Are You Living Your Best Life?

Yesterday, I met a snow gnome.

This was odd, since we have no snow in California. I was really cold, though. (Not sure if the gnome was to blame...)

The snow gnome, or nisse, asked me, "Are you living your best life?"

Immediately, I started thinking about a palatial estate with a gorgeous, cozy grand room, a fire crackling in the immense fireplace...

"No," said the gnome, "Not THE best life. Not the best life you can imagine..."

"Fair enough," I said, "Since I have a very vivid imagination!"

"We know," said the gnome, "since you're talking to gnomes. But I meant: Are you living the best life you can live right now?"

As I wandered home through the snowy street lined with white marble facades and glowing, festive evergreens... or actually, through a suburban California neighborhood lined with palm trees (but really cold, guys, I'm serious!) I pondered this.

Am I living "the dream?" No...

There's no such thing as "THE dream."

The real question is, "Am I living my dream?"

Am I living with integrity, with authenticity? Am I living in a way consonant with my deepest values? Am I contributing to the world what no one else can--children, work, art, thought?

Am I living in darkness and fear? Or do I allow light into my life, and pursue it courageously?

Am I only doing what other people expect of me--trying to PROVE how happy and helpful and wise I am--or am I aimed at objective, higher values, actually trying to BE happy, helpful and wise?

Hmmm. 

I need to think some more about that. Those are rather abstract questions, but to truly answer them I have to make the matter concrete... look at my closest relationships and make sure they are loving and healthy, look at my creative work and make sure it's authentic and true to my soul, look at my house and tell if it's beautiful and... whoops, I already know I have areas where I can improve!

I turned to the gnome, asking, "How about you, Mr. Gnome?"

But he'd already disappeared into his tree to help Mrs. Gnome with one of the Little Gnomes, so he never answered.

How about you?