Summer Voices | Courtney Carver | The Real Meaning Of Life

I'm on vacation this week and have invited some friends to share their voice here during my time away. Say hello to Courtney Carver:

Some say that life is a series of ups and downs.

For me that series would look something like this...

my first dog. a broken arm. prom. dropping out of college. falling in love. emergency c-section and the birth of a girl who changed my world. a traumatic marriage and tumultuous divorce. a degree in commercial design. landing a good job. knee surgeries. falling in love. a proposal for my daughter and me. an MS diagnosis. quitting my job to do work that matters.

All of those things happened to me, but none of them define me. They are the ups and downs, but they aren't the true essence of my life.

The highs and lows were events that happened. They may have even shaped the person I am today in someway, but the moments in the middle are what make my heart sing and ache. I relish those moments as each day unfolds. When I think of my moments in the middle, I remember watching Terms of Endearment with my sister when we were teens and crying so hard that the couch shook. I think about drinking cava with my husband on a quiet beach in Mexico. Making friends, writing stories, getting lost behind my camera and watching my daughter laugh until tears fall from her eyes are the moments that make my life rich.

my moments in the middle look like this...


road trips. afternoon coastlines. sleepy dogs. the perfect margarita. big hikes with majestic views.

Your life is not defined by jobs, degrees, or number of Facebook friends. The daily occurrences that thread together to create a lovely life are what it's all about. They are the memories that cross your mind and the stories you share.

When you stop trying to plan the future and fix the past, you can unravel from your fairly tales and heartbreaks. Instead of measuring yourself and your life by what you've accomplished, measure by the smiles and tears. Instead of worrying what is still left to do, make popsicles, revel in summer evenings, create something beautiful, make someone smile and get caught up in the moments in the middle.

What is your favorite moment in the middle?

Read more from Courtney at her blog, Be More with Less, follow her on twitter, and learn how to make time and space for more moments in the middle at Your Lovely Life.

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27 thoughts

  1. Nathalie Hardy says…
    07/29/2012

    Amen, sister ... thanks Ali for introducing us to these lovely voices!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. moments in the middle | Pour Cette Temps says…
    08/12/2012

    [...] The Real Meaning of Life, Courtney Carver Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. [...]

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