To ask what does " live each day to the fullest" mean to you / how and how do you do it?

[Freelady]

I often hear this phrase .. or one live your life to.the fullest.. I struggle to actually understand the concept.. or how to do it.. what does it look like to you.
For myself rushing round all the time would exhaust me , so for me, sitting in the garden all morning would be a full life to me as I cherish my garden
However ,I am aware that I am.getting older, nearly 60 , so if I.want to.so.anything, guess Id better get on with it.?! As things stand , I live in my dream location and just bimble about , barely leaving the county ,never mind the country!
Any suggestions? And id love to hear views on what this means to others as inspiration?

Mid 40s and not too dissimilar to you. We live in our dream semi-rural location, surrounded by spectacular views with an amazing array of birds and wildlife around us. I am a keen nature lover and find sheer joy in watching birds, other animal visitors to our garden. I could watch them for hours, given the chance. I really love walks outdoors, sitting in my garden etc. DH and I live alone and it is a lovely, slow paced life in many ways. We have plenty of time to do whatever we like which is also important eg hobbies, exercise. Are there any hobbies you would like to try/ something you fancy learning?
I enjoy eating healthy, well prepared food and I am a good cook. I think seasonal food is one of life’s simple pleasures.
But life is much more than this. I have a bucket list full of places I want to go/ things I want to do and I try to tick off several each year. It adds a little adventure to an otherwise simple life.
I do think that mindset is also important. I am very grateful for the good things in my life and can find happiness in the tiniest of things which I think helps, especially when things are tough. We are both very comfortable in our own company, as well as each other’s.
I am lucky enough to be married to my best friend, which helps me live a full life because we are always laughing, chatting etc and it is nice to have someone to share experiences with.
However, I do think it is important to do things alone sometimes too. I think nothing of going on holiday/ to the cinema/ local cafe etc on my own if that is what I fancy doing.
I’m not sure whether that really helps as we do have what others may view as a boring life, but it is absolutely perfect for us and we are happy. I think that is probably the most important thing, to make choices that are authentic to you. Don’t try and fit into a mould or base your life on what you think you should be doing. If you want to travel or jump out of an aeroplane then great, do that. But if you would rather be tending roses in your garden or having lunch with a friend, then that also counts as living life to the full. So many people live life afraid to do what they really want to, or worry about the judgement of others and I think that is a waste. Do whatever makes you happy!

Whether you are 30 or 60 or 90... it is all about your attitude.

If you are content where you are, then that is enough. Better to be content in a small life than spending your time feeling you have somehow missed out on experinces or adventures or exotic travel.

One of my favourite facebook friends is a 92 year old former teacher from my high school. She doean't have much mobility, can no longer drive, but she finds such delight in simple pleasures - a blue tit on her bird feeder, light wind and sunshine to dry her washing on the line, a friend who has brought a pot of soup. That's how I want to be...

I do sound a bit of a mix of both the above examples.!
I can be rather literal and assume the term meant things like frequent new experiences.

I get great pleasure from alone time in the house, cleaning routines (small ones) walking a dog for someone and sitting with it in a pub where no one kmows me for an hour.
I read, I garden( badly) I meditate and journal, go to live music weekly, potter round the coast and the woods. Occasionally go to nearest city, but get over stimulated easy as used to quiet mostly.In the summer I people watch as our village is rammed.
Dh and I go charity shopping, or to intresting coastal cafes for lunch, we have a yearly big garden party,as well as a anti january party to break up the dark months.
I am.in a knitting group and ride when I can afford it and my bad knee allows.
I used to play a sport at county level but injury stopped that. DH and i have travelled through europe on interrail, Ive been to.usa , morrocco, nepal, tenerife..the desire to travel seems to have gone.
Plus we dont have the money now.
We had v stressful professional jobs.. burntout , gave them up, came here a few years ago and work 2 days a week living v frugally.
We have 2 dc and they visit lots bringing partners and mates as its a good place to visit( after a few years of not being happy that we moved away from the family home city)
A typical non working day for me would be , do some morning jobs, walk rouñd the village say hi to several people and coast, make a nice lunch with dh, go somewhere or sit in my garden or knit club or see a mate, wine in pub , simple tea, tv ,read, study, or go to.local.for.quiz or.music..bed.
I never feel bored at all. I can be a moody human and have low times, but i do get a quiet joy from things like rain on the windows , the roar of the sea... i just was questioning if I should be exploring the world out there, doing more , seeing more ..

EssexLioness I would love to hear some of things on your bucket list.!
I am content but also curious about new things.
Thank you both for your replies .

@venusandmars

Whether you are 30 or 60 or 90... it is all about your attitude.

If you are content where you are, then that is enough. Better to be content in a small life than spending your time feeling you have somehow missed out on experinces or adventures or exotic travel.

One of my favourite facebook friends is a 92 year old former teacher from my high school. She doean't have much mobility, can no longer drive, but she finds such delight in simple pleasures - a blue tit on her bird feeder, light wind and sunshine to dry her washing on the line, a friend who has brought a pot of soup. That's how I want to be...

Great post! I am early 60s and have travelled a bit, lived overseas but now feel I would enjoy a small contented life more than most of the things others aspire to

Always loved this saying but at times find it hard to adapt to, but I try! I am 41, I have got 7 children ranging from 19yrs to turning 1 years old...so no not living in my ideal location or in my ideal place in life. Yet I take each day as it comes and enjoy what each day brings me even if it is a not a great day. I try to think positive and make the most of what has been thrown my way 😌 Sometimes that means dancing in the kitchen with the kids even if I want to run away and hide...or making a huge mess baking with the younger ones even though I will be the one cleaning everything away ..it's about making the best out of what life has given you and counting your blessings.

It means I get up excited for the new day and go to bed 'happy tired' but looking forward to tomorrow.

It doesn't mean that every day is perfect or that there aren't hard days, sorrowful days, or disappointing days, it just means being grateful for each day we're given because there are no promises about tomorrow.

My mum used to repeat the old quote "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present". I used to roll my eyes when I was younger, but now that the road behind me is a lot longer than the road in front of me I know exactly what she meant.

My bucket list is always evolving and tends to be a mixture of easy to achieve, and things which will be for several years in the future. I tend to decide each January on a few that I will try to achieve that year, although haven’t really ticked anything off for a couple of years due to covid etc.

Currently my list includes things such as: go to Australia & New Zealand, learn to play the guitar, see The Nutcracker Ballet at The Royal Opera House, visit Yellowstone Park, try hangliding, hire a camper van and travel around Scotland in it, run a marathon, visit the Galapogos Islands, see a hummingbird in real life, go on safari, finish writing my novel, sleep in a yurt, learn calligraphy,

Previous things which I have ticked off: go on holiday alone, go to Iceland (amazing, would recommend), visit New York, learn to drive (dyspraxia so managed this aged 30), become self employed, achieve a healthy weight and maintain, establish a regular exercise routine, get a pet dog, learn Welsh (basic and plan on expanding on this), learn to paint (sort of), go to Disneyworld, ride a horse, ride a camel in the Sahara, dog sledding, whale watching, go to a drive in movie, eat at a Mitchelin star restaurant, experience my birthday somewhere sunny (my birthday is early January)

@EssexLioness what a great pair of lists!

Thank you @Angliski!

I think its about contentment and making the ordinary special.
Taking time to savour the cup of tea in your favourite mug. Stop and take a moment to look at the sky and listen to birds when you take the rubbish out. Use ambient lighting at night. Play your favourite music. Wear your favourite clothes.
Try not to moan too much and try to see the best in others.

I envy people with big bucket lists in some ways but in other ways I’m content with less

For me it’s being able to feel warm, my bed at night, a cup of tea, my friends/family/animals.

I sound dull but jetting around the world doesn’t hold that much appeal to me.

I also think that living life to the fullest should involve caring/ helping others where possible too eg volunteering, doing nice things for loved ones, being part of a real community. It isn’t always possible for everyone, at every time in their lives but I do think this helps provide a sense of fulfilment, as well as bring comfort /joy to others. I volunteer with the brownies and clean our local church as well as go litter picking etc when I get chance/ remember. I am also currently looking into a voluntary post online. In the past I have also volunteered in a local charity shop which was fun. Even something like hosting friends and family for a nice meal etc can give you that same sense of purpose and fulfilment.

@Thievesoil I do agree with what you are saying. Prob 95% of my life is at home alone or with DH and our pets and that is what truly makes me content. My bucket list may look interesting but this is such a tiny part of my life and things like go to Australia will not be for another 10-15 years realistically.
All the adventures in the world will not provide a happy life unless you are content with the everyday stuff. I know some people who just aren’t happy unless they are on or planning the next big adventure. Personally I think a big adventure is great but as an addition to my daily life, not a replacement for it. It’s all about balance and mindset.

I live a very simple life with loads of ' me' time. For others, it might be a plain and boring life but i love every minute of being in control of my day-to- day life. I am in good health and financially independent and mostly cook for myself. Having a warm, cosy home and no negativity/ toxicity in my life is more important to me than anything else.
Cooking for my daughter and putting a smile on her face is what I live for and would like my life to be like this for as long as possible.

To me it's not necessarily about rushing around experiencing as much as possible. It's about fully experiencing whatever you do. And if you find you do not enjoy it, finding ways to make changes.

Honestly? I'm pretty cynical about such phrases. It's a classic marketing technique of making people feel discontented with their life so that they will buy something (a 'dream house', a plane ticket, some material good, whatever). Research shows that when people get what they (think that they) want, the happiness that the purchase or experience brings diminishes over time until they are pretty much back where they started. Once the basics that we all need are met (food, water, shelter, warmth, positive close relationships) everything else is pretty much superfluous in terms of long-term happiness.

I find that practising gratitude for what I have is more rewarding than any bucket list of exciting purchases / experiences. Which is what all the poster above are doing when they appreciate the nature they live beside, a cup of tea, the people that we hold dear to us.

I recently watched in an interview someone saying they knew the meaning of life, and that is to enjoy the passage. That actually hit home, I think we spend so much time waiting for the next stage, waiting for this or that, we forget to just enjoy. Whatever that means for you. Surely you can make the most of everyday, and subsequently your life, by finding joy in the mundane everyday.

Ive been musing on my life and come to the conclusion that its been a non event. Ive done nothing interesting, adventurous, clever.
Daily routine at the moment is getting up taking dog out, reading paper cover to cover, bit of housework, taking dog out again , slumping in front of telly. Rinse and repeat. Of course covid hasnt helped. Have life shortening illness so need to get my act together but dont actually know what I want to do !

It just screams headache to me.

I too am heading towards 60. At 56 I literally had my life turned around when I woke up one morning with a sore red boob and three days later had a diagnosis of a rare and particularly aggressive breast cancer, Stage 3. I started Chemo within a week, had a year of the most brutal treatment you can have and am now left without boobs (hence the user name) and I am starting to suspect not a little PTSD. But, what got me through it and is now my philosophy is exactly that rather trite “live every day to the fullest”. I make the most of my time knowing my prognosis isn’t great, no longer give a flying fuck about what others think, hug my kids tightly, spend as many nights as I possibly can between hotel sheets because that makes me happy and drink far too much really good red wine than my oncologist would suggest.

Sounds like you’re doing it to be honest.

‘For myself rushing round all the time would exhaust me , so for me, sitting in the garden all morning would be a full life to me as I cherish my garden’ Do that!

The pandemic has really really helped me ‘live in the moment’ - taking each day as it comes. If everything is fine/ok/doable NOW, then it is. We only have the present moment. I struggled with that concept for YEARS and am a chronic planner - multiple life plans, today to-do lists, 5 year plans etc. But was so proccupied with that that the days just flew by unnoticed. Which is sad because it’s so much more fulfilling to notice the days and what is around you.

I recently did a Coursera course called The Science of Well-being which was brilliant and helpful on this topic.

This is an interesting thread and I have been thinking about this a lot. I am naturally a bit of a workaholic and a stress puppy and I am very unsettled by the idea of not using time efficiently so for example I tend to do housework all the time and plan and schedule things. I really struggle with lie-ins and “dead” time and I feel vaguely resentful if other people sleep in half the day as it seems wasteful. I am a lone parent and I’m practice have to do everything so I tend to see the output of laziness and solipsism and “me time” as loading more work onto the people who have to pick up the slack.

I recognise that this is a bit pathological.

I am trying to focus on trying to schedule less and live more in the moment but I do find it hard.

I have a very full life which I like: I am never going to be someone who could lie in bed all day. But it would be nice to find more balance.

I often question the meaning of this....and if I took it literally to me it would be exhausting.
I prefer to see it as a type of contentment which I have most of the time. I do try to appreciate the small things in life more and more.
I 60, long time divorced, two grown up sons who have fled the nest, so it is just me and the cats.
I would like some companionship, but would not choose to live with someone again, figure that is not going to happen as I am not pro active about it really.
Part time work fills my time so I savour my days off. Since covid I have had to get used to spending increasingly more time on my own. Now I can quite happily spend a long weekend at home with no plans, read, craft, exercise...which I keep putting off infortunately.