The Difference Between an Ordinary Life and an Extraordinary One

I used to think ordinary lives were the low-key, under-the-radar, stay-at-home kind of lives and the extraordinary ones were the ones filled with travel and people and crazy adventure.

I’m learning to see that the dividing line I thought I saw between those lives isn’t really there.

Let me explain.

Have you ever noticed, when you’re watching an inspirational video, how much difference the music makes? The photography might be amazing and the visuals might be inspiring, but what would happen if you turned the music off?

A key element would be missing. Wouldn’t it?

The song without the footage doesn’t quite do it. Neither does the footage without the song. There’s something about the two of them together. They just “pop” in a way nothing else does.

I want my life to “pop” like that.

But what is the difference between a life that “pops” and one that doesn’t?

For a long time I thought that, if life wasn’t quite “popping” the way I wanted it to, I needed to do something epic, something memorable, something amazing.

Lose 20 pounds! Run a marathon! Go on a trip!

Photo Credit: Ariel Parra, Creative Commons

And I guess a lot of fun experiences and interesting memories came from this approach. But I didn’t necessarily get a meaningful life. What’s really done that for me has been quite surprising.

It’s these tiny, almost invisible little decisions.

A decision to let go of a grudge, drink more water, go on a walk, take a deep breath or sit my butt in a chair everyday, writing a few hundred words no one may ever read.

Little changes can make really big differences.

I guess what I’m trying to say is the difference between an extraordinary life and an ordinary one is not that big.

And that should feel like a huge relief to us.

Because you don’t need a big, crazy, larger-than-life adventure to have an extraordinary life.

You might just need the life you have—with some music in the background.

It’s the little things that really matter.

The other day I noticed how, when I’m typing, if I get my fingers just one key off, everything is distorted. Like, if I have my left pointer finger on the “d” instead of the “f” (thank you Mr. Brown for my proper typing form) it’s all messed up.

One millimeter difference changes “gwkki rgwew” to “hello there”.

The tiniest little shift and suddenly everything makes sense.

If you’re in a place where your life feels “off” or where life doesn’t feel particularly incredible, maybe you don’t need a whole new life. Maybe you just need a millimeter adjustment, a tiny new perspective.

And when you sit in that place, maybe everything will look different.

To learn more about what it takes to live a meaningful life, join us for Storyline Conference this year in Chicago. It is truly life-changing.

The Difference Between an Ordinary Life and an Extraordinary One is a post from: Storyline Blog