How to Live a Meaningful Life & Design the Future You Want

Remember, a meaningful life is not a destination but a continuous journey of growth and self-discovery.🌟

My Wild Card is to write a book about how I grew up with a Mother of great faith! She taught us so many spiritual lessons growing up. The main objective of my book will be to encourage single Moms. ❤

Oh my goodness, designing the life you want will expose you faster than any personality test, because the day I tried to “get serious” about my future, I sat at my dining table with a fresh notebook, a cup of tea, and the confidence of a woman who thought she had her life together… and within five minutes I was staring at the page like “Huh… Luise, darling… why does your brain feel like a sock drawer full of mismatched emotions?” and that’s when I realized the four steps are way simpler than the internet makes them. First, you have to get brutally honest about what you actually want, not what your aunt, your boss, or the algorithm wants for you, because whew, I once spent six months chasing a goal I didn’t even like just because it sounded impressive. Second, you pick the tiniest possible starting point, because nothing humbles you like realizing your “new life plan” collapses the moment you try to wake up 30 minutes earlier. Third, you remove the friction, and goodness, the day I put my gym clothes next to my bed instead of in the laundry basket, I suddenly became a morning athlete by accident. And fourth, you build the identity before the habit, which hit me hard when I caught myself saying “I’m trying to be organized” and switched it to “I’m a woman who handles her business,” and wow, the way my energy changed instantly was wild. Honestly, designing your life isn’t about perfection, it’s about creating a version of you that feels possible today and powerful tomorrow.

My wild card would be to open a coffee shop bookstore, just a little one and hold music nights there for upcoming artists and bands ❤️

My husband of 40 years died not quite two years ago. The waves of grief less intense; less violent. The fog less dense. The fear less paralyzing. The mind less confused. But still a long way to go to be the 74+ year old woman who is thriving...just doing, learning and growing in mind, body and spirit. Right now those things are all over the place. If I am hearing this right, perhaps I need to give myself some grace, to take a deep breath and be 'less urgent' about pretty much everything; to not beat myself up for changing my mind...and accept that all my actions regardless of whether they are sustained, all are helping me to move forward with more knowing.

My favorite statement, that I found so profound “we have more lives than we have time to live” that was so powerful

I am living in my wild card right now. Trained as a medical doctor, stepped out to be SAHM for close to ten years. And instead of going back I asked myself what are the other dreams I have shelved that I can pursue now as I take care of my children - I am now a published author,speaker and Coach. Love it

My wildcard is owning a cut flower garden. Welcoming people to come construct and design their dream bouquet

Wildcards: - being a wildlife/nature photographer; - being a scuba diving instructor in an amazing dive location; - running a tiny home community for mature, single women, with gardens, fruit trees, and regenerative / offgrid pratices

If mine is “general” as in “I want to have dogs in my life, and improve the life of shelter dogs.” Because I had the PERFECT dog for 16 years, all I can see are potential problems. I’m breaking it down by starting as a shelter volunteer; then graduating to taking really stressed ones out for the day; then foster them; tell neighbors I’m available to walk their dogs; and be open to adopting again when my gut tells me “that’s the one.” 🐶