If you advance confidently in the directions of your dreams and endeavor to live the life which you have imagined, you will meet with success unexpected in common hours. 
--- Henry David Thoreau 

Upon my high school graduation I received a mirror inscribed with  Thoreau's words (in a gorgeous font btw) from my high school counselor. It was my first encounter with this quote and almost 10 years later this mirror is still with me and those words have become an embodiment of my life.  Living the life you've imagined is not a destination, it's not a goal either, it's a lifestyle choice. Each day we choose how we want to live, we choose how we want to feel, we choose who we want to be. There are many things out of our control, this is true, but upon examination it's clear to see that the life which we have imagined is not. 

I'd like to thing that Thoreau,  the personification of simple living, was not thinking of material possessions when he said those words, but intellectual possession.  To be truly satisfied with life we must decide to pursue that which makes our soul soar, and this can never be attained from a material possession. I'm not advocating that we all move to some version of Walden Pond, no, I'm advocating for a paradigm shift on how we perceive our ideal life.  Close your eyes for a second and imagine that life. What makes it ideal? Is it how you're feeling or is it what you have? In other words, are you surrounded by things that make you and those around you better or are you simply surrounded by things? 

What's so good about this quote is the ending. Meeting with success unexpected in common hours. I'm not the first and will not be the last to notice that when one decides to live a genuine and authentic life they will garner success beyond what they previously thought possible. I believe that's because that person has come to know what and who they want to be, this knowledge allows one to live with purpose.  So today, think about the life you want, examine it, question it, pray about it, and then advance confidently towards it.

All the Best,

Marie.