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Writer's pictureNiyah Ashé

Are You Really Living Or Are You Just Exisiting?


"Alexa play Lil. Duval Smile (Living My Best Life)".

For some odd reason whenever I listen to this song, it puts me in such a good mood. It's a constant reminder to continue to do what makes me happy and do it freely. But the question is what exactly is "living your best life" or just living in general? Maybe my perception of what it means, isn't the same idea that someone else may have. But I think the best way to describe living is to just make the most out of your existence and it's beautiful reality. When you decide not to live, at that point you're kinda just existing with no reasoning behind it. So what exactly is the difference you may ask? Well keep reading and I'll tell you..



When you make the decision to live, you take charge of your fate, journey, and destiny. However, when you exist in life, you just manage with the things happening around you as oppose to taking the lead. Somebody who exists lets feelings, such as, anger and hatred control what they should or shouldn't do. Somebody who is living comprehends those feelings, controls them and doesn't give them a chance to meddle with their choices. To live is to have meaning with your existence, rather than to just solely exist. It's to have purpose, to feel the blood flow, and feel the adrenaline. A person who exists simply occupies space and time by external factors and therefore, become unable to change or influence themselves, yet alone anyone around them. 

Living is existing for a reason. To me, it's finding and having a purpose. Some people get up and spend every day without motive. They live day-to-day with no idea of what's next, not knowing want they want to do, or not having the motivation to actually try and figure out what their purpose may actually be. When you live, you are confident, self-assured, and firm about what you want. It sounds kind of silly but even something like "I want to figure out what I want" can be motivating and the next big step to actually start living. Even if you may not know exactly what you want at this very moment, keep living everyday to figure it out. Take everyday as a new opportunity to learn, grow, experiment, and just always be better than before. To become your best you actually starts with you.


Unfortunately, there are going to be those days where it feels like time is just passing by and you're just kind of "stuck". Don't ever feel discouraged about that feeling because guess what? YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Adulting is hard, and quite frankly it sucks. One day you may feel like you're living, then the very next you feel like you're only existing. But despite those feelings you have to push through because it takes effort to thrive. Keep your dreams at the forefront at all times and chase them. But don't forget to always have fun. Never allow fears to get ahead of you. Live your life the best way you possibly know how because you only get one.



In today's society it's so easy to get caught up in what everyone is doing around you because of social media. Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook constantly give off this fake perception that people are happy and they're really living. But the question is, are they really? Think about the pictures associated with that perception. Beaches, expensive cars, extravagant vacations, red bottoms, stacks of money, top of the line dinners, etc. Apparently those are the things that confirm you're really living. But to be honest it's not. It's easy to hide behind a camera and post your best moments but if you aren't fully happy and content with YOU then you aren't truly living. At that point, you're just putting up a front for validation. Living is way bigger than the vacations and the bottomless mimosas.

When you live, and I mean genuinely and sincerely live, you feel damn good about the person you're becoming. You're able to celebrate and be happy about getting that new promotion, starting that new business, getting that degree, passing that class, buying that one thing you saved up for, finally bringing your idea(s) to life, and overall just finding the courage to just do the things you never thought you could. When you live as oppose to exist, a feeling of relief and liberation takes over and lights the fire inside of you. Once that fire is lit, there's no telling what you can do. Live life! Never exist. Always make your presence known and your voice heard. You are so much more than an "existence". So my question to you is, are you really living or are you just existing?

"A rock exists but does not live, the missing ingredient being animation".

Niyah

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