What matters most at the end of the day: Things that create meaning in our lives

Today I want to talk about what matters most at the end of the day, which for me is things that create meaning in my life.

Last few weeks have been challenging on a personal level: bad news all around me with loved ones experiencing loss or illness.

It brought everything into perspective all over again. I can’t help but think about all the good that I have and how life is a fragile state that we are not in control of.

Yes, we can take care of ourselves and fight to make our goals a reality but sometimes none of that matters.

Just when I think that I have a handle of things, everything changes. It has always been like that: change is the only constant and one thing we can count on.

As humans, we resist change and some of us deal with it better than others.

I like to think that I am always a “glass half full” kind of person. I like to inspire, motivate and empower others to go after their dreams.

This week, though, I am keenly aware of the meaning of things and what we are left with at the end of the day. I feel very compelled to share with you my thoughts and reflections as I think of this past week.

So, here we go.

• No one is actively trying to kill me. I am not hiding in bomb shelters on a daily basis and can walk the streets of Minneapolis without the fear of a sniper hiding on one of the buildings. Yes, there is violence everywhere but I don’t feel the constant fear of being killed while growing up in Bosnia and Herzegovina. No one is actively trying to kill me.

• I have a home that has heat, electricity and water. Sure beats living in a refugee camp, like I have back in the nineties. Right now, millions of people are living without any of these things day in and day out. It is hard to think about that when we have different kind of problems here, but just think about it! I have a home that has heat, electricity and water.

• I am healthy. Just few years ago, I experienced all of these things (sometimes at the same time): headaches, hand tingling, insomnia, ulcer, fatigue and what affected me the most – series of miscarriages. If you have followed my journey, then you know that it was all caused by stress and not taking care of myself. Today, I am healthy.

• I have a child of my own. For many women, they just decide to start a family and it happens very easily (like it should!). For others, it is a very challenging thing. My husband and I tried to have a child for many years and we kept experiencing one loss after another. Today, I am happy to report that, while being sleep deprived from having an infant, I get to experience the joys of parenthood. It all seemed like a dream years ago. I am healthy and have a child of my own.

• I have plenty to eat. During the war, food was rationed and I remember standing in line for hours to receive humanitarian aid so our family could eat. I was 10 years old. Today, I have more food than I could imagine and I am eating good food that nourishes my body. I have plenty to eat.

• I am free to be me. This is one of the most underappreciated things in this country, I think. For a long time, I had to live according to someone else’s standards and culture and that deprives us of authenticity. Today, I feel free and feel that I am able to honor my values and be me, with all its quirks and without serious consequences for choosing to live the way I do. Yes, I am free to be me.

I will continue to write and share. I will continue to believe in the good and the possibilities of our dreams coming true.

I will continue to support my clients and cheer them on as they go after any goals they set for themselves.

I believe in finding our purpose and offering it up to the world, in a way that serves us and those around us.

I believe we should strive to be happy and joyful and believe in our greatness. But today, I just want to remind us all that life is an unreliable friend and sometimes, things don’t go our way. It is then that we need to learn to hold on to things that create meaning in our lives and for which we are very grateful.

So, what matters most to you at the end of the day? I would love to know so please leave your comment.