Cherishing What Really Matters

The past 24 hours I have been thinking a lot about life and what it means to really live. A woman that lived next door to me that I barely knew, passed away yesterday from a sudden heart attack. She was just 27. I was told she lived an incredibly full life. She knew what she really wanted out of life and she went for it. She did not let fear keep her from going after her dreams and influencing so many lives. People all over knew and respected her.

This death and many others that I look back on have caused me to reflect on what is important in life. My thoughts keep going back to them and through my grief I celebrate their goodness. I have come to realize what I cherish most in my life:

-Believing that I am capable of doing great things.
-Not settling for mediocrity.
-Holding a sleeping baby.
-Dreaming big and making those dreams come true.
-Finding the good that is inside every person I meet.
-Using my voice to influence other people for good.
-Being myself - ALWAYS AUTHENTIC.
-The amazing value of hard work.
-Fighting for what I know in my heart is right.
-Sunny evenings in the backyard surrounded by family.
-Being vulnerable.
-Laughing until my cheeks hurts.
-Listening to a little child pray to Heavenly Father.

There are times in life, including the passing of those we love, that remind us that this life is meant to be lived, not just endured. We create the life we want. I cherish what I have been given and I am inspired by those who have given me an example of what it means to really live, and influence others the way they have done to me. I choose to live. I choose to cherish the simple moments in life. I choose to be a powerhouse of love with rivers of joy and contentment flowing freely from my heart.