Are You Living on Purpose?

This past Sunday I'm getting ready to start my day and doing the morning routine. 

Coffee, shower, breakfast, more coffee and looking forward to hearing my friend speak at an area church.  I am of course running late because, I am an optimist, and I think I can quick answer that email and do a encouraging post and still get there in time when my phone pings. 

"I just wanted to let you know that Marcia passed away yesterday morning."

Freeze.

What?

Wait.

How? Really?  

This can't be right...

Cold.

And then the details of what happened are explained and I start to melt into a puddle of tears. 

Ugh.

The reality hits. 

Life has hit me upside the head.

And then the other questions come into play. 

"What's this all for?"

"Why bother?"

Forgive me if they sound a little negative... but I struggle with working my ass off, and living a "balanced" life.  And I know balanced is not really a real thing, but you know what I mean.

So after a good cry, I meander to car and drive the 45 minutes to see my friend speak.  I needed to get out of the house and be around people even as an introvert.  

I'm not much for coincidences. 

I believe they are Gods little orchestrations.  But what Matt spoke about Sunday was exactly what I needed to hear and be reminded of. 

What did Matt have to say?

(I'm glad you asked.)

We need to be true to who we are and what we are meant to do in this world. We need to live a passion & purpose filled life, in this beautiful gift of a life we are given. He is a great speaker and I encourage you to take a listen.  

You can totally call me ignorant, or full of myself, or even clueless. But honestly, I always knew I would be a dance teacher and business owner.  I knew in middle school that I would always have a studio.  Luckily and through some hard work, that is exactly where I am today. And I don't take it for granted that I get to live it each day: teaching, coaching, sharing, encouraging, supporting and loving on my students.

But your purpose and passion may look completely different. Maybe your passion is clean eating, or serving on a non-profit, or teaching middle school kids math!  (GBY!) 

Whatever you are doing, are you living your life on purpose?  Are you going all in?  Are you following your hearts desires with you hair on fire?  Or are you playing it small? or safe because it's scary, or doesn't pay well, or your "too old" or "too young?"

Y'all. We only get one life.  

Loosing a friend is hard. 

Marcia will be greatly missed in our dance world and community.  Marcia was a lovely, very strong woman, and gifted teacher. I took her class when I first moved to Hudson and so appreciated her teaching style and personal flare in ballet class. A gift. She was a constant teacher at the Phipps Center for the Arts for the almost twenty years I’ve been in Hudson. We've worked together and encouraged each other as single women. She was taken much too soon.

If there is any glimmer of a silver lining in Marcia's story, it's a reminder to pause.  To take a long deep breath and be so thankful. Take another deep breath and love those around you more.  Then take another deep breath and reflect...

Am I living my most intentional purpose filled life?  

Now take another deep breath, and be big, bold and brave!

#WithGritandAdmiration

Melissa

PS. Need some motivation to live your life on purpose?  Grab my 3 tips!