As the final week of The Ellen Show’sBest Life Project Instagram contest comes to a close, we wanted give thanks and highlight a few of the many (and we mean many!) ways you lived your best life throughout the month of April. Check out these seizers of opportunity, love, happiness and then upload your own images on Instagram using the tags #BestLifeProject and #EllenContest for a chance to win $10,000 and a year’s supply of Vega! Contest Ends April 23, 2016 at 11:59PM Pacific Time.
Who Rescued Who?
“I rescued a small 30-year-old human last month. She used to live, hike, and drink coffee alone. Now I wake her up with the sun to frolic through the mountains of Idaho as her protector and companion. She dresses me up, tells me Ellen’s corny classic jokes, and reminds me how much she loves me by the hour. I guess she has a thing for blondes who are kind to one another because Ellen and I make her so happy.
“My new small best friend, Beth, has big dreams to buy a camper and travel around with me, the therapy dog who will visit nursing homes and schools. She says she wants to share my “Pal-pable” love with the world. I hope you consider helping her, because she has already helped me an overwhelming amount. I had been at the shelter for over six months and was losing hope at finding my dream home. I’d love to help make her dreams come true, too!
I wholeheartedly feel like we live the best life together.
Love,
Pal, 7-year-old [crazy handsome but also humble] Akbash dog
(Follow Beth @ElizaHardin)
Living for Every Breath
“Bryan and I have been together for 15 years. In December 2015 Bryan’s closest family members, Greg got the call for lungs. Greg was born with Cystic Fibrosis and in the last few years was really struggling to breath.
“He had an oxygen tank and struggled to walk even a few steps. The hospital was his second home. We celebrated Christmas and his 20th birthday in the hospital. Unfortunately, in March he hit a rough patch and we lost him at the end of April of last year.
“This was the hardest thing either of us have dealt with in our lives. Greg was the kindest soul. Even when he was at his sickest, he was always worried about everyone around him. After Greg’s passing, Bryan and I wondered if we should still go on our trip to Peru but in the end decided that Greg would have gone if he had the chance. We hiked the Salkantay Trail for five days to get to Machu Picchu and at one point, were hiking at an altitude of 15,000 ft. We are young and in pretty good shape and every step we took, took all of our energy and we often had to stop to catch our breath. It was in those moments that we had the slightest glimpse of what Greg was fighting his entire life and yet he did it every day with a smile.
“We have been trying ever since to live each day like Greg. We all have our hurdles and life isn’t easy, but each day is a new opportunity to recreate yourself and live the life you want for yourself. Don’t let the only life you get pass you by, Greg most certainly didn’t. Go live like Greg!” –Kristin @kceru129
Taking Care of Your Best Life
“I feel that compassion, love and understanding for oneself is the ticket to living your best life! 5 years ago I was doing the complete opposite of this. Having been a varsity soccer player I had a tough attitude that I associated with the term “no pain, no gain.” I didn’t listen to my body when it was exhausted or fatigued. However, when my body stopped functioning all together, my only option was to listen. I sought out some very supportive and influential mentors, took every class I could sign-up for, read every book under the sun and sought out a community of like-minded individuals to assist me on my journey. I had then committed to fully immersing myself with all facets of mindful living. I WOULD become the healthiest version of myself.
“My experience was so impactful and enlightening that I became determined to reach out and offer support to others wanting to create a health journey of their own. Community is so powerful! So I quit my 9 to 5 job and started my own Kinesiology practice which has since turned into an all-encompassing heath and wellness business. Giving back is what my best life looks like.”
-Stevie Shayler @StevieShayler
Living the Best Life Together
“I am married to my best friend, and I am the proud mom of 2 incredible kids. (Bella 5, Logan 3). It’s hard to say where if be if it weren’t for my little family of 4 because they have given me the greatest reason to live. Life isn’t about having the biggest house or the nicest car it’s about who you have beside you through thick and thin and I am grateful beyond words to have them by my side.
“When we made the decision to move to Colorado six months ago, we didn’t know what to expect. We knew it would be tough. None of us had been here before, but we knew it’s what was best for our family for more reasons than one. Work, lots of snow and lots of sunlight…but the biggest reason is the Life we wanted for our children as they grow. We want our kids to live a life of adventure. To see things we never got to. To wake up every single day and appreciate what is around them. But most importantly I want them to be able to feel like they are living The Best Life they possibly could be.
“I’ve learned to appreciate life as it happens because my kids are changing every day and I am treasuring every single moment with them. It doesn’t cost a thing to experience Life with your family. There is a difference between Being Alive and Living…and I am happy to be living The Best Life!”
-Kaitlin Carmel @dadmomngrom
How do you live your best life? Share your story by tagging your post with #BestLifeProject.
