"Why does it feel so good to get rid of things? To unload? To let go? Maybe because when we see how little we actually need to survive, it makes us realize how powerful we actually are. To strip down to only what we need. To hang on to only what we can't do without. Not just to survive, but to thrive." - Meredith Grey

I open with a quote from one of my favorite shows, Grey's Anatomy, to begin to explain what it means to me to live and not just exist. After recently taking a trip to Ecuador, I have been reminded of what it means to find contentment in life. Truly living and finding joy in everything is something we should all strive for, and I have learned most how to do so while in places completely foreign to me. This is where I have truly discovered myself and the world. My hope in sharing this with you is that you will want to strive to really LIVE in your own way, too.

Take a minute to think about the things in your life right now you could not live without, and imagine life without those very things. In Ecuador where I was watching, meeting, and empathizing with people who live without so many of the basic necessities and/or luxuries that we live with everyday, I saw what true contentment looks like in each of their smiles, and each kiss on my cheek. These are people who share one single room, the size of most large closets in our homes in America, for a family of up to eight.

These are people who may go without three proper meals a day, but indulge in two completely carb-filled meals if they are lucky. These are people who work hard to live on only a few dollars a day, and are sending their kids out to beg or to sell on the streets. But these same people are the ones who are offering up gifts to me to thank me for simply being there. These same people are lifting up hands in praise to God as if there is no tomorrow. These same people are so quick to show me love as if I have known them my entire life, when I have done nothing but come to give some of my time. I ask myself, "What is the difference in their hearts and mine?" Again I say, contentment. These are people who are finding joy in giving life their very best, and thriving.

Don't let me fool you into thinking I was anywhere close to lacking while on my trips out of the country. I was fed my three meals a day, given the comfort of a nice bed, even had wifi at times, and I could not help but feel guilty for these things. However, instead of simply feeling guilty, I was able to step back and look at my life through the eyes of these people I just described, and realize that it can be so beautiful to be without. There are times I, ironically, envied people who live such "simple" lives. Though truly there is nothing simple about the amount of work that goes into living their daily lives, yet I yearned for a childlike joy that comes from finding fulfillment not in the possessions I own or the number of people who know my name, but the conditions of the heart and the amount of love I am able to give and receive. I saw people living a life that does not find worth in the things they have, making it a lot easier to be generous and give things up for those they trust and love.

Coming home is difficult. Of course I love the common day luxuries, but at the same time, I love being without them. There is a sense of empowerment that comes with realizing we have all we need in God, in friendships, and in love and understanding one another. So be bold, be diverse, and enjoy this one shot at life. Don't be afraid to travel, see new places, and step away from the comfort you've always known. See who you are without all of the things that we put so much value into, because you just might find a great part of yourself you never knew was there. Not to mention, you may discover new people you never thought you'd grow to miss as much as you do after only two weeks.

Find your own way by doing something right near home like just stepping out into nature for a while and taking a break from the technology-crazed world we live in and the pressures of society we live under. There is something better than this "success"-driven life where we think we need more and more things that are of no real value. There is a life filled with joy through sorrow, perseverance through pain, and satisfaction over wanting. Find out what this is that is cultivating the hearts of many, so that you can see why it is that they don't just survive, they thrive.