About This Episode:
In this episode of “#WalkWithMe” I share 5 thoughts on what makes me feel fully alive in the hopes they will help do the same for you.
Do you think there’s a difference between being alive and feeling alive? It’s an energy thing. A vibration. I believe there’s a big difference between ‘being’ here, as in existing in the physical sense, and actually feeling alive. So, are you surviving or thriving?
I think the whole point of life is to live it—not to just get through it, but to literally experience it, to enjoy it, to make the most of what we have.
Here are 5 thoughts that have helped make me feel fully alive by shifting the script, and I know will for you too.
#1 – New and Novelty
There is something about the ‘first’ time in terms of a new experience that gets our juices flowing. I think one of the reasons why time seems to accelerate the older we get is because we stop experiencing the new. For my young children, just one day feels like a millennium because there’s so many new things for them to learn and do. As adults, we tend to slip into autopilot or routine, and time flies by. The opposite of new and novelty would be familiarity, mediocrity, maybe complacency. Collect novelty.
#2 – Growth and Challenge
Progress makes us feel alive, and growth comes with challenge. Once we get to the edges of what is easy for us, growth begins. I think it’s in our DNA to want to get better. The opposite would be to slip into consistent routine and, ultimately, boredom. That’s not feeling alive. Now is a great time to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and pay attention to how you feel when you do.
#3 – Activity and Adventure
It all comes down to moving and doing. For example, I feel alive just walking in the hills right now and talking with you. We are chemically designed to crave activity and adventure; our bodies literally wake up with adrenaline and endorphins whenever we’re active.
#4 – Giving and Sharing
Giving is anything you share with others without strings attached. Giving leads to fulfillment. I love the quote that the purpose of living is giving.
#5 – Love and Connection
You can have everything and achieve everything, but if you don’t have those around you who can share in those experiences, you missed the whole point. Studies have shown that people who live the longest and are the happiest are surrounded by community.
Which one of these 5 would you want to work on?