East Dallas Times

By Laurie Grace

Life can be funny: the day-in, day-out choreography of it all. Then again, don’t many days feel more like a drill or routine than a choreographed dance? We’re just trying to get things done, keep our heads above water, and maintain the balance.

Hut, 2, 3, 4.

We have tools to keep us in line: Blackberries, iPhones, organizers, reminders, to-do lists, ah and Post-it notes. What did we do before Post-it notes?

All these tools support my fetish for lists. I love a good list and highly value organizing it in such a way that it flows with efficiency. The best part of a list is marking things off after they’re done. Yes, completion.

But did I just live out a list? Maybe so, but how does that fit into the longer-term picture of how I really want to live?

I think we’re all created for a higher level of living than what I have called “Post-it note living.” We go through seasons in our lives that are marked by busier times and slower times, no doubt. I am compelled to believe that we don’t necessarily mind being busy and giving our all so long as it is with purpose.

We each want to live with a spirit of contribution. It’s within each of us at our core. However, the business of life and our endless Post-it note to-do lists can easily pull us away from our purpose.

Living without purpose, just giving and giving, can leave us with an empty tank. And, none of us can run on empty.

So, how do we shift from routine living to more purposeful living? We can start by seizing this day with a sense of newness and setting an intention for it: what core value do I want to live out today?

Then, we integrate that intention into everything we do — from running a business meeting to helping a friend with a problem.

Our intention whispers in our ear why we’re doing what we’re doing. We’re reminded that today’s tasks or actions are opportunities for us to contribute and not simply mark things off a list.

As we elevate tasks from the mechanical to the mindful, we find our actions taking on greater meaning. Living with purpose and intention sets us on the path of a choreographed life that is self-designed.

It is here that we find we are living by definition and not by default.

The end result?  A life of richer simplicity, purpose, and contribution. And, we each deserve that.

Laurie Grace, an East Dallas resident, own and operates Laurie Grace Coaching, which helps people achieve a higher level of success in life, relationships, and business.