This is a quote most of us have heard before. What does it really mean? Why is it so important for us to examine our lives? Socrates might have had time to examine his life, but he didn't have texts and emails to answer, deadlines, kids to take to activities, phones chiming to remind him of the next event on his calendar.
We might think we don't have time to examine our lives. But what is the alternative? Should we continue rushing through the daily, weekly, monthly grind peppered with a few holidays and parties only to arrive at the end of our lives wondering what it was all about?
Sometimes it is great to take a step back (or step out of) our daily routine and think about our lives. Are we doing work that we love, that makes us excited about life and feeds our souls? Are we taking care of our health and feeling energetic and able to do the things we want? Are we happy with our relationships with our spouse? Family? Friends? Do we know what matters most to us in life? Is it the things that matter most that we are giving our time and energy to?
Taking time to reflect on our lives might not be a priority when we have so many other time-sensitive commitments on our calendars, but if we can carve out some time to reflect on what it is we want most in life, we are much more likely to get it.
Don't you want to take some time and imagine life as you would like it to be? What would you be doing? Who would be with you? What would make you feel excited about getting out of bed every day? Your dreams can be big or small. You might already love your life but what could you do to enhance it even more? Sometimes it only takes small changes to make a big difference.
Take one minute today to look at your calendar and make a date with yourself to daydream about your life. You can write ideas down or find pictures that capture the idea of what you want and make a vision board. You might write down a goal or think of a plan. It might spark a great conversation with your kids or your spouse or a friend.
Your life is worth living, so why not examine it and make it the best life possible!
