“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

The Journey

Fully living is a term I started using about 8 years ago when I began to travel and experience things as a solo act, with my sisters, and/or with my girlfriends, aka Sister-Friends and Soul Sisters. It was not that I didn’t travel and have worthwhile experiences before this point, but I had a list of things I wanted to do and places I wanted to visit. This list kept evolving. I kept adding things to the list, but was not taking anything off of it. I was not being intentional about checking things off this list because I was putting these things off until; until my husband wanted to join me, until the kids got older, until the bills got paid, until I reached a certain weight, etc. What I came to realize is this: I wasn’t getting any younger, and if I waited “until,” some or a lot of the things on my list may never become my lived experiences. So, I decided to be intentional about this list and began checking things off of what I like to call my “Fully Living List.” Most people call this list their “Bucket List.” I, however, did not want the feeling tone of my list to be motivated by doing “all the things” before I die or kick the bucket. I wanted the energy of my doing to be fueled by my desire to experience “all the things” while I am fully alive and the land of the living. Hence the term “fully living.”

If you have been friends with me on social media over the last several years, you have had a glimpse of some of my “Fully Living” experiences; from my first time on a train from North Carolina to New York to see “The Color Purple” on Broadway, my hike to the Hollywood sign in California, enjoying a ride in a classic car in Cuba, watching the sunrise in Belize, learning a hula dance to “The Hukilau” in Hawaii, or my most recent excursion to Paris with my best friend of 27 years to celebrate her 50th birthday. You may have also witnessed some of my other “Fully Living” experiences such as taking motorcycle riding lessons, enjoying brunch or a cup of coffee at various locations in the Raleigh-Durham area, and of course attending concerts. Music is my love language. When I am anywhere where live music is, I feel most alive.

If you are new here and just stumbled across my blog, welcome! I am glad the GUS (God, Universe, Spirit) sent you. Old friend or new friend, if you are reading this, I am grateful for you. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read what I have to share. I hope that what I share here will inspire you to stop waiting “until” and fully live now. I must warn you, as you begin your “fully living” journey, you may discover ways in which you have grown stagnant. You might realize you have been complaisant, pleasing and accommodating others. You may see how you continue to just exist, and come to understand that this existence does not support a fully lived life. You will want to experience more as you truly begin to live. As you truly begin to live, you will want to do more. The more you truly begin to live, the more you will want to become, or maybe even “un-become.” We will talk about “un-becoming” in a future blog. Stay tuned.

Fully living is not just about the list, it’s about the person who creates the list, Y-O-U! And YOU, my friend, deserve to live fully! I hope that as I share my fully living journey with you, you will be inspired to stop waiting to fully live and do it NOW!

What are you waiting for? Take a moment, like RIGHT NOW, and jot down at least 3 things that you want to experience. This, my friend, is the start of your “Fully Living” list, and I can’t wait to hear all about your experiences.