Living A Meaningful Life

I love my life.

Summer is over. My SENIOR YEAR of college started three days ago. What on earth, I was just 13 hanging out with my friends in 8th grade. This summer I had so many new relationships start and end, but I also had so many old relationships start back up or just continue. I can’t tell you how many times this summer I would be in a situation just feeling grateful that I have the friends I have. I got to watch one of my close friends since middle school get MARRIED, and shoot the wedding. I still don’t feel like that day was real. I stayed with my best friend since 6th grade in her apartment in midtown Atlanta because she had an internship at a high-end interior design firm (hi Ivy). I watched one of my best friends feel stuck in life so she worked her booty off last semester and now she’s doing a job she loves (hi Abigail). Peyton got a 4.0 last semester on a pre-med track in college (??? how). Ciara got employee of the month, like every month (hehe). Logan lives in Nashville and is literally playing so many weekly shows all over the US, living out the dream we talked about since we were 13. My other best friend (yeah I have lots of best friends, okay) is president of her sorority (ZLAM KG). I know there are days she is overwhelmed and hates it, but I saw her work for that position just like every other one she’s gotten because that’s who she is: determined. My friends are the best and I am so proud of them. I really do love my life and the people I am surrounded by. Senior year of college came so quickly, and I can’t help but have a time of self reflection.

I can’t tell you how many “Wow, look at us go; living lives we thought were so far away; I’m living my best life” moments I’ve had with my friends. And it felt good, really good. So since we are all at this place in life, I’m learning to live in the moment, “because you’re only in your twenties once”. Last minute concert tickets, adventures, trips, quick drives down the road to go shopping, coffee dates, or even just talking on the phone a little bit longer with someone you care about are things I’m learning to just say yes to and be appreciative for. I’m trying to create the “good old days” with the bestest friends in the world so I am able to look back and be proud of who I was and who I surrounded myself with. Not be 40 years down the road and think what Andy Bernard said in The Office: “I wish you knew you were in the good old days before you left them.”

I was reading Ecclesiastes the other morning, and usually I read about 5-6 chapters a morning, but this morning I sat and read only chapters 6 and 7, twice.

i’m living life, but am i living a meaningful one?

Ecclesiastes 6:12- “For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?”

The phrase “meaningless life” is all over the book of Ecclesiastes. It’s kind of scary, not going to lie. I had a lot of self reflection and I was like “crap am I living a meaningless life?” Am I wasting away my days on my phone? Am I sitting inside doing nothing -which is okay sometimes- but am I not going “under the sun”. Will people “under the sun” even know who I am if I don’t get out there and make myself known in this world? Am I being the light and change the world needs, or am I just as meaningless as a shadow.

Omg wait, the bible literally talks about “the good old days”

Ecclesiastes 7:1- A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.



Ecclesiastes 7:10-14- “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions. Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: wisdom preserves those who have it. Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.”

“Death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.”

Theres been a lot of death this year in my life. A lot. Like more than ever, and it’s been weird navigating my emotions about it. It’s ranged from people in my family, to close family friends, to people I knew but not that well, and then people I’ve never even met, but they were close to people I am close to. This is why I am learning to say “yes” to more things that help me create the good old days, so if my time were to come earlier than I thought, people would be able to say “She lived a good life”.

…but…

“Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.”

My initial reaction to reading this was “Wait why can’t I/shouldn’t I look back on the good days? Aren’t I trying to form them and create these fun memories with my friends and family and trying to create a ‘good’ life?” And then I read it again and really thought about it.

Do I want people to say “She lived a good life” or do I want people to say “She lived a good and meaningful life”. Are going to concerts, driving 4 hours one way for a last minute trip meaningful? Does this bring meaning and value to my life? Maybe. It brings me happiness in the moment and I don’t regret any of these things and I’m honestly not going to stop lol. I think what scripture is is saying is don’t solely live in the moment/ live life just to be able to look back on it so you can say you had a good time. If you’re constantly looking back on life, you’re not moving forward as fast as you could be. Everyone knows not to look back when you’re running because it’ll slow you down.

My pastor at church last week split up our congregation into two groups: people under 40 and people over 40. To the people under 40 (me), he talked about how I have more days in front of me than I do behind me, and I need to not take that lightly, because at some point it will be the opposite. God put me on this earth with a purpose, and I shouldn’t take that time for granted. So, what creates a meaningful life? It’s different for everyone, but for me, having a meaningful life is being kind and showing the love that Jesus shows me, and He expects me to show others that same kind of love. Love God, love people, further His kingdom in His name, kind of thing. Am I representing Jesus well when I’m living in the moment or do I make people question my intentions and motives behind what I do and say? Do my intentions align with my outcomes?

Hi devil

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.”

Of course when you’re happy and content with life the Devil is going to creep into your mind and try to make you think that you’re not good enough, right?

“You never could get a 4.0 on a pre-med track.”

“You’re not as good at guitar as he is.”

“You’ve had lots of jobs and never got employee of the month.”

“She can already afford an apartment on her own in Midtown, you couldn’t do that on your own right now”

and if you know me, you know how this one hits me where it hurts lol: “You realize how you’re not married yet?”

“All you do is sit around on your phone and post on Instagram.”

(hi Devil)

We can only take one day at a time. There are days I think that I didn’t get anything done and I’m not content with myself and my life. But I think thats normal human things. Emotions and stuff lol. When times are good, be happy. When times are bad for you, and your friends are happy, the true test is to be be happy with them and for them. Be sad with them. When times are bad, learn from those situations. I’ve learned that doing this with your friends show them that they mean something to you. I hope my friends can tell that I do this with them, and I know they do the same with me. Once you are able to do this you realize who your true friends are and who you care about most. Learn how to take in all the things life throws at you and allow that to be fuel for the fire in you to do better and grow and go after these meaningful moments.

So, yeah I love my life

Circling back, I love my life. I love my friends, so much that I literally just want to cry happy tears. I’m so proud of them and I’ve had to learn to not compare my walk in life to theirs. We’re all different and thats something to celebrate. Imagine if we all had the same talents and abilities? Sounds like a Black Mirror episode in the making lol. I feel like I kind of put a damper on going out and having fun, but that wasn’t my point! It’s not bad to have fun, in fact, I encourage you to do that as often as you can. After reading these verses yesterday I think God made me have a heart check because I promise all summer, “We’re living our best lives,” was basically my motto.

To wrap it up, if I were to put all of this in one sentence it would be: The last couple months, I have shifted my mindset of simply being in the moment to living in the moment, and now, it’s time I start bringing meaning and intention to the moment.

I had too many thoughts on this to just keep it inside and even journaling it just didn’t seem like the best option. I am by no means a theologist and all of these are my own interpretations and if you have thoughts on any of it, lets talk about it! If you made it this far, thanks. I hope this was somewhat encouraging in some kind of way to go out there and start bringing intention and meaning to your life, or even to simply start living your life. Love you mean it, thanks again for getting this far, and if you did let me know <3