"La mayoría de nosotros tenemos dos vidas. La vida que vivimos y la vida no vivida dentro de nosotros."

You know, we often feel like we're living two parallel lives. There's the life we're actually living, and then there's this other one—an unlived life bubbling just beneath the surface. It's the one where all our dreams, hopes, and what-ifs reside.

This idea isn't really new. Steven Pressfield put it into words in his book "The War of Art." He was talking about the gap between our current reality and our potential. It’s the tension between where we are and where we could be if we overcame our fears and doubts. Sounds familiar? It’s something most of us can relate to.

Take Sarah, for instance. Sarah always wanted to be a writer. She loves crafting stories and creating worlds with her words. But life happened. She got a stable job in marketing, which paid the bills but didn’t light her inner fire. Her unlived life was there, nudging her every time she read a good book or saw someone else succeed in writing. She’d think, “That could be me.”

One day, after years of ignoring that nudge, Sarah decided to make a change. She didn't quit her day job immediately. Instead, she carved out time every morning to write. Just an hour before work. It wasn't easy—her mornings were groggy, and sometimes the words didn't come out right. But slowly, she started to see progress. She began to feel that she was bridging the gap between her lived and unlived life.

So, how do you apply this to your own life? Start by identifying that unlived life within you. What dreams or aspirations have you set aside? It could be anything—from writing a book, starting a business, learning to play an instrument, or even traveling the world. Once you’ve pinpointed it, commit to it in small, manageable ways. You don’t have to make a huge leap all at once. Small, consistent steps can lead to big changes over time.

Think about it like this: Imagine you're at a coffee shop, chatting with an old friend. You’re catching up on life, and they ask you if you’re happy with where you are. Would you say yes? Or would you talk about that thing you always wanted to do but never did? It’s easy to get caught up in the routine and let those dreams slide. But imagine if you started giving just a bit of time to that unlived life—how much more fulfilled would you feel?

I remember a friend of mine, Jake, who always talked about learning guitar. He was fascinated by music but never actually started because he thought he didn’t have the time. One birthday, instead of just talking about it, he bought himself a second-hand guitar. He committed to practicing for 15 minutes each day. The first few weeks were tough—his fingers hurt, and he felt like he wasn’t making any progress. But he stuck with it. A few months later, he was playing his favorite songs and even wrote a couple of his own. The joy and sense of accomplishment he felt fed into other areas of his life, making him more confident and motivated.

So, if you’ve got an unlived life simmering inside you, give it some attention. Don’t let it stay just a daydream. Start small, stay committed, and watch as your two lives begin to merge into one. That’s where real fulfillment lies.