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On June 5th, my baby boy was born. They say that having a baby completely changes your life, and boy are they right.
Amidst all the madness of taking care of a screaming child, I sometimes lost my way and fell into despair. For an eternal optimist like myself, it’s a rare occurrence, which makes things that much more dramatic.
I had lost all my desire to do anything but play video games, just to forget that my old life was gone. If you had asked me then what I loved most about life, my answer would likely have been quite pessimistic.
Thankfully, I’m not a pessimistic guy and I refuse to become one. So, I took matters in my own hands and accepted that my normal was never going to be the same. Instead of sobbing, I started reflecting on how I can make my new normal at least as enjoyable as my old normal.
I love life, and have always, really. So, even if the first couple months were tough, I won’t ever let that get the best of me! In my reflection, I brainstormed the things I like most about life. Here’s what I came up with:
What I love most about life is experimenting and pushing my curiosity and creativity to the extreme. Since I left my hometown 15 years ago, I never liked comfort. I moved every year, did ten different jobs, started seven companies, travelled to over 50 countries and lived in four, and more. In October 2018, I started learning three new skills every month and that has been the best habit I’ve ever had. I don’t fail anymore, I just do experiments that don’t work. — Danny Forest
After that reflection, I wondered what others who do similar things thought about the same topic. So, I asked some of my friends who are also top writers about what they like most about life. The result, as you would expect, is different for everyone.
As you read about what they love most in this world, think about what it is for you. What do you love most about life? What would you never compromise on? What makes you tick?
Alright, let’s jump right into it!
Amardeep Parmar
That Zen guy with resting happy face.
Top writer in: Advice, Inspiration, Life, Entrepreneurship, Life Lessons, Leadership, Self Improvement, Startup
For me the best parts in life are all the small, seemingly insignificant moments of joy. It’s sharing a smile with a stranger or playing games with your family. I’ve been all over the world and seen magnificient places. Yet what really stood out is everywhere I went, people have their own unique stories with people and experiences they love. Few things make me happier than listening to someone talk about something they are passionate about. I realised I don’t need to travel the world for that, I can find it everywhere.
Tim Denning
Aussie Blogger — Writer for CNBC & Business Insider. Inspiring the world through Personal Development and Entrepreneurship. www.timdenning.com
Top writer in: Writing, Self Improvement, Startup, Social Media, Productivity, Life, Life Lessons, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Leadership, Inspiration, Education, Business, Psychology, Relationships
The best parts about life all have to do with the power each of us has to make a difference. We live out our lives and overcome adversities not realizing all of it has value. When you witness someone get the help they desperately need because of the example you set or the advice you gave, everything changes. There is so much darkness in the world right now and each of us has the opportunity to help reverse the damage. Elon Musk said it perfectly: love is the answer. If you don’t know what to do, show love. The part I love most about life is camaraderie. I love watching complete strangers join together to fight a common enemy like an invisible health crisis. When we work together anything is possible. It’s not me but us that makes life worth living.
Michael Thompson
Co-creator of 2 little boys with my dream girl — Career Coach featured in Fast Co, Business Insider, Inc — say hi @ www.linkedin.com/in/mikethompsonblog
Top writer in: Leadership, Business, Entrepreneurship, Inspiration, Life Lessons, Life, Productivity, Self Improvement, Relationships, Love
What I love most about life — with the exception of my wife and kids and what Amardeep previously said — is that when you decide to move forward the more the world begins to open up to you — but in ways you could have never predicted. Not one thing I love today was the result of some grand plan. I said “Yes” to something random and somewhere along the way it took me to where I needed to go and into the arms of the people I was supposed to meet. I think that’s what makes life so fun — the unpredictability of it all. You just never know where the world will take you. But you have to get off your ass in order for those moments to take place.
Megan Holstein
I teach people how to change their lives for the better. Sign up for my digest, get free resources, books, and more: www.meganeholstein.com.
Top writer in: Mental Health, Psychology, Culture, Self Improvement
“What I love most about life is the way you can always count on it to keep going.
In the last few years, I’ve had some tough times. I’ve faced debilitating physical and mental illness. I faced one abusive relationship, and then as soon as I escaped that one, fell right into another. There were some hard days, the kind of days which felt like a lifetime of pain unto themselves. What I told myself during those days was this: “it will end.”
End they did. Those days passed. Good days arrived. The day Ohio finally granted me a medical cannabis card. The first day I woke up knowing for sure nothing would happen to me today. The day I secured my first full-time job in my new career as a writer. The day a breakout story of mine made $6000 on Medium, enabling me to quit working for someone else altogether.
Not everyone suffers abuse, but everyone suffers tragedy. Every life has grief, loss, and death. Every life has it’s bad days. My favorite thing about life is that you don’t have to do anything to make the bad days pass. You don’t have to try harder or be better. As long as you keep breathing and keep your heart beating, the bad days will pass — and good ones will be right around the corner.”
Nick Wignall
Psychologist and blogger. I help people use psychology for meaningful personal growth: https://nickwignall.com.
Top writer in: Mental Health, Inspiration, Life Lessons, Self Improvement, Psychology, Life
The two things I love most in life are good people and good ideas. And the best is when I can combine them. Whether it’s trying to explain what a black hole is to my daughter, helping a client understand their anxiety, or trying to convince a buddy that Kierkegaard is more interesting than Nietzsche, tossing around interesting ideas with the people I love is really all I want. Also baking. And ice-cream.
Takeaway
Life finds a way to throw stuff at you just to keep things “interesting”. Just when things are starting to feel good, here’s another obstacle for you! While on the moment, it’s hard to swallow, in hindsight, it just spices things up in a good way.
We fight these hard moments through our values and the things we believe in. That’s why it’s important to know what you love most about life. When life takes an unexpected turn, at least you can cling to that.
So, take a moment to reflect on this. You don’t need to find just one. Brainstorm as many as you can and you can then choose your favourites. Or not. It’s up to you!
You can do this!
Here’s to a good life!