"Your gallery of memories starts with the brush strokes of today." -Me
While immersed in a recent virtual museum tour, my mind drifted to the
role of a curator and their process for designing an exhibit. It struck me suddenly that much like selecting
artwork, I too am curating a "gallery of memories" for myself—choosing the right pieces,
crafting the flow, and cultivating the ambiance. This concept resonated once more the evening I joined a new women's travel
group in town. As I listened to these women share their experiences,
hopes, and future plans, I couldn't help but admire how they, too,
curate their lives with such intentionality.
Every day, month, and year, we select and
arrange elements of our lives, whether we are conscious of it or not. For me, curating involves living purposely so I can craft experiences that embody the life, adventures,
and memories I want to hold dear.
In the spirit of Henry David Thoreau, taking actionable steps ensures we don't reach the end of our life and discover we didn't truly live.
Below are 3 Practical Questions to begin asking yourself:
1. What do I genuinely value, and how do these values influence my life's path?
Actionable Step: Dedicate a moment to compile a values list for your "gallery of memories." Think of at least 2 values that matter most to you. If you were able to look to the end of your days, what gallery do you want to see? Common examples of a life value could be: adventure, serving others, seeking truth, carpe diem, or "sucking the marrow out of life." [DPS-Mr. Keating ❤️] Look at these values and see if your daily decisions match up. If not, figure out where you can make changes to make sure you're staying true to what's important to you.
2. Am I creating clear, achievable experiences that align with my values?
Actionable Step: Take
some time to decide on which experiences you want that will match the values
from above. To illustrate, if you value entrepreneurship, and that's led to the dream of having a coffee shop/bookstore, then make a simple plan to work towards this goal step by step. If instead you value slow-living, identify things you need to remove from your life to slow down the pace.
3. Do I let finances get in the way of curating my life?
Actionable Step: Sometimes we make finances the scapegoat for why we're not living a full life when actually we need to get more creative. So check your money situation but also think about adjusting your plans a bit or finding new ways to make things work. For example, if adventure is your value and Paris your dream, but you can't pay for a trip yourself, look for volunteer options or a part-time work vacation to off set the cost. If your value is to "connect with nature" and that leads you to... I don't know, have a secret garden at your house, then ask garden friends to gift you seeds or ask for plants on holidays.
When I view my decisions as though I'm curating my life's gallery, I get inspired! I hope something in this post inspires you too. May every decision and proverbial brushstroke in your upcoming days be a careful curation of your wondrous legacy onto the canvas of time, ensuring that your final gallery of memories reflect your strongest values.
#CurateYourLife #IntentionalLiving"
