As I was prepping my list of favorite moments for Friday words kept running through my head about life and living and being bold. And I knew instead of writing my normal Friday post that I needed to share those words with you. The words?
Dare to live.
I know, it sounds odd – dare to live. Right now, you, in whatever stage of life you find yourself, I’m telling you dare to live awake, alive, boldly, and with joy. Yet, I think most of us live a life that doesn’t really feel alive. And some of us live a bit asleep.
I know because I’ve done it. It’s like this: Wake up. Go through the motions. Live with a smile on your face and yet inside you’re sitting looking at life not feeling. Not feeling joy. Happiness. Sadness. Just plain and simple not feeling much. It’s seems safer, right? After all, life can feel dull or boring or sometimes it hurts. I didn’t want to feel all the hurt in life so I instead chose to just not care.
I don’t care.
I’d mumble it to myself during the day.
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care – it was like a mantra, a mindset that I tried to cling to.
But, deep down I really did care and really wanted to live life loving the little things. I wanted to find happy. I wanted to not be bogged down by everything. I wanted to care. But I also knew that caring meant allowing myself to feel – joy, sadness, regret, hope, worry – and I knew I was living a life half asleep.
I had to choose. You’ve heard me write about the power of choosing, the power of your mindset – so today – I want to encourage you in the midst of whatever you are in to stop and to look at how you are looking at life.
Are you living awake?
Are you living feeling joy?
If not – step back and dare to live.
It’s a dare.
Living awake and boldly means making a choice that recognizes that you might fall, that life isn’t perfect, and that you will feel hurt. But, when one doesn’t allow emotion in life then you can get stuck in a perpetual cycle of numb. For me, I finally, about five years ago, realized that I don’t want to live numb anymore – I was missing out on too much, too many moments, too many gifts tucked into the middle of a life that didn’t look perfect, and yet I was still blessed to live.
So I choose to dare to live. Again.
Again and again and again and again and again.
And in that dare – joy finally returned as I allowed myself to begin to live a life not dependent upon stuff for happiness, but rather the time given, the moments, the interactions – those things became gifts. And with that, this zest for life and a tenacious drive to live a life of wonder, hope, and embracing the moments also returned.
Don’t live life numb. Dream. Be bold. Take risks. Embrace moments. Find joy.
Start. Jump. Let yourself feel joy. In the ups and downs and everyday moments.
You can do this.
You can dare to live.
~Rachel
19 comments
Trying …
these are some powerful words here! This post touched my heart this morning!
Loved this so much that I shared it on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you for sharing your heart with us today!
I Love this 🙂 Thank you for the challenge!
Love this, thank you! 🙂 I still struggle with not putting some much value into “things”. I’m working on that. Xo
Love…Love…LOVE! 🙂
Thank you for the dare. I’ll take the challenge 🙂
Living in the moment is much better than going through the motions. I think the interactions are the best! Thank you for reminding me of these things.
He came to give us more abundant as well as eternal life, so may we dare to live it more abundantly as He leads us! Thanks for the great post & for hosting, & God bless!
You always give me so much to think about, Rachel.
–Gena
Dear Rachel,
Thank you for yet another inspiring post. I believe that God puts us in a position to be a positive influence for other and I thank you for following the voice of inspiration and blessing all your readers with the words you write.
Tracey. xo
As Advent begins we’re reminded that we have hope because that babe in a manger grew up and died for our salvation! Praying!
Galatians 4:4-6 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
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This was a great posting and a much needed read for me. Lately I have been wanting to just quit my job, pack up and go…no set plan..just go. I know this is unrealistic but sometimes you need to read something like this article to help ground you a bit… Thank you! I am a traveler at heart and I’ve been pretty much travel free for almost two years now (beginning to wear on me..) Everything about travel gets me excited and energized! The problem is…the money and the time needed to do so! I lived in London for two years where I was able to travel and see the world! I am back in the states now, working and living…and not traveling. So I guess for me the balance needs to be…work (save), travel, and when I can’t travel perhaps just reading about travel will do the trick! I guess this goes along with the idea of getting enjoyment from the smaller things in life! Travel and reading are my two favorite things so if I can’t travel I can read! I know, I know it’s not the same at all…but depending on the book….sometimes that excited feeling in the pit of my stomach returns! “Eat, Pray, Love” did that for me and now I just read the book “Until Brazil” by Bethe Lee Moulton and the feeling is back! It’s about a married woman, in a steady job looking for a little excitement! She goes on a business trip to Brazil hoping for a promotion and instead gets immersed in a culture and an experience that she will never forget! http://www.untilbrazil.com/ –recommend 100% – It has given me the little escape that I so desperately need! Time to be an adult right? And make adult decisions! “The bottom line is, life is about creating happiness. ” – My new mantra! Time to make things happen, but in a balanced way 🙂 Thanks so much, looking forward to embracing the moments and reading more of your posts!
Living in Seattle you have to deal with a lot of storms. Living, you have to deal with a lot of storms. What a blessing we have an anchor no matter how bad the storms get!
Hebrews 6:17-20a Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus…
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Thanks for this great post! It kicked me into gear, to do things outside of my comfort zone. Today I did something I’ve been afraid to do for a long time and I feel so alive!
No matter what happens in life, the Lord is always there! Praying!
Habakkuk 3:17-19 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places…
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Hope you had a fantastic day today! Praying for safe travels home!
Psalms 31:1-3 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
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You’re home! You’re home!
Know that I’m always praying!
Psalms 31:5, 7-8 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth (7-8) I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.
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This may sound silly, but I hope everything in your home is fine. (You haven’t had a new post in several days.) I pray that you are simply choosing to BE with and for your family.
Thanks for all of your encouraging words. I think you touch more people that you will ever know!
KatieJ
North Country