Have you ever had to prove you are alive aka proof of life? This subject came up in a study based on The Last Arrow by Erwin Raphael McManus. He and his wife were traveling from Beirut to Bekaa when they were given a proof of life form to fill out.
This gave him pause.
A proof of life form requires your name, information about you, and authorization of some kind. But do these things prove you are living or you’re simply existing?
How fulfilling and happy your life is depends on if you are living or just existing.
“The tragedy of a life that is never fully lived is not simply the loss of that one life. The tragedy is the endless number of lives that would have been forever changed if we had chosen to live differently.” — Erwin Raphael McManus
WHAT ABOUT YOU
If you were asked to fill out a “proof of life” form, how would you respond? Would it give you pause or would you simply fill in the blanks?
It’s easy to just fill in the blanks because that’s all they’re asking. It takes little effort—just like existing.
But think about it. You get one life. Just one. Time is not refundable.
Are you really living or just existing?
How fulfilling and happy your life is depends on if you are living or just existing. Share on X
THERE’S A DIFFERENCE
Living and existing are two different things.
To exist means to have the functions of life.
Physically this means things like breathing, digestion, metabolism and so on. These are all known as bodily functions and take no effort on our part. We have these functions due to the God-given life within us.
But having the functions of life is more than just physical in nature.
The key word is having. Have implies potential.
- We can have something and not use it.
- We can have something and it lies dormant.
For the potential to be realized, we have to work at life.
Work.
To live takes work.
To work is to bring to pass, produce, or function.
With our bodies, the life of God within us does the work, and we exist. We even survive, which is continuing to exist even in the face of danger or difficulty.
But we have the potential within us to live.
To live is to experience, to be in play or to impart power.
When we work the potential we have in life, we develop, flourish, and thrive.
To exist all we need to do is not die.
But to live, really live takes effort or intention.
When you really live, you make your life matter, give it meaning, depth and purpose.
“Most of us are not choosing between life and death; we are choosing between existence and death.” —Erwin Raphael McManus
WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE
Existing and living have accompanying behaviors.
Below is a list of what these behaviors look like. Find where you typically live and then you can make a choice.
Existing
- No vision or plan in life
- Passive
- Feel lost or confused
- Worry about what you can’t control but do nothing
- Waste time on Social Media and watching TV
- Live in constant fear
- Unclear purpose in life
- Apathetic
- Won’t change things you’re not happy with
- Negative
- Blame others
- Going through the motions
- Let others control you
- Focused on survival and day to day
Living
- Doing things that bring you joy
- Have a sense of purpose
- Being intentional
- Have peace in your life
- Using your God-given gifts
- Fight against fears
- Physically active
- Solution minded
- Positive
- Helping others
- Own your choices and decisions
- Engaged
- Seek growth
- Adventurous
No matter where you find yourself, you get to choose which list you live out of going forward.
This is your life, live it fully with intention. Share on X
YOUR CHOICE
Existing is easy but it isn’t rewarding. Living takes work but it’s worth the effort. Which do you choose?
It’s up to you because it’s your life.
Many times people wait until some tragedy occurs before really look at their life and engage.
For example, terrorist attacks like 9/11 or mass shootings, the countless number of hurricanes that have ravaged people’s lives, diseases that travel around the world, tornados that level cities, or a terminal diagnosis.
Sometimes people wait too long, forfeiting their choice—please don’t.
“We can become so afraid of death that we never live, so afraid of failure that we never risk, so afraid of pain that we never discover how strong we really are.” —Erwin Raphael McManus
WHAT DO YOU WANT
Which list do you like better? Where do you want to live? Your choice is your greatest power to embrace life more fully.
What makes you “come alive”?
Ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) is an inspiring Japanese concept that means “a reason for being” or “a reason for living.”
Having a reason will empower you. Ask yourself:
- What do I want to get out of life?
- What do I yearn to do or be?
- How do I want to be remembered?
- What kind of legacy do I want to leave?
This is your life, live it fully with intention.
WHAT NEXT
- What does “living” mean to you?
- What changes would you like to make?
- Love yourself enough to really live.
- Look into coaching to embrace a more meaningful life.
