Stop building.

It’s not about the life you build.  It’s about being with people that mean something to you.

All the success in a job, all the notoriety, all the cool things, the new build house with the latest trends in decor - none of those are building a life. Not even the cute family pics with everyone’s smiling face or the staged holiday photos with piles of presents and a well decorated tree.  Nope not building, no matter how many “likes” they get. (And, no, I’m not saying stop the family pictures or any social media posts. I love a good pic.)

I used to think that’s what building a life was too.

But it’s not.

Building a life really isn’t about building or accumulating anything.  It’s about living.  It’s about making memories that last.  It’s about genuinely loving our people hard.  It’s about making mistakes, picking back up the pieces and still loving everyone through it. Even the people making the mistakes..because we all make them. It’s about loss and change and grief.  But it’s not about building a life.  It’s about living a life.

Sometimes we think we are living but really, we are just biding time.  Coasting by, letting life happen to us. We tell ourselves things are good enough.  That we don’t have it that bad.  But if life is about living - happiness matters.  We might have grown personally or professionally and we need a change.  We might be angry that life isn’t what it used to be, because of family circumstances, health or financial changes.

And truly, that’s when the going gets tough.

Prayer, strong friendships and solid tough love decisions.  Those are what make a life.  Not building things.