Reflections: Celebrating the Beauty of Life

As I write, I am a few weeks away from celebrating a major milestone. This is always a time of deep reflection in my life as I think about all the lessons and experiences that have shaped who I am today. More importantly, this is the time of the year when I start to extrapolate wisdom from my life and journey to become the next best version of myself. The last year of my life has truly been the greatest year of my life. I’ve learned so much, grown a lot, and learned so many things about myself. I hope these insights will inspire and empower you to celebrate the beautiful gift that life is!

1. Stop complaining about your life. In my experience, I have come to understand that complaining is the thief of contentment. When I talk to people from all walks of life, I am amazed at how much time people waste complaining about their lives or comparing their lives to other people. One thing I am certain of is that life is fleeting and I refuse to waste precious moments of my life complaining. After all, complaining does nothing to change your life or your circumstances. More importantly, complaining does not challenge you to course-correct your life. If you find yourself complaining, I want you to challenge yourself to replace complaining with contentment. While everything may not be perfect in your life, celebrate the progress that you have made and the victories that you have experienced. Life is a treasure and you should always seek to frame your world in prophetic potentialities.
2. Recognize that life is a gift. When I look around the world today, it is not hard to see the myriad of social, economic, and political challenges that plague our world. If you turn on the news, you can easily become engrossed in the problems of the world. Every time someone dies and I go to a funeral I am reminded once again of how precious life is. Too often we major on minor things and we forget how valuable the gift of life is. What if this was your last day on earth? What if you only had twenty-four hours left to do all the things that you have always wanted to do? One thing I know for certain is that you would live with greater urgency and less complacency. In all honesty, we do not have nearly as much time as we think that we do. So we must savor the gift that life is and never take it for granted. Give each day of your life careful attention and focus. Go to bed every night knowing that you embraced the significance of that day.
3. Learn the value of time. If you have followed my work for any length of time, then you have probably heard me talk about the value of time before. My closest friends will tell you that Jamelle has no time to waste. I have learned to prioritize the precious moments of every day. My minutes have meaning and my seconds have significance. I do not fill my days with convenient distractions. Instead, I am consistently devoted to my goals and accomplishing my vision. If you do not understand the value of time then you will waste time and squander opportunities. Life is precious and you must live on purpose. You must love yourself enough to be intentional about where you invest your time and energy. Every moment of your life you are choosing your priorities. Make sure you are prioritizing the things that move your life forward and bring a sense of fulfillment. The greatest travesty is to exist and never thrive. If you are not intentional about your time, then you will waste your entire life serving the agendas of other people. The value of time is that it is a tool designed to aid you in your assignment and to facilitate your vision. Time is a nonrenewable resource.
4. Spend more time with the people that energize you. Over the last year, I have made some major changes in my life. While change is never easy and always uncomfortable, one thing I have learned is that some people drain you and some people energize you. I’ve been very intentional about spending more time with the people that energize me and less time with the people that deplete me. If you are going to live life at its best, then you have to cultivate meaningful relationships. While it will often come at an inconvenience, the reality is that great things take time. If you want great relationships in your life, then you must be willing to invest the time to build meaningful relationships. When you get around people who energize you, you live inspired, empowered, and more courageous. Ultimately, the right people will spark self-belief in you that pushes you to live your dreams and provokes you to realize your greatest potential. The right people make life an exciting adventure and make moments more meaningful.