How to Live a Compelling Life in the Right Now

Our day-to-day lives often have a reputation for being fairly mundane. We may experience weeks or even months that don’t seem to be particularly memorable. Between obligations, routines and activities, we find that it’s difficult to feel really engaged in our lives. We hold out for the ‘bigger’ moments that puncture our lives – like that upcoming trip, the holidays, or some other special occasion to experience that sense of excitement and fulfillment. But instead of always looking around the corner for the next big thing, remember that most of our lives exist in our ordinary daily experiences. If we shift our perspective, we’ll find that we can cultivate a far more compelling life than we thought possible. We simply need to learn to receive what life has to offer and give ourselves to it more fully.

Here are some ways to engage more fully with the world around you and begin to live a compelling life. By doing these, we can ignite the ‘sparks’ in our lives that help create sense of agency and fulfillment:

Cultivate Beauty Around You

Take the time to make something beautiful. Whether it’s an object, your space, or yourself – doing this will change how you interact with it. When your home feels out of order, the simple act of arranging flowers for your coffee table may inspire you to keep a tidy living room. Instead of scarfing down food during dinner when you’re feeling overwhelmed, set the dinner table and light a candle. This will help you eat mindfully and cherish the experience. When you feel like you’re just getting by in life, invest the time to take extra care of yourself. Taking care of your hair and wearing flattering clothing can shift the way you feel about yourself. It sends a signal to yourself that you are valued and treasured. It changes how you present yourself to others as well as yourself.

But why is this the case? Because people and objects reflect back the love and honor that is given them. When someone feels loved, treasured or beautiful, they will rise to meet the expectations placed on them. Likewise, when we believe something to be worth loving or cherishing, we pour our efforts into loving it. And because it is cared for, it becomes even more valuable and lovable. This is summed up perfectly by G.K. Chesterton when he wrote, “People first paid honor to a spot and afterwards gained glory for it. Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her.” So let’s consider ourselves and our environment in the same way. Treat your home, your activities, and yourself as worthy of being treasured. You will find all of these will begin to reflect back the love and beauty poured into it.

Use Creativity to Reimagine Everyday Experiences

How can we engage with everyday experiences in our lives in a way that feels ‘extra’-ordinary? Sometimes I like to think of how I’d shape an experience if I shared it on Instagram or Pinterest. Not for the purpose of posting it, but to help myself focus on the opportunities of a moment. It helps me think about how I can recognize this moment for what it is – wonderful.

Instead of sitting down for a typical workday lunch, try packing food and a blanket and heading to your local park for a small picnic. Instead of bemoaning the weather, reimagine a rainy day and set up a movie night with string lights and pillows. Or simply take the time to experience regular activities, like cooking or going for a walk, through new eyes. Ask yourself, what is the unique quality of this present moment? You may find that the mundane can begin to take on a special and more meaningful quality. The majority of our lives is in the everyday. So, use your creativity to elevate the ordinary and view them through a lens of wonder. These tiny adjustments can help you to live a more compelling life.

Invest your Time & Energy into Creating Memories

Have you experienced those times in life where you go through routines, and most days feel like the ones before? You look back and notice how time has flown by, but you can’t quite recall specific days or moments. This is common for adults because when we do things that are familiar. As we repeat routines, our brain goes into autopilot mode and seemingly compresses our memories. But when we do something new, our brain “slows down” as it works to process new information and commits it to memory. There’s a great article on this phenomenon of how you can expand time by making more memories on the Art of Manliness website.

The antidote to life on autopilot is finding ways to create new memories for yourself. This can be as simple as making slight changes to your routines or trying something new each week. For example, if you like going on runs, try a new path and explore a different part of the neighborhood. Or maybe you like to do your morning reflections at home while drinking coffee. Why not take your coffee to-go one day and do your morning meditation by a nearby lake, or on a pleasant walk? These small variations create lasting impressions. You may even find yourself incorporating new routines into your life. As you discover (or re-discover) your surroundings, you’ll notice how the place where you live begins to unfold a previously hidden quality and invites you into a new way of interacting with it.

Make space to explore and try new things and give yourself something to look forward to every week. Whether it’s trying a new skill – like dancing, rock climbing or pottery – or a new event in your area. Opening yourself to these opportunities creates lasting memories. You’ll discover new passions and interests as you begin to notice just how compelling life can be.

Follow moments of inspiration

As you begin to engage more fully with the world around you and cultivate this sense of wonder, you may start to experience moments of inspiration more often. Flickers of ideas or possibilities that excite you. Instead of brushing them off – as many of us have developed a habit of doing – lean into them and see where they go. Whether they’re new projects, activities or habits, make space to follow these sparks and experiment. They may be small, but it’s only by pursuing these moments of inspiration that we’re able to cultivate a compelling life.

This can be easier said than done of course. We often have to battle self-doubt, fear, or preconceived notions of what kind of person we are and what we’re capable of. We stop ourselves before ever giving ourselves the chance to pursue it. But we can change this. This article about shifting our mindset around starting new initiatives dives deep into the internal blockers we face and how to overcome them in order to become a more effective person. So, give yourself a chance to follow these sparks. It can be small at first. Start by trying a new activity, planning a small gathering, taking a class, or talking to a stranger. Allow yourself to experiment and experience new things.

When you do this, you’ll find that your world opens up to be a bit bigger than it was before. And even though you don’t always see yourself as the type of person who does those kinds of things, you’ll find that you become that type of person as you continue to act on it. You will become bolder and more confident in what you’re willing to try or pursue. Allow yourself to see your life through the lens of someone who is passionate, excited and adventurous. You can find joy and confidence in starting to follow those small moments of inspiration and making small leaps of faith. Your world changes little by little and you may even find that you become a more fully alive version of yourself.