Why Not Have a Big Life?

Then decide. Right here, right now.

It's that time of year when graduations abound. Most graduates are feeling pretty joyful, having the freedom to start on their new path - whether college bound, heading out into the workforce - simply having the independence to choose how they want to live. To acknowledge this wonderful passage in a person’s timeline, whether graduation from high school or college, I have often given a glass decoupage tray with poet Emily Dickinson’s wise words on display “Why Not Have a Big Life?”

I had an epiphany one day, realizing that this sentiment is relevant not just for those launching their adult lives but for every single stage of our existence, wherever we are on the path. If we consider that at our age it’s too late for us, as unfortunately many do, we’re missing the point - and the opportunity. You can take this phrase in at any phase of your life, any year, any moment - even as you’re reading this. “Why Not Have a Big Life?” Read it again. “Why NOT have a Big Life?” Now again. Or “WHY not have a Big Life?” You can play with the phrase, shift the emphasis on the words and allow its meaning to really sink in. Then decide. Right here, right now. I’m going to have a big life.

The simplicity of the phrase may mean that we dismiss its potential power. That same phrase can be intimidating or paralyzing as it feels, well, BIG. Lofty. It doesn’t need to be. What’s important, whichever way you turn the phrase, is that you clearly define its meaning for you and then decide to realize it.

For a good part of my life I have gone along for the ride. I’ve been living other people’s dreams, playing a supporting role in their life story. I’ve let life happen to me and have not taken responsibility for charting my course. Not making a choice is, of course, a choice in itself. The good news - all is not lost. It’s never too late to create the life that feels BIG to you but - now is the best time!

So consider the phrase again “Why Not Have a Big Life?” and fully embrace it as you embark on an exciting new adventure to create a fulfilling “next act”.  And to Emily Dickinson, thank you for impacting the way in which I choose to live my life with those six simple words.

What does “A Big Life” mean to you? Are you living it now or is that “creative project” underway?

Please join me in our private fb community to continue the conversation and take steps towards creating and/or enhancing your Next Act! I’d love to connect!

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