I can’t think of anything worse than a life not lived. Arriving at the end with a heart full of ‘if only’s’, ‘what if’s’ and ‘I should have’s’ seems somewhat tragic to me… I’d like to think we can all arrive feeling that we have lived life to the fullest, that we experienced the joy and beauty of a life free from fear and regret.
To live life is to be present and open; to be fearless and free; to think, speak and act from the heart. It is not always possible to be and do all of these things all of the time – but we must certainly try.
As Katherine Mansfield beautifully states; ‘Warm, eager, living life – to be rooted in life – to learn, to desire, to know, to feel, to think, to act. This is what I want. And nothing less. That is what I must try for.’ …And so must we.
What in life is holding you back? Fear of failure? Fear of getting hurt? Fear of looking foolish? Fear of succeeding? The change and responsibility that comes with all of that? It makes sense to go forth with the flow, to do what feels right for you at a pace that feels sustainable, but we wont get very far if we have one foot on the gas pedal and one foot on the breaks. Yes, tread gently, but let us also be unafraid to throw caution to the wind.
For in the end, isn’t our wish to say that we have truly loved and lived?
In love & light,
Hayley xx
Dear Dad 