It was Monday 4 at dawn, I woke up, checked my phone, and got up at 5 to prepare for work. I left home at 7 and arrived at my workplace close to 8 in the morning. I worked 8 tiring hours, traveled for an hour going home, wasted more time browsing on my phone before I went to sleep, and then woke up again on a Tuesday 4 at dawn. Sounds familiar? Welcome to the never-ending loop of surviving the day and not living.
I lost years stuck in this cycle of merely surviving until I started questioning myself “Is this all there is to life?” and “What is my purpose for living?” Having this realization sparked this journey I am about to share with you! Bringing this website Not Just Living to life.
This isn’t another one of those life-hack articles where they tell you to meditate or eat healthily. No, this is about reality, the messy, exciting, and sometimes uncomfortable journey toward living with purpose. We’re talking about going from surviving to thriving. And I want to take you along for the ride. Why? Because if I can do it, trust me—you can too. Buckle up!
Personal Inspiration: The Spark Behind Not Just Living
Every story has a beginning, and mine starts in a place many of you can relate, a routine life filled with responsibilities and work. I have lost years surviving and not having the liberty of enjoying life as it should until I started asking myself questions.
Questions that I am still on a journey looking for answers to. I can remember a day at my office when I was looking at my never-ending to-do list and all I could think of was, “Is this it?” and “Is this what I will do for the rest of my life?”. I am not depressed, I am not unhappy, but I am also not happy. It felt like I was watching my life from the sidelines when I realized I wanted more than just living.
On that day when I realized that I wanted more from life, I couldn’t wait for it to come to me, but I also knew that if I wanted more from life I had to go out there and grab it. The more I look for it, the clearer I see that most people are just like you and me, surviving and not living.
I knew that I had to do something. I needed a platform to let people like you and me know that there is more to life than merely surviving and that our life can be lived happily and purposefully.
It led me to create this website notjustliving.com which at its core is here to help you live with purpose. My mission is to provide resources, insights, and a community where everyone can thrive. I am not just about getting by, I am about moving from existing to truly living and I am here to hold your hands with all the bumps and breakthroughs that may come along the way.
The Journey Begins
Bringing NotJustLiving.com to life is a decision that came from me wanting to live purposefully. I started with the basics, scribbled down, and brainstormed my ideas for the website that resonated with my journey. The goal is to foster a community that is relatable, down-to-earth, and full of insights. It is not about perfection; this is about creating a space where people like you and me can feel seen, heard, and inspired to make small changes in our lives.
This journey was not easy. I have no background and technical know-how regarding web design and content creation. There were moments when I felt totally out of my depth, like when I accidentally deleted half my work and could not bring it back. But my biggest challenge was overcoming self-doubt. I had questions like What if nobody reads it? What if this flops? This is why I had to remind myself that this journey is not about getting everything perfect on day one but this is about showing up and starting somewhere.
Building the Website
I designed Not Just Living to be simple, clean, and welcoming in my hope that will it reflect the aura of growth and positivity. I spent hours trying to find the right colors, and picking fonts that felt approachable, and making sure the layout was user-friendly. It isn’t fancy, but I am proud of how this came together.
Messing with technical requirements was the part that made me break out in a sweat. From choosing the right hosting platform to figuring out SEO basics and ensuring the website is mobile-friendly, the technical side was no joke. I watched countless tutorials and Googled way too many “how-to” articles. Slowly but surely, though, I started to understand the pieces that make a website work behind the scenes.
The content is the heart and soul of Not Just Living, and this is where I can dive into sharing my journey. I intend to focus on writing articles that are easy to understand but still packed with value. Each piece had to resonate with people who, like you and me, were just starting to realize that there’s more to life than just existing.
Launching the Website
After months of painful, enduring but satisfying work, I was able to launch Not Just Living, and I must say hitting that “publish” button causes both excitement and fear. Here it is my little corner on the Internet, live and ready for the world. The journey has officially begun and I couldn’t wait to see where it would take you and me.
As I continue this journey toward living more purposefully, I invite you to join me at NotJustLiving.com. Whether you’re feeling stuck, seeking inspiration, or just looking for a community of like-minded people who want more out of life, this space is for you. Let’s stop merely existing and start thriving together. Head over to the site, explore, and let’s make this journey one worth living because life is too short to settle for anything less. I hope to see you there!
