Pearl Nash
This world can seem tortuous to live in sometimes.
And yet there are people out there who make the best out of the cards they’ve been dealt and, in the end, live happy lives.
What makes them different?
Well, that’s why in this article, I will talk to you about the 10 personality traits of people who make the most out of life.
1) They know what they want from life
It’s easy to make the most of life if you know your life purpose.
See, if you know what you want, you don’t waste any time trying to find what works for you anymore and instead, you just put all your effort into actually doing things.
If they know they want to own a restaurant, then they will work on getting that restaurant up and running instead of studying to be a painter or an accountant.
On the flip side, when you don’t know what you want in life, you’ll end up spending a lot of time dipping your toes into all sorts of things.
If you want to make the most of life, make the first step: know your life purpose.
2) They say “no” so they can say “yes”
This is related to the one above. People who know how to make the most of life know what they want and therefore know their priorities…so it’s easy for them to say NO to the things that are not aligned to their goals, and yes to the ones that are.
They know that as much as they wish it were otherwise, they only have so much time and energy to spare.
So they conserve their energy by saying no to things they know will only distract them or keep them from doing the things they want to do.
They might want to party with some friends, for example, but decide not to because it will keep them from waking up on time for an important event the next day.
3) They don’t wait for opportunities to knock at their door
That is to say, they don’t just sit idly waiting for good things to happen.
If they know they need a stroke of “luck” or some good opportunities to make their dreams a reality, they’ll make those opportunities themselves.
They won’t wait for someone to notice their art. Instead, they will go out of their way to visit galleries to put their name out there.
They won’t wait for someone to ask them out on a date. They’ll download apps and start swiping. They’d even message first!
Luck is good to have, but you simply can’t rely on luck alone if you want to make the most out of the life you have, after all.
On top of luck, one also needs a lot of initiative… and a thick skin, because making those opportunities will result in embarrassment every now and then.
4) They nurture relationships
Studies show that good relationships are essential to a happy life.
But not just any type of relationship. The people who make the most out of life aren’t those who collect “friends”, they’re the ones who make deep and genuine connections.
They’re the ones who take care to truly nurture their relationships.
They acknowledge that conflict can’t be avoided, and will try to resolve them properly whenever possible.
This means that even though they don’t have as many friends as people who keep making new ones, what friendships they do have are deep and stable.
For a person who makes the most of life, quality always trumps quantity.
5) They choose their battles
We live in a world that’s full of conflict and there are plenty of causes and battles out there that are worth fighting for.
But alongside them are many, smaller conflicts—personal or otherwise— that are simply insignificant and not worth anyone’s time.
Someone who knows how to make the most out of their lives would know how to avoid petty conflicts and instead put their energies into the battles worth fighting for.
Why would they obsess over winning an argument with their neighbor when they have bigger fish to fry… like dealing with their family issues or joining human rights rallies and standing up against animal cruelty.
6) They live in the present
Dreaming big is good, and worrying about the past is understandable. But some people get so fixated on the past and future that they end up neglecting the present.
After all, when you’re out on a walk, it’s not like you’re going to be walking backwards or looking one mile ahead with a telescope. You’d be looking at the path where your feet are—with green grass on the ground and thick mud under your shoes.
People who know how to make the most out of life know that they might as well enjoy the greenness of the grass and how their shoes feel strange as the mud gets thicker and thicker as they walk.
They know that for them to make the most of the days they have, they have to SAVOR each moment. And they know they can only do it by being fully in the present.
7) They don’t obsess about money
There is no shortage of people out there who go “You’re all grown-up and you’re wasting your time having fun? You should be making money instead!”
The thing with those people is that it’s almost like they made the act of making money a life goal in itself. In their head, they’ll hustle hard now and just enjoy life later…as if “later” is guaranteed.
People who make the most out of their lives know better than to waste it chasing after money. Because while it’s true that money is important, money in itself can’t bring you true joy.
What good does money give you if you don’t have good relationships? If you don’t feel fulfilled? If you don’t make the most out of life?
8) They value leisure
That is to say, they take care not to get too consumed by their ambitions and actually remember to step back and have fun.
And when they do have fun, they don’t bother with whatever the naysayers have to say about it. People can say that their favorite book is “trash”, for example, and shrug it off.
Life is meant to be lived—contrary to popular belief, we’re not meant to be joyless husks working day and night to be “useful” to society.
And so they live, happy and without a care for how other people may judge them.
9) They don’t bother “proving” themselves
If you are to truly make the most out of your life, one of the most important things to keep in mind is to be so secure you don’t feel a need to “prove” yourself in any way.
People who make the most of life know this.
They’re happy with their body even if they have stretch marks and a round belly…and so they make the most out of it. They wear a swimsuit and lay on the beach like they deserve to (because they know they do!).
And even though they’re ambitious, they don’t get high thinking about the day they’ll finally show their “detractors” how wrong they are about them—that they’ll finally tell them that they’re smart, brilliant, funny. They’re ambitious for themselves, and not because they want validation.
What others think of them is NONE of their business, as far as they’re concerned.
10) They don’t shy away from hard work and pain
It’s normal to want to shy away whenever you see something that may hurt or even endanger you…or if something seems impossible to do.
But those who live their lives to the fullest don’t let that hold them back. Instead, they would bravely stand their ground if they know it’s worth it.
They are the ones who will actively confront those people who are mean towards them instead of running away. One might even say that being so fearless is a huge part of why they keep on making the most out of their lives.
They’re also the ones who are willing to endure a tight crunch if it means they get to see work done on time. They’d do anything to turn their dreams into reality…and in the end, most of them reap the benefits of their hard work.
In other words, they’re willing to risk and put in the work to achieve the life that they truly want.
Conclusion
Someone who makes the most out of their life is someone who takes the time to smell the flowers. But also—self-assured, brazen, and purpose-driven.
If you want to be someone who makes the most of life, then do try to develop the traits in this list.
But don’t worry too much. As we grow older and more mature, the more likely we are to eventually start picking up these personality traits and living fuller lives.
