Living vs. Existing: How to Reclaim Your Joy and Purpose

Hello to my wonderful blog family! Before we dive into today’s heart-to-heart, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude. To every person who supports this space and takes the time to read these words, thank you. I am the type of person who will never beg for support or chase after readers. I believe life is far too short for that, and I know that my journey and my posts aren’t meant for everyone. I truly respect that. But for those of you who are here, I want to speak about a topic that has been weighing on my heart: the difference between living and existing.

It took me a very long time to understand this concept. If I am being completely honest, I am still learning how to live instead of just existing every single day. Many of us grew up in environments that didn’t teach us how to actually thrive. When survival is all you know, “living” feels like a foreign language. It takes a significant amount of time to unlearn those old patterns, but I want to encourage you to give yourself grace. Do not waste your energy blaming others for what you weren’t taught. Instead, learn from it, take the lessons, and try your absolute best to move forward.

The Divine Purpose of Your Life

We were not put on this earth just to occupy space. We were not created to simply breathe, work, and sleep until our time runs out. If you believe in a higher power, you know that God would have never made you in His image just to exist. He created you with intention, detail, and a specific spark. He wants us to live our lives to the fullest, experiencing the beauty and the joy that this world has to offer.

A lot of people struggle to understand this concept. I certainly did. We get stuck in the “existing” phase because it feels safe, or perhaps because we don’t know anything else. Existing is passive. It is what happens when you let life happen to you rather than making life happen for you. Living, on the other hand, is active. It requires us to heal, to unlearn the survival tactics that no longer serve us, and to step boldly into our purpose.

How to Start Living Instead of Just Existing

The shift from existing to living doesn’t happen overnight. It is a series of small, intentional choices. To reclaim your joy, you must first acknowledge where you are. Are you just going through the motions? Are you waiting for “someday” to be happy? If so, today is the day to start reclaiming your time.

One of the most important steps in this process is healing. You cannot truly live if you are carrying the heavy weight of unhealed trauma or past disappointments. Healing allows you to clear the fog so you can see the path ahead. Once you begin to heal, you can start the work of unlearning. You have to unlearn the idea that you aren’t worthy of happiness or that your life has to look a certain way to be successful.

Finding Your Spark and Reclaiming Joy

Reclaiming your joy means finding the things that make your soul light up. For some, it might be a creative outlet like writing or music. For others, it might be building a business or spending quality time with family. Whatever it is, you must pursue it with everything you have. Joy is not a luxury; it is a necessity for a life well lived.

When you start living, you begin to notice the small blessings that you previously overlooked. You find purpose in your pain and passion in your daily tasks. You realize that your voice matters and that your story has the power to help others who are still stuck in the “existing” phase. By choosing to live, you give others permission to do the same.

Moving Forward with Grace

As you navigate this journey, remember to be kind to yourself. There will be days when you fall back into old habits, and that is okay. The goal is not perfection; it is progress. Every day that you choose to be present and intentional is a victory.

Thank you for being part of this community and for allowing me to share my heart with you. We are all works in progress, but we are moving forward together. Let’s stop just existing and start truly living the lives we were meant for.

Lakisha Childs-Morris