I’m throwing some Justin Timberlake beats your way to help you get your groove on today. 

Throw on your headphones, turn up your speakers…and start jammin’ out.

I dare you to not get all “electric wavy” inside your bones as you rock out to this tune – quite frankly, I think it’s near to impossible.

This Week’s Mantra

This song is not only amazing…but it also coincides with the mantra I wanted to share with you today. 

This week I desire for you to wake up each day and set an intention to enjoy the day. 

Remind yourself that today holds so much opportunity.  

Today is a perfect time to live, laugh, and love to the fullest. 

Wayne Dyer once said:

“Stop acting as if life’s a dress rehearsal. 
Live this day as if it’s your last. 
The past is over and gone.
The future is not guaranteed.”

Live this day as if it is your last. 

How great of a wake-up call is that? 

Something inside of us shifts when we fully ingest the fact that time is limited. 

When someone close to you passes away, when a friend is in an unexpected car accident, when a family member receives a tragic health diagnosis, when you hear about a tragic event on the evening news…

Moments like these cause something to happen inside of us. 

• We recognize how incredibly lucky we are to have the people and blessings we have in our lives. 
• We wake up to the fact that life is precious.
• We remember that none of us knows how much time he/she has left to enjoy this life. 
• We realize our time is limited to make an impact in this world. 

The stresses of today and the million things many of us have planned for our tomorrows can sometimes cause us to stress over the little things and overlook the most important things. 

The constant striving and always stressing often pushes out the joy and gratitude God wants us all to experience.

Overwhelm often overburdens us…sometimes to the point of dreading the day before it even begins. 

I want better for us. 

So, let’s make a pact to choose to enjoy the ride.

• Let’s remind ourselves: today is a gift…so let’s be grateful and celebrate.
• Let’s put forth our best effort to make the most of today.
• Let’s be wise with our “yes’s.” 
• Let’s choose to enjoy this day to its fullest…no matter what circumstances life throws at us.
• Let’s live present, love always, and laugh often.

To help ground ourselves in the “now” and embrace the mindset I illustrated above, I present to you this week’s mantra:

“I give myself permission to enjoy the ride.”

Many today wear busy as a badge of honor.  Society celebrates constant striving and applauds over-achievement. These things are recognized as honorable and praise-worthy.

And yikes, do we often put waaaaaay too much pressure on ourselves. 

If you’re anything like me, you can find yourself feeling pressured to be all things to all people.  And also, to be the best at everything you do.  

How About We Try Something Different?

What if instead of playing by the “rules” set forth by society, we intentionally decide not to buy into the lie that we can possibly be…and do…everything?  

• What if instead of striving for perfection, we allow “good enough”? 
• What if we give ourselves a break and choose to leave some things off of our plates? 
• What if we focus our efforts on being lovingly present with others and pursuing the things that matter most…and then kindly say “no thank you” to all the rest?

But HOW?

I have two challenges for you this week. 

Challenges intended to help you say “thanks, but no thanks” to hustle and ever-striving. These are actions you can practice to welcome in more peace and enjoyment in life…and ward off overwhelm.

Challenge #1: Practice being intentional about your “yes’s.” 

Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we need to do it.  Friend, set limits on your “yes’s” and your “no’s” to allow space for more peace and joy in your days. 

Remember a “yes” to something is a “no” to something else.  So, if we say “yes” to all the various requests that come our way, we will be likely be saying “no” to things that are quite important to us.

Challenge #2: Remember to enjoy the ride.

First thing each day, set the intention that you are going to choose joy and embrace the day.  Remind yourself that God will use this day and the events that come to pass for you, not against you. 

Start off your day with gratitude: think of at least three things for which you are thankful. 

Provide yourself permission to only accomplish the pressing tasks of “today.”  Let tomorrow’s cares be tomorrow’s cares.  And today, let your best efforts be enough. 

Schedule a time(s) in your calendar to intentionally take a short break for some peace and joy.  Use this time to step away from your growing to-do list and daily tasks…and sprinkle a little “happy” into your day (e.g., soak in 5-10 minute of sunshine, seek out a delicious cup of coffee, chat with a friend, buy the homeless man on the corner a sandwich from the deli, etc.). 

It doesn’t matter what you do…just do something that brings joy to you and/or another person each day.

Life’s Not a Competition

Remember, Friend: life is not a race and it’s not a competition. 

Put forth your best effort to strive after God, pursue His plans for your life, and honor Him by using the gifts He’s given you. 

But also, remember that God doesn’t want us to get lost in all our “doing.”  

He’s more concerned about who we are becoming than He is with what we are doing.  Christ is our model for how God desires us to live.  And one thing we can learn from Christ’s example is life is meant to be lived with a less hustle…and a lot more peace, love, and being rooted in the present moment.

Check out my previous post if you’re interested in reading up on how Christ modeled an unhurried life.

May You Enjoy the Ride

My hope for you is that you view each day as an opportunity and appreciate it for the gift it truly is.  

Practice being intentional about your “yes’s” and be firm with your “no’s” so you can focus on the things that matter most in life.

Seek out joy each day: choose to celebrate, no matter how hard you have to try to squeeze out the “happy” in the day.

Live each day as if it’s your last.

May you remember, Friend, to enjoy the ride.  

And in all that you do…

Be Grateful. Be Confident. Be Radiant.