The Life That Want to Live in Me
Exploring what it means to live the life that wants to live through me
“Is the life I am living the same as the life that wants to live in me?” — Parker Palmer
This is a quote from an essay I recently read that knocked me to my knees. Laura McKowen writes Love Story, a Substack full of personal essays, musings, and questions. Her essay, “On the life that wants to live in you” happened to come to my inbox just as I was in the midst of an emotional breakdown. Through bleary eyes, I read Laura’s words about surrendering and giving into naming the aspects of life that she didn’t want to live with along with those she did.
She then talks about the quote above and how it is decisively different from the question we typically ask which is: “Am I living the life I want?” The difference is in the outlook we have of ourselves. While living a life we want is great, it often means there is some internal and external change warranted to get there. Perhaps a certain amount of money is necessary to truly live the life you want to live. Maybe your health needs to be improved so you can live the kind of life you want to live. Maybe, a certain “title” is necessary to get you to the life you want to live. In every scenario though, there is a reaching……
