love your life

Julia Matheson

I was here

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Sometimes music just hits the nail on the head, and more often than not, it’s a song that I need to hear.

I am crushing goals right now, travelling on an amazing adventure with my twin sister to celebrate our 30th birthdays (more on that later!).

On one long leg of our flight the other day, a song came on that made me sit bolt upright and pay full attention – in fact, i had to listen to it twice to make sure it all soaked in.

The lyrics resonated so strongly with me.

It is titled ‘I was here’, by the ever powerful Beyonce.

(Click here to watch her amazing performance at the United Nations ‘World Humanitarian Day’: “One day, one message, one goal. To inspire people all over the world to do something good, no matter how big or small, for someone else”.)

This song is completely aligned with living a life you love, and for that reason I wanted to share it here with you –

“I Was Here”

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time
Know there was something that, meant something that I left behind
When I leave this world, I’ll leave no regrets
Leave something to remember, so they won’t forgetI was here
I lived, I loved
I was here
I did, I’ve done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was hereI want to say I lived each day, until I died
And know that I meant something in, somebody’s life
The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave
That I made a difference, and this world will seeI was here
I lived, I loved
I was here
I did, I’ve done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will knowI was here
I lived, I loved
I was here
I did, I’ve done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was hereI just want them to know
That I gave my all, did my best
Brought someone some happiness
Left this world a little better just because
I was here

. . . Yup, some powerful lyrics right there.

It got me thinking about legacies.

What mark am I leaving on world?

What do I want to be remembered for?

Have you ever thought about what your legacy is?

We all leave a wake in the journey of our lives, and we all have the power to determine what that looks like. Actually, it’s our responsibility.

What are the things your heart wants to do but you keep putting them off? Get clear on why you are denying yourself and get in action to make them happen for you.

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” ― Shannon L. Alder

This trip is something my sister and I had the idea for a while ago. We made plans and made sh*t happen.  Now we are together for the first time in 14 months, making incredible memories that will last us a lifetime.

We could have put it off till a more convenient time, when we had more money, or more of our friends were available to join us. But truth is, there’s never a perfect time is there? All we have are these moments in time to seize with both hands.

We are ticking things off our bucket lists left, right, and centre – and it’s been more than we thought it would be.

I am so blessed, and feel so grateful to be sharing these experiences with my sister. I feel re-energised and inspired to make my contribution to the world.

We lived, we loved, we were here.

onepreciouslife

power from passion

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I am high on life.

It sounds corny I know, but it’s true.

I feel alive. My heart feels bigger and is brimming with gratitude.

All because I truly LOVE what I do.

I have just finished a group vision and goal coaching session. This is one of my biggest passions, and when expressed, a powerful energy flows through me. I feel like I can accomplish anything! (To read my post on living your passion click here)

I haven’t always felt this way. In fact, this is probably the first time in my life. And it’s solely the result of consistently focusing on what I love:

communication. inspiration. personal growth.

By focusing on these things, I have brought more of what I love into my life. It’s the law of attraction working.

For me, the barrier between work and play has been removed. I don’t live for the weekends, I no longer dread Monday or celebrate Friday. I have a true balance in my life. My time ebbs and flows effortlessly between my personal, professional and social lives.

To tell the truth, I never really believed it was possible to feel this way. A few years ago I thought that stress, anxiety and the pressure of the daily grind were just part of life. Nope, turns out it was just part of the wrong life for me.

I yearned for something more. I made some big changes. And with those changes opened up new possibilities.

I now know my purpose.

I know what I was put on this earth to do. I have found my happiness through teaching happiness.

Its taken many years for me to stand in this place, and I’m forever grateful for the winding journey. I dedicated a lot of time towards self exploration and enquiry. It was frustrating at times, wanting to know all the answers right NOW! I tried to remain patient, as I knew that with time what I was searching for would come organically.

I now know more about myself, and as a result feel more connected to who I truly am. To what’s authentically me.

So my advice to you – get out of your head, and listen to what your heart is saying.

Listen again .  .  .  listen harder.

Your body intrinsically knows what it truly desires.

What do you LOVE to do? The more you pay attention to your heart – to your passions, to what excites you – the clearer the message will become.

It will become so loud that you can no longer ignore it, or push it aside for a rainy day.

It will force you to act upon it, and your life will never be the same again.

passion

life lessons from a monster

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I found myself last night watching ‘Monsters University’ – wearing 3D glasses, eating popcorn and surrounded by little kids (and other adults that love a good animated flick!).

I originally went just to relax and have a laugh, but it ended up being a little more than that. I was impressed with the key lessons in the game of life that were sprinkled throughout the story.

A little unexpected side order of enlightenment to my entertainment! And a good example of art imitating life.

MonstersUni

life lessons from a monster

  • harness your strengths: utilise what you’re great at, the things you naturally do the BEST. You will get much further in life by harnessing your strengths, instead of trying to improve on your weaknesses.
  • ditch the mould, be unique: don’t focus on trying to be like everyone else, or what society expects of you. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Instead, focus on being the full expression of YOU. We all have a unique gift to offer the world, and we flourish when we find and use that gifting. Life works best when we celebrate our uniqueness, our differences. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, be true to who you are, always.
  • do what you love: follow your passions, do what makes your heart sing. There is a power that comes from focusing on what lights you up inside. Do what you love – even if you fail at the first attempt, failing is good for the soul and builds endurance. Everyone has some kind of capability that can be tapped into and allowed to let flourish. (To read my post on living your passion, click here)
  • believe!: determination and self conviction will get you everywhere. Ignore the nay-sayers, the pessimists, and the downright bullies in life. Believe in yourself whole heartedly. You never know what you are capable of unless you try. Change your thoughts, and you will change your world.

Not everything in life will go according to your plan. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be happy or find new dreams.

You will make a new plan, a better plan, one that is more aligned with your unique calling in life.

I truly believe that everyone has their own purpose, their life work.

Sometimes you just have to forget the path you think has been laid out for you and follow your own.

uniquelife

dream day recipe

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You know the days when you’re floating on cloud 9?

Everything just falls into place and your day is full of all your favourite things. You have a lightness in your heart and a smile permanently planted on your face.

I’m so grateful for those days. For me, those days are what life is all about.

Maybe they are so special because of their rarity. But have you ever stopped to think that every day could be that way?

Next time you experience a dream day ask yourself – What made today so special? What activities did I do? Who was I with? What was my frame of mind?

With this precious information, you can make the recipe for a dream day any day!

My dream day recipe

1 handful of loved ones

lashings of outdoor adventures

2 cups of contribution

1 sweet sweat session

1 sprinkling of food shared together

1 gallon of laughter.

My best days are always spent connecting with people I love, getting outside the house and into nature, doing any kind of sweat date (yoga, hiking, a bike ride, or a swim in the ocean) and wrapping up the day sharing food and laughter together.

What things do you love? What’s authentically important to you? What are the things that bring a smile to your face?

With that in mind – What do you now need to make time for? What do you need to schedule? Who do you need to enrol?

Get to planning your days, weeks and even months – full of all of these things. Start to plant the seeds for many abundant dream day harvests!

Don’t leave your happiness to chance, to the whim of others, or to circumstance.

Make your happiness a priority. Today.

What is your dream day recipe?

Use your recipe to float on cloud 9  all weekend  🙂

maketodayhappy

live your passion

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The following quote jumped off the page of a book I read recently –

“Live your passion. What does that mean anyway? It means that when you get up in the morning, you are pumped because you get to talk about or work with or do the thing that interests you the most in the world. You don’t live for vacations because you don’t need a break from what you’re doing – working, playing, and relaxing are one and the same. You don’t even pay attention to how many hours you’re working because to you, it’s not really work. You’re making money, but you’d do whatever it is you’re doing for free.” – Gary Vaynerchuk

What are your passions?

Are you living them?

If not, what is holding you back?

Your are made up of a unique set of passions, things that speak to your soul and light you up.  Your passions make you feel truly alive, and self-expressed. You are your best version of yourself when living them.

What would your life look like if you chose to harness these passions? What if you actually got paid to do what you love? What kind of personal power and freedom would be possible for you?

Some people have the archaic belief that they will never make any money doing what they love, but in today’s world this has never been further from the truth. People all over the world today are earning a living doing exactly that. With the rise of the information society, and social media people can now monetize their passions, hobbies, and interests like never before. We spend the majority of our lives at work, why not spend it doing what you love most?

My Dad always told me ‘do what makes you happy, and you’ll be great at it’. This is something that has always resonated with me.

Do what you love. Follow your heart. Success will follow.

It’s as simple as that.

You owe it to yourself, life is too short not too.

Follow-Your-Heart-Sign