From Giggles to Cliff Jumps: Finding Purpose in Everyday Yeses
How small choices and ridiculous moments build self-trust and authentic confidence.
Life really isn’t meant to be lived on autopilot. It is meant to be squeezed, smirked at, danced through, and sometimes even leapt off a cliff. Over the years, I’ve learned that living with purpose and authenticity doesn’t necessarily come easy, and definitely doesn’t always look polished or planned. It looks like saying yes to yourself in the messy, joyful, slightly ridiculous, and deeply meaningful ways.
These moments, big and small, are where self-trust is built and life feels most alive.
Squeeze It
The new school year hit hard with new programs, packed client calls, and not an ounce of breathing room. Getting away felt impossible… until a friend asked. By squeezing it in, I found myself refueled with laughter, new connections, and the reminder that joy often hides in the unplanned.
I am not about hustle culture, but I am about choosing with intention. Sometimes squeezing it in is exactly what opens space for what your soul needed.
“When life feels too full, squeeze in what matters, and you will expand your joy in the process.”
That’s What She Said
I never watched The Office, but the infamous “that’s what she said” line always gave me an instant giggle. In those early stay-at-home mom days, surrounded by tantrums, laundry piles, and the weight of mental health struggles, one silly phrase gave me permission to laugh at life. Even my 10-year-old caught on (maybe too quickly!).
Some might call it inappropriate. I call it survival with a smirk. Life is too short not to grab the giggles where you can. “Authenticity means allowing joy, even the silly and irreverent kind, to break through the hard stuff.”
Say Yes to You|
The worm. Yes, that dance move. Living rooms, weddings, docks, stages… you name it, I have done it. I thought I had retired it… until it came back out at 50.
Once upon a time, it was a point of contention in my marriage. It was not “classy enough.” But here is the thing. The worm is pure joy for me. It reminds me not to take life or myself too seriously. Saying yes to you sometimes looks like rolling around on the floor, laughing your head off.
“Saying yes to yourself is giving joy the final say, even if it looks ridiculous to someone else.”
YOLO
“You only live once.” In my 40s, after my world turned upside down, I chose to live that out loud. Life was not where I expected, but I refused to let age or circumstances define me. On my 40th girls trip with my sorority sisters, I stepped out of my comfort zone and into a new way of living. More carefree. More adventurous. More alive.
This weekend, I felt that pull again. Surrounded by old and new friends, I was nudged toward the edge, literally, of cliff jumping. Did I question it? Absolutely. Is this safe? What if I get hurt? Is this even responsible? All the thoughts that try to talk us out of listening to that inner whisper rose up. I have done it before, but at 50? Too old. Not in the same shape. Maybe it is past me.
But here is the gift. I had people around me who did not share the same desire but fully honored mine. I had one brave partner in crime who was also ready to leap. And so, together, we did. And once again, I remembered that fear may shout, but courage only needs a whisper.
“Living with purpose sometimes means silencing the doubts and leaping, especially when joy is waiting on the other side.”
Purpose does not just show up in grand gestures or perfectly curated plans. It is hidden in the ordinary choices, the ones where you squeeze something in, let yourself laugh, say yes to joy, or take a leap into the unknown.
Living authentically is not about being perfect or having it all figured out. It is about trusting yourself enough to follow the whispers, even when doubt shouts louder. Because at the end of the day, you only live once, and how you choose to live is what makes all the difference.
