This contemporary phrase has come to be the motivation for the millennial lifestyle - don’t wait for retirement to have fun (or spend your money?) but spend your time on experiences riding on the high every day rather than on vacation every five years. Thanks to the visibility of “fun” living brought to us by social media and re-conceiving of the work lifestyle thanks to Tim Ferriss, author of “The Four Hour Work Week”, my generation is re-thinking how we spend our time in our 20s and 30s.
When we were free of all ties, early in our career (or still determining that pathway), spouse free and kid free, that was all possible. Travel and live anywhere, eat all the things and throw caution to the wind. No need to “settle down” just yet. As we add ties, ties of place, ties of people, ties of vocation, our choices become more complicated. Some would say we no longer have choices, and even fear this phase of life. Or is it rather that our choices become simplified? Are they limited or are they focused?
Is it possible to “live our best life” now that we have families and careers? My answer would be absolutely. It may take more planning than before, but our best life is even more seasoned than it could have been before. It has more meaning as we bond with the people and the places we have chosen to give our affection to. We can have a sense of belonging we didn’t know we needed before. We belong to our home, our people, and even our work or the skills we have gained up till now that we apply to our work. We have our experience. Rather than missing out on what we had before, we have even more. Now, living our best life means taking it slow, watching it unfold before us and saying no to being too busy so we can practice being present to this life.
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