignant when someone was occupying ‘your’ machine at the athletic club? If your answer is yes to these or similar scenarios, it is time to shake off the dust and GET A LIFE!

What does your life feel, taste and look like when it is being lived to the fullest? Perhaps the time has come for you to discover this for yourself.

As you commit to being fully alive today focus on what you can do to enhance your life experience. Think about what you are willing to change to make it better. A focus on the positive will help you to eliminate old sayings, behaviors or habits that no longer serve you.

Small changes often create the most extraordinary results! As you move forward, I challenge you to use this article as the springboard to make meaningful changes in your life.

You really do owe this to yourself, don’t you? So go on… and rediscover the joy of living the life that only you can choose to live!

Ann Golden Eglé, CPCC, PCC, owner of Golden Visions Success Coaching, LLC, coaches successful executives, entrepreneurs and professionals throughout North America to higher levels of success, in business and in life! She can be reached at 541-385-8887 or www.GoldenVisionsCoaching.com