4 Tools to Help You Fall in Love With Life Again

I’ve had to develop the tools to pick myself back up when life knocks me down; to help me love life again. They had to be methods that matter to me, and they had to be things I would do if I was feeling 100%.

I’ve had to pick myself back up from falls I swore I could never recover — like my best friend being hit by a car, my dog contracting a sudden illness that ended his life days later, my mother suffering with suicidal depression, my own car accidents and trauma. I’ve faced darkness so deep you couldn’t convince me light would ever exist again.

But here I am. I’m alive, I’m helping the world grow in love, and dammit, I can still dance around my kitchen to reggae music and laugh until I cry. My own happiness tools are a big reason why.

This is a peek inside my toolbox. I hope it inspires you to create your own.

Focusing on these 4 things bring me back to loving life after those moments when it seems too much to bare.

1. Gather the scattered fragments of your broken heart.

Gather the scattered pieces off the floor, weave them into the tapestry of your life, and make that life your prayer. Then, when you find the light again — and you will — you’ll remember that love can only be lost because it was once found.

You are healing, and you are loving, and everything you are is good enough.

For those who are healing, make this your mantra:

This moment is a perfect opportunity for personal and spiritual growth — every moment is.

I am here for a reason.

I won’t turn my back on life — I’ll face it head on, with open eyes and an open heart.

What do I need to do to bring love into the situation I’m in? There is always a way.

I invite love into this moment and into my life.

I’m breathing deeply, and I’m ready to grow.

Repeat those words every time you’re ready to give up and remind yourself that you have a divine purpose. Serve your purpose, and your purpose will serve you.

2. Forgive everyone for everything.

Every experience you’ve ever had has been absolutely crucial for the intimate journey of your heart throughout this lifetime. It’s all brought you here, and you’re here for a reason. Forgive, and move on.

There is so much love left for you to explore! You’ve only just begun.

For those who want to forgive but are feeling stuck, try this:

Inhale.

Hold it in.

Exhale.

Hold it out.

Repeat until whatever problem was on your mind no longer feels like the end of the world, you’re grounded in this present moment, and you are ready to say those 3 words that make us all weightless, “I forgive you.”

3. Find the magic in travel.

Even though we work to create a life of comfort and spend our days planning and structuring our lives, most of us seek adventure — we want to feel butterflies in the pit of our stomachs.

We have our routines, we do things the same way every day, but secretly we want to leave it all behind, if only for a little while.

We want to explore the rainforest, watch the sun rise through the ocean, rappel down waterfalls and go on a road trip without a map. We want to jump out of airplanes, have conversations about God, eat spicy things off skewers from weird food trucks, walk through the desert, swim naked in the sea and stroll barefoot down an empty road. We want to dance in the moonlight, cry for no reason, hold hands with strangers in the middle of the night, quit our jobs and try new things.

We want to travel the world and throw caution to the wind. We want to live in the moment and say “yes” when fear tells us “no.” Why? Because we secretly long for all that exists outside of what we know — that’s where the magic is.

You can seek adventure on the other side of the earth with nothing more than what fits in your pockets, or you can find adventure in the city nextdoor. Whatever gets you out of your comfort zone and lights up your senses, go there. Travel is an amazing way to reset what you value and desire.

For those who thirst for adventure, or those who wish they did more, make this your mantra:

Life moves fast.

Change is part of the life experience.

So I won’t be afraid.

I won’t hold back.

I trust in the unknown.

There are beautiful, beautiful things in store for me.

I’m breathing.

I let go.

I’m taking that step into the unknown, and I’m going to LIVE!

4. Face your fears.

At some point in our lives, whether we like it or not, we are going to find ourselves face to face with the very thing we fear the most.

That’s the thing about fear — we need it. It guides us to all the places we are trying to avoid, and it can’t be escaped no matter how hard we try.

We keep our fears at a distance yet within arms reach — close enough to maintain the ideas we have of our conditioned selves, but far enough to pretend they don’t affect our lives. But they do. The universe is constantly guiding us, showing us where to go and how to keep our hearts and eyes open. Nothing is random, everything has a purpose.

For those who are ready to face their fears, or those who want to tiptoe toward that edge, make this your mantra:

Life is short.

So, I’ll live fully, utterly, without holding back.

I trust that I’ll always be okay.

Today is truly all I have — I’m going to make the most of it.

The thread that ties these 4 points together is one that can never be cut, burned or frayed, no matter how hard life gets: LOVE.

1. Gather the scattered fragments of your broken heart and make your life a prayer.

2. Forgive everyone for everything.

3. Find the magic in travel.

4. Face your fears.

5. And always, always, always choose love.

Choose love — love for yourself, love for your journey, love for this universe that always has your back, love for everyone who’s come along to help you grow. As we grow, so does love.

How will you choose love today? Tell me below!

X,

Rachel

P.S. I lead retreats with these 4 methods as the cornerstones. Read about them here, and learn about the Yoga Girl® Scholarship that gives one spot to each and every retreat and yoga teacher training. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll take that leap and meet me there. I hope you will.