What Does It Really Mean to 'Live Like You Mean It'?
A Guide to Falling in Love with Your Life
When was the last time you felt truly alive—not just busy, not just productive, but genuinely, deeply alive?
Do you ever find yourself waiting? Waiting for the weekend, the vacation, or “someday” to finally enjoy your life? Or maybe you’ve looked around at the life you’re living—checking all the boxes—and wondered:
When did I stop feeling excited about this?
In 2016, I had everything I thought I wanted: a beautiful home, financial security, healthy kids, and a life most people would call “full.” On paper, it looked perfect. But something inside me whispered:
“If it’s so good… why don’t I feel it?”
I’d silence that voice, telling myself, “Settle into gratitude, Marie. You have so much to be thankful for.” And I was thankful. I was grateful. But my gratitude felt hollow, like skimming the surface of a deeper emptiness I couldn’t name.
I was drifting. I was living on autopilot. I was missing the life I’d already built because I was always looking for the next.
Eventually, I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I started asking myself the questions that changed everything:
What am I actually searching for?
Is it adventure? Freedom? Or something else entirely?
Here’s what I discovered:
The life you’re longing for isn’t out there, waiting to be found. It’s already within you, hidden in the stories you carry.
When you slow down, notice those stories, and engage with them, you unlock something powerful:
The freedom to live like you mean it.
Why So Many of Us Feel Disconnected
We live in a world that nudges us toward the expected path. In high school, I wasn’t taught to tune into what brought me joy, satisfaction, or aliveness. I was taught to ace the tests, get into a “good” college, and land a “good” job—because that’s what you’re supposed to chase.
Somewhere along the way, I settled for surface-level joy—fun and happiness that felt light but never stirred anything deeper in me. I didn’t realize there was another layer to it, a richer kind of aliveness waiting to be uncovered.
Unexamined moments pile up like clutter, turning into forgotten days. Unprocessed experiences harden us over time, numbing our ability to feel joy, meaning, and purpose.
Because when you live without knowing what truly lights you up, you miss the chance to weave those qualities into the life you’re already living.
What It Really Means to “Live Like You Mean It”
To Live Like You Mean It isn’t about chasing more or fixing what’s broken. It’s about stepping off autopilot and tuning back into what feels real and alive in your life.
It looks like this:
1. Knowing Your Core Values—And Living Them
For a long time, I built my life on values that looked “right”: family, health, marriage. But I hadn’t named the values that made me feel vibrantly alive: creativity, autonomy, and aliveness itself.
What are your real, under-the-surface values? The ones that make you feel most alive?
What makes you feel deeply you?
2. Showing Up Fully for Your Experiences
Life changes when you really show up—not in a “put on pants and add to your calendar” kind of way, but by paying attention, processing your experiences, and reflecting on what they mean.
I’ll never forget the first handful of “homecomings” after we moved to South Carolina. My family was driving back from sightseeing when we pulled into a roadside park for a picnic. I expected a few tables and an outhouse, but what we found felt like treasure: a natural waterslide and swimming hole, with trails that wove in and out of the creek. I felt like a kid again—barefoot, curious, and fully alive.
A few weeks later, I hiked the Carrick Creek trail at Table Rock State Park for the first time. I was in awe, stepping down wet paths around giant boulders and hopping across flat rocks over the creek. Again, I felt like a kid—playful and free.
Then there was the day I was working outside, laptop on a bistro table at our new home, much earlier in the season than I ever could’ve back in Michigan. A little green anole lizard scurried across the driveway, and there it was again: that feeling of being a kid.
These tiny moments surprised me. They showed me what I’d been craving all along: not escape, but the space to breathe and explore—just as I did when I was young.
3. Processing Your Stories on Purpose
The stories we carry are powerful. They can weigh us down, or they can lift us up. The difference lies in how we choose to hold our stories—whether we carry them as burdens or let them guide us toward what matters.
Story Work is about gathering, unearthing, and repurposing your stories—clearing out the hard ones and building emotional reservoirs with the best ones. It’s how you begin to see yourself more clearly, discovering and rediscovering who you are beneath the noise.
The Story Work Framework: A Step-by-Step Practice
Here’s the practice that changed everything for me. A guide to seeing your life differently—one tiny story at a time.
1. Gather Your Tiny Stories
The small, meaningful moments are where Story Work begins. They’re easy to miss but full of truth and insight.
What to Do:
Start a Tiny Story List—a note on your phone or a journal.
Notice the moments that stir something in you:
The neighbor who always wore that same faded flannel jacket, waving as they walked past your house—morning coffee in one hand, the other tucked into their pocket against the chill.
The worn-down recipe card, edges curled, reminding you of afternoons in your grandmother’s kitchen.
A song on the radio that took you back to a summer road trip, windows down, freedom in the air.
For a deeper dive into what “tiny stories” really are and how they differ from storytelling, read this explainer →.
Why It Matters:
When you gather your stories, you realize how much life you’ve already lived. Meaning isn’t missing—it’s waiting to be noticed.
2. Unearth Their Meanings
Sit with your stories. Each one holds something valuable: a lesson, a truth, or a thread that connects you to yourself.
What to Do:
Ask yourself:
Why does this story matter?
What truths, emotions, or insights are here?
How has this shaped me?
Why It Matters:
This reflection reconnects you to what’s real. It helps you honor what matters most and let go of what doesn’t.
3. Repurpose for Healing and Joy
Here, reflection becomes action. You take what you’ve gathered and use it to shape your present.
What to Do:
Express: Share your stories with someone who matters.
Display: Frame a photo, write down a memory, or keep a meaningful memento.
Inspire: Let your stories guide you:
Revisit a family tradition.
Create a new adventure.
Take a risk you’ve been avoiding.
Why It Matters:
Repurposing your stories deepens connection, clears space for healing, and brings new joy into your life.
Your Invitation to Start Living Like You Mean It
The life you’re looking for isn’t out there. It’s already within you, waiting to be seen.
Start small. Gather one tiny story. Notice it, reflect on it, and honor it.
Because living like you mean it begins with one choice:
To see your life differently.
I’d love to hear from you.
What’s one tiny story of when you felt most alive?
When was that? Tell me in the comments—I’m here to listen.
I've been reflecting recently about why peeling a pomegranate for me is so romantic and causes me to be so present. For me that tiny story teaches me about how I value my time and mindfulness. It's not a big adventure, but a meditative practice that I've felt excites me to see the natural beauty of the earth.