Living Your Best Life!

A few weeks ago, I checked off one of my Bucket List Goals: I went to see Patti La Belle live in concert! It’s something I’ve been wanting to do ever since Luther Vandross passed away in 2005, another legend that I was blessed to see perform live. Of course, life happened, years went by and for a long time Patti wasn’t on tour. However, when she announced this current tour, I knew this was my moment. I drove down to Biloxi, Mississippi and arrived at the venue early enough to have dinner and then entered the auditorium for a night of magic! At the tender age of 80, Miss Patti came out in in an electric blue ensemble, blond wig and stilettos that were so high I don’t think I could’ve walked a mile in her shoes! After a few song selections, she kicked those bad boys to the floor in traditional Patti form and the crowd cheered in empathetic relief!

The entire experience got me thinking about what it takes to live your best life. Yes, talent helps! But, even if you aren’t destined to be the next Patti, you were born to do something amazing that only you can give to the world. Patti was blessed to sing, and l am grateful that after 60+ years in the music industry she’s still selling out arenas to share her gift with people like me. Whenever God decides to take her on to glory, she will know that she poured out her heart from a place of overflow. She will have lived her best life.

Recently we lost three amazing talents in the entertainment industry: James Earl Jones, age 93; Frankie Beverly, age 77; and Tito Jackson, age 70. Each one of them were incredible in their own right; and each leaving an indelible mark on generations of fans. I can only imagine what it must have been like to grow up in the most popular boy band of all time, your life instantly changed forever and memorialized in dozens of documentaries and films. Or to lead a group whose music has become synonymous with summertime barbecues and family reunions. However, I personally shed a tear to learn what the legendary James Earl Jones had passed. I’m inspired every time I think about how this little kid with a stutter grew up to command such a powerful and mellifluous voice that he soon became one of the most recognizable and sought-after voices of our generation.

So, as we get ready to enter the 4th quarter of 2024, I want to remind you that you, too, are destined for greatness if you purpose in your heart to Live Your Best Life. For some of you, that will include perfecting your skills – maybe your voice, your musical talent, or your ability to sow into others and speak life into a committee of volunteers. For others, living your best life may include pausing to catch a show and appreciating the God-given talent of others, and hopefully it's a combination of both!

Need help on where to begin? Here are my Top Five Tips for living your best life.

Identify what matters to you

What fulfills you and what gives you purpose? If you’re not currently doing those things, how can you begin? Additionally, what brings you joy? Outside of work and outside of your family, what brings you – that person staring you in the mirror – joy? It’s important to make sure you’re doing things that will add to your happiness as much as you may do things that makes others happy.

Take care of your health by eating better

The longer I live, the more I realize how much crap I was able to get away with eating in my 20’s. The saying is true: Garbage in, garbage out! If you start eating healthier now, you’ll be amazed how your body will begin to crave fresh food and reject all the sugary, preservative-filled options you thought you wanted to eat.

Protect your mental health

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Let’s continue to normalize speaking with a licensed professional to help us navigate both challenging and normal times. Our friends can only help so much, our family can only take so much and ultimately, we all can benefit from learning practical tools to help us manage the stresses of life.

Stop procrastinating

You have a desire to become a pastry chef but you’re still working on Wall Street. There’s a best-selling book brewing on the inside of you, but you keep spending your weekends shopping as a form of retail therapy. No more! This weekend let’s draft the business plan. Let’s map out a chapter outline and character descriptions. If you commit to making a few baby steps now, soon you’ll look up and realize that you’re much closer to the finish line than you are to the start.

Write it down, make it plain

Some of my best ideas have floated into the ether never to be heard of again because I thought I was wise enough to remember the thought and jot it down later. Now, I embrace my lack of short-term memory and I pull out my iPhone and type myself a note or make an audio recording. This not only saves me from kicking myself later but then I can transfer my ramblings to an actual journal or To Do list. Plus, there’s something about writing the vision down that makes it real… like getting a speeding ticket versus a warning. Does anyone really appreciate those verbal warnings? (No, you don’t because the next town over, there you are, speeding again!)?

In conclusion, I want to encourage all of us to live with intention and to operate from a position of overflow. I want us to be so in-tune with our purpose that we can’t help but to share our gifts with the world. In case you haven’t realized it yet, you are the gift! You may not become a household name like Patti or Tito, but then again, how will you know until you’ve tried? I declare, once you decide to live your best life, doors will begin to open to make those freshly written visions a reality!