Today, the fast-paced environments and constant stream of entertainment profoundly impact how we experience life. As a result, many people start to feel as though they are merely existing rather than truly living. But what is the difference between existing and living?
Existing is about surviving, passively experiencing life without direction, purpose, and emotions. While living, is about cultivating a sense of purpose, pursuing passion, and seeking joy through engaging with the world. Where do you find yourself?
Identify if you are living or existing
Here are some questions that you should ask yourself:
Routine
- Do you enjoy your daily routine?
- Do you seek out new experiences and opportunities?
If you feel like you hate your routine and don’t get to experience new things, you are probably not fully experiencing the joy of life.
Purpose
- Do you have a purpose which is directing you through life?
- Is there anything that motivates and excites you to keep pursuing goals?
If the answer is no to both questions, then you are more likely existing rather than living.
Personal growth
- Are you learning new things and challenging yourself?
- Do you ever step out of your comfort zone?
If you don’t feel motivated to learn new things and step out of your comfort zone, ask yourself, why?
Emotions
- Do you get to experience feelings of joy, love, and excitement?
- Are you in the present moment, or just going through motions while thinking about past or future?
If you are unable to stay present and feel positive emotions, it’s time to make a change!
How to start living
Starting to truly live is not as easy as it sounds, yet it’s also not as difficult as it may seem. Certain aspects of our lives—such as stressful jobs, overwhelming routines, or a lack of motivation—can make this change feel unattainable. However, the reality is that everything is within our control. Life begins with intention. Here are some steps that might help you:
Change your routine
- Even small changes in your routine can make a significant difference.
- Reflect on what exactly doesn’t feel right in your routine, and find ways to improve it. Remember, there’s always a solution!
Define your purpose
- Your purpose is what will give you sense of meaning and motivation.
- The purpose doesn’t necessarily have to be grand, even small things that bring you joy can shape your direction.
- If you find it difficult to define your purpose, start journaling until you get to understand yourself better.
Learn more
- Challenge yourself to explore something unfamiliar. Even if you don’t feel like going out or doing a research, you could simply refresh your feed on TikTok to start seeing new content, unfamiliar to you. This way you might discover a new hobby or a new desired skill.
- If you often have questions that you don’t seem to have an answer for, learn more about that subject, google it, find books about it, it will feel great to learn something new.
Prioritise joy
- If you didn’t figure out what exactly brings you joy, it’s time to experiment.
- Think about what you haven’t done in a while or at all, and try doing it. Whether it’s reading, exercising, meditating, or simply walking without a particular destination, do it and reflect on how it made you feel.
- Practice gratitude everyday, think about everything you are grateful for, for example food, home, family, friends, everything that you have and someone wish for. It will help switch your perspective from negative to positive.
Reflect on your circumstances
- What aspect of your life is dragging you down? Is it your job, relationships, environment, or maybe even the country that you live in?
- Identify what stops you from living, and make a plan to change that. Of course it will not be easy, every change is difficult, but certainly worth it!
