Let What You Love Be What You Live
“Who am I?”
It’s probably one of the most fundamentally complex questions of our existence. However, my intention is not to complicate things for me or anyone else for that matter. I want to make you think, I want to inspire you, and then I want to make you think of what inspires you.
So, “who am I?” Who exactly are you?
I’ve come to accept that the answer to that question can be a plethora of a wide-range of answers. I can also accept that those answers can actually change as I grow and as I evolve. And I can also accept that none of those answers will ever be right or wrong. The answers just are. And they are my truth.
Part of who you are brings forth your truth. This includes what makes you tick and what turns you off, what you like or dislike, what serves you and what doesn’t, what kinds of foods you’re attracted to, what types of exercise and play you tend to gravitate towards, etc. I can go on forever.
Ultimately, what I’m trying to say is that a major component of who you are is what you love.
Have you ever actually taken a moment to ask yourself, “what do I actually love?”
Let’s break it down. What you love encompasses your…
true passions
your unique strengths
what makes you come alive
what inspires you
your driving forces
what excites you
what you look forward to
what makes you feel fulfilled
what serves you + makes you better
what embodies you
what your soul is made of
what makes you say “FUCK YES”
Essentially, what you love is key to living the life you are meant to live and the life that you deserve to live. It’s living in the fullness of your being, living in the highest expression of yourself, and living in complete alignment with who you are.
For me, this includes:
Movement, exercise, play (Pilates, running, lifting weights, yoga, dancing)
Food (especially trying new things, making my meals fun + delicious, going out to eat + making that an amazing experience)
Connection (with people, animals, and nature)
Serving others (helping people live in the fullness of their being + empowering, inspiring, and educating them to be the best + healthiest version of themselves)
Traveling as often as possible (we live in a beautiful world we deserve to explore, especially with people you love to a place you’ve never been to)
Health (keeping excellent health not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well)
Adventure (always trying new things, being outside, being spontaneous, not always being tied down to a particular routine)
Love (I “love” love – it’s a universal language, as well as the most powerful force in the universe)
Anything + everything that nourishes the soul (this is many things for me: family, friends, clients, strangers even, laughter, chocolate, sex, pull-ups, cats, affection/touch, meditation, the ocean, a great movie, cheese, engaging in powerful conversation, coffee, fashion, instilling confidence in others)
So, why is this even important?
About two weeks ago, a pioneer in the field of personal development and one of the world’s biggest game-changers, Scott Dinsmore (please look up his work here), passed away. I was very distraught by this. It really affected me, and I’m still in somewhat of a shock. This man was a legend. Although I never got the opportunity to meet him, his work absolutely now lives through me.
Scott’s work and truth absolutely changed the world for the better, creating a massive ripple effect throughout the globe these past few years. It even reached me at a very crucial time in my life. His mission was to inspire others to live their legend, which is what he undoubtedly ended up naming his movement.
His commitment to inspiring and helping others discover their true strengths and passions, as well as teaching them to use what they love as a driving force was his absolute mission. And damn, was he successful and badass at it.
It just so happens that that’s become part of my mission. And so, today (and always), I’m here not just to carry out my own message, but his.
Ready for a sad reality? Roughly, 80% of people do not enjoy their work. EIGHTY. What the?
Most of those people will die having lived their lives this way. And do you want to know why? Most will say it’s because someone told them that’s how it was supposed to be. Most people have been taught and conditioned to accept that this “living to just pay bills and then die” reality is how it’s supposed to be. Hearing this not only depresses me, but it infuriates me.
Guess what, folks? This conventional way of life has gotten old. It’s also gotten very expensive. Our health is deteriorating, our levels of happiness and fulfillment are at an all-time low, and our lives are miserably passing us by because we think there is no other way but this way.
Listen, I get it. I truly do. I was once in this position and possessed this limiting mentality. My belief systems were nothing but blocks getting in the way of living a life I truly love, a life that I knew I deserved to live, and a life that I was meant to live. Growing up, it was about getting into a great college, picking the “right” major, killing myself to get good grades for something I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and then getting a job (which usually ended up putting you behind a desk, counter, or cubicle) -- and then finally just hoping I live happily ever after?
I mean, this may have worked for some of you. Some of you may even be okay with it, and that’s cool. But clearly, the majority of people haven’t had that luxury – roughly, about 80%.
People fear change. They’re afraid to take leaps, even if it’s in the direction they intuitively know they should leap towards. And they don’t do it for two reasons: 1) they tell themselves they can’t do it 2) the people around them tell them they can’t do it or shouldn’t do it
The truth is everything was impossible until someone did it.
Everyone seems to be living this scripted life going up this ladder that seems to lead us nowhere. And it’s because we are just downright miserable. It’s a sad reality people are living in because they haven’t spent time trying to understand what really matters to them. They keep trying to reach for something that doesn’t mean anything to them – and then the kicker is it’s because “everyone said they were supposed to.”
So, as Scott Dinsmore once beautifully stated, “How about you give the middle finger to this scripted life and the things you’re ‘supposed’ to do in exchange for things that matter to you and actually inspire you.”
Cue “FUCK YES.”
Let what you love BE what you live.
That’s really what it’s all about. Doing what embodies who you are and living a life that’s in alignment with what you really love. Even if you screw up, find something that has some type of impact on you and others no matter what it is, even if it means taking the road less traveled.
This isn’t just limited to career. Letting what you love be what you live is about how you’re living your life every single day. It's about what you’re doing, where you’re going, who you’re surrounding yourself with, the language you’re speaking, the self-care you’re practicing (or lack thereof), and whether or not you’re living a life that’s consistent with who you are, so that it’s a life you love.
You need to take the time to know your truth. You need to take the time to know what your soul is really made of so that you don’t go selling it to someone or some cause or job that you don’t really give a shit about.
You have to become a self-expert and understand yourself because if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’re never going to find it. This is why I constantly preach about your “true you” (in fact, that’s the name of my coaching program).
Your “true you” is essentially your own unique framework and the real essence of who you are. Once you have this framework together and have identified it, you can then start identifying the things that make you come alive. These are the things that are congruent with your strengths, values, and who you are as a person.
Once again, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’re never going to find it.
Seriously, ask yourself, “Why am I doing the work I’m doing?” If the answer is because you were told to, you just landed there, it was what was easiest, it’s where the money’s at, I don’t have any other choice (and ALSO doesn’t include it being something you genuinely enjoy or love), you need guidance, my friend.
And that’s also awesome! The truth is the majority of people need help with this. That’s why I believe everyone needs a coach (I still have one). Even if you’ve already “figured it out,” you’ll always need accountability, support, motivation, and guidance because your life is constantly evolving.
That’s also one of the reasons I became a coach to begin with: to guide. My passion is to serve others by helping them to understand their purpose and how to put that purpose out in the world in an actionable way. My jam is helping to change the lens through which people view their world to one that serves them. Because it’s all about perspective. When you’ve got the right perspective for YOU, you’re not sacrificing your health and your happiness. And let’s face it, when this is the case, life is good. It can’t be anything else but good.
But first, you must understand that your why is the most important piece of the puzzle. Once you know your why, everything slowly starts to fall into place. You are now allowing the space for you to be true to yourself. You are now allowing for the opportunity for what you love to be part of your everyday life. And the bigger the why, the easier the how.
Understand that you’re a work in progress and see yourself as a work of art. The process of learning who you are and the truth about you doesn’t have to be a daunting one – it can be a fun, beautiful one. Just be proactive about it.
I want to leave you with Scott Dinsmore’s philosophy and the sole purpose for his “Live Your Legend” movement:
“Do the things that inspire you, so that we can inspire other people to do the things that inspire them.”
May you rest in peace, brotha. Thank you for being such a badass and for inspiring me to be one as well.
I now invite each and every one of you to make it a priority to let what you love be what you live. No matter what it takes. And no matter how long it takes. You owe it to yourself.
Sending mad love your way,
Angie
P.S. Interested in some more inspiration, motivation, or just need a nudge in the right direction? There's plenty more where this came from. Schedule a complimentary consult with me on my website www.angiesanchez.life
