Pura Vida!

I love to travel, and I recently had the pleasure of getting to go on an unforgettable trip to Costa Rica. It was an amazing experience in many ways. One because of getting to spend it with some of the most important people in my life. But also because I got to experience first-hand why Costa Rica is considered one of the happiest places in the world. This is what I want to share with you today...

Costa Rica has held its place at the top of many poles as one of the happiest places in the world. According to bestselling author Dan Buettner, in his book Blue Zone Happiness, Costa Rica is one of only fives places in the world which is considered a "Blue Zone". A Blue zone is a place where people are healthier, happier and live longer! After getting to spend a week in this place I came away feeling I found the secret as to why this is, and it can be summed up in two words: PURA VIDA!

In its simplest translation PURA VIDA means "Pure Life". People will use PURA VIDA to say hello, goodbye, everything is great and many other uses. However, it is more than just a phrase, it is a way of life. To live the PURA VIDA way means to be positive, to be optimistic, to worry less, to be grateful for everything you have and to embody a spirit full of life. As the research suggests, it has had a transformative impact on the Costa Rican's overall health and happiness.

Now reflecting on my time in Costa Rica and the PURA VIDA way of life, I came away having learned a couple of simple lessons that I believe can have an effect on how to live life:

• It's not WHERE you are it's WHO you are
• It's not WHAT you have in your life, it's WHO you have in your life that matters most
• It's not WHAT you look at that matters, it's WHAT you see
• It's not the NUMBER OF BREATHES you take, it's the NUMBER OF MOMENTS that take your breath away that count

James Allen wrote: "What you are, so is your world. It matters little what is without for it is all a reflection of your own state of consciousness. It matters everything what you are within, for everything without will be mirrored and colored accordingly." 

You don't have to live in Costa Rica to be healthier, happier and live longer. But you do have to understand that every day you have a choice of whether or not to wake up and live a pure life...a PURA VIDA life! 

I BELIEVE IN YOU!

Choose to make today a GREAT day and always choose to Live Life 2 The Max!