As Millennials, we are currently living in a time with different struggles from the previous generations. We have the opportunity to question what makes us happy and fulfilled versus what makes us the most money.
If you're interested in taking ownership of what you're spending your time, energy, and mental capacity on, you've subscribed to the right place!
I believe that, through self-awareness and intention, everyone has the opportunity to curate their own thriving and fulfilling life.
My goal is to normalize your concerns that maybe you've been living by someone else’s expectations or definition of success. I know I have! 😬 But now, I’ve taken that step to create my own path, define my own purpose, and live by my own values — living an intentional life.
What is Intentional Living Anyways?
To start, let's try to define intentional living. Here's my definition of intentional living:
Intentional living is living a life based on your values, purpose, mental health, and according to your own terms. With intentional living, you design your life journey.
Let's break this definition apart to better understand what I'm trying to say:
🛣 "Living a life" - it's a journey, not a destination. Unlike most things we do, we cannot hope for the end result of our ideal life... because that end result is laying on your deathbed reflecting on your life! ☠️ So instead of seeing intentional living as a destination, think of it as a journey where the obstacles and experiences will lead to growth, value, and fulfillment.
🧱 "your values" - your values are the things that help guide you in life. How do you want to treat other people? Do you prioritize family over work? Are you eco-friendly or a minimalist? No matter what, we all have our unique values. They're your foundation to everything else in your life.
🙌 "based on your purpose" - your purpose is what you want to do in your life, your mission, your reason for living. Honestly, this is a tough one to figure out, and that's OK! Finding your purpose is not thinking about where you'll be in the future. It's about looking back at your past. What energizes you? What gets you up in the morning? What are you good at? Lean towards those answers.
🧠"mental health" - mental health & well-being affects our productivity, relationships with others, and even our physical health. It ties everything together. Without keeping our mental health in check, you can't take control of your life. If you're interested in living a life with more intention, I challenge you to begin self-reflecting on how you are feeling lately and how does it affect the rest of your day.
💪 "and according to your own terms" - We grow up based on influences from our family, culture, media, and society. Honestly, it's almost impossible to not be living based on what others expect from us. But as we become adults, and we start to understand ourselves better, we can figure out what kind of life we want. At this point, we can take ownership of our own lives.
🛠 "you design your life journey" - I honestly believe there's no cookie-cutter lifestyle that works for everyone. Each person has their own purpose and values. I won't even lie to you and say what I suggest will be the right way to design your life. The reason I say this, and my goal for Kurative Co., is not to show you what's the ideal lifestyle, but to inspire and guide you to figure it out yourself. I started Kurative Co. to challenge the status quo, spark ideas, and ultimately create a safe space for everyone to fail forward, grow, and support each other.
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of my definition of intentional living. As you might have guessed, I've only scratched the surface on those points above. I will go deeper into these topics soon enough!
For now, think about whether there's a particular part of intentional living you're interested in working on now more than the others.
Whether it's figuring out your purpose, your values, taking back ownership of your life, or anything else, I'd love for you to reply to this email and let me know!