Living “The” Life and The Difference Between Living and Simply Breathing

* Phew, that title was a mouthful. *

We have an idea of life. We have a sense of what it might feel like. Even though every day we breathe, often we wait to live “the‘ live that we expect to see in the future. This future life is filled with an idea of laughter and excitement, of envy and pride. This life is fueled by the desire for power, influence, love, and belonging. All of it together. The Same Time. The Same Moment.

Yet, as we try and slog and reach it, however we do, we come to a standstill after 600 days. After 600 days it becomes our new normal. “The” life becomes “a” life. It stops being exclusive because now, all your friends have it too. Those who don’t, aren’t your friends anymore anyway.

Then what?

What do you chase? How do you find that envy and pride, that excitement and laughter? When suddenly the span of your room begins to echo your voice, not your laughter, just your voice.

When the partner in your bed, gets used to you and you to them, not realizing that excitement never sows the seed for love and longevity. That excitement is temporary but comfortable can be permanent. Now that your new life, is a life which is filled with booze, yachts, Prada, and Instagram, even those around you have the same life, only their smiles seem more genuine than yours. What do you do?

We’ve gotten so used to living a life on other people’s terms that we’ve forgotten what we want out of our life. We’ve forgotten to love, to be vulnerable, to cherish and to be comfortable. We’ve stopped pausing and appreciating what is ours and have begun to look into whatever isn’t –  a job, a house, a party, even an assumed closeness.

But here’s the thing, life isn’t a future event.

It is a now process. It is what you can do today, with what you have now. Life is a collection of tiny moments that spill over on a large collage that we retrospectively call life.

This isn’t about money, FYI. Living isn’t about money. Living is about more than existing. Living is finding your reason within the boundaries you can’t change and changing the boundaries you can.

We all breathe but not all of us Live.

Hope you can live a little more today than you did yesterday.

With virtual love and health,

Sanah

P.s That is me at the Museum of Natural History in New York, happy as a puppy.