Always Getting Ready… But Not Living

Today I shared a quote on my social media that stopped me in my tracks:

“We are always getting ready to livebut never living.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

It’s such a simple sentence, but the weight of it lingered with me long after I posted it.

How often are we preparing for life instead of actually being in it?

We wait until things calm down.We wait until the children are older.We wait until we feel more confident.We wait until the money is better.We wait until we are “ready”.

But what if ready never arrives?

In my work with the spirit world, one of the most consistent messages I receive is not about grand achievements or dramatic changes. It’s about presence. About connection. About love expressed in the ordinary.

The other side of life doesn’t speak about the to-do list.

They speak about moments.

The cup of tea shared.

The argument that never needed to happen.

The hug that lasted a second too short.

The words unsaid.

And here we are, still getting ready.

Getting ready to be happier.Getting ready to take the leap.Getting ready to forgive.Getting ready to start living fully.

But life isn’t in the preparation. It’s in the participation.

Sometimes we hide behind preparation because it feels safer.

Planning feels productive.

Waiting feels sensible.

Delaying feels responsible.

Yet all the while, the days move quietly forward.

I’ve been reflecting on how often we promise ourselves, “When this is sorted, then I’ll…”

Then I’ll relax.

Then I’ll travel.

Then I’ll start the thing I’ve always wanted to do.

Then I’ll allow myself joy.

But what if this — today — is the moment we are meant to step into?

Not recklessly.

Not dramatically.

Just consciously.

Living doesn’t require fireworks.

It requires awareness.

It’s allowing yourself to laugh without guilt.

It’s speaking the truth kindly.

It’s taking the walk instead of postponing it.

It’s saying “I love you” now, not later.

Because none of us are guaranteed later.

That isn’t meant to sound heavy — it’s meant to sound freeing.

When you understand that life is happening right now, you stop rehearsing it and start inhabiting it.

Maybe Emerson wasn’t criticising us.

Maybe he was gently reminding us.

So today I’m asking myself — and perhaps you might ask yourself too:

Where am I still getting ready?

And what would it look like if I just began?

Not perfectly.

Not fully prepared.

Just honestly.

Because living isn’t something we schedule.

It’s something we choose.

With love,

TJ Higgs ✨