“(Fill in the blank)” makes you feel alive
Wow, the fresh breezes of autumn are a vibe for me lately. The cooler temps, cooking with more spices, snuggling in a blanket while reading a book and sipping tea… it’s been a while and it feels so cozy!
I grew up in northern Minnesota on a hobby farm with a large yard. We weren’t strangers to manual labor; taking care of the garden, animals, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, and cutting wood for the wood-burning stove that kept us warm in sub-zero temps during the winter!
We’re living in the south right now, and summer yard work and outdoor activities are nearly unbearable June through August unless you’re hitting the beach.
The breeze and cooler temps lately have felt like an old friend welcoming me back into the outdoors and I finally got to get out and rake the yard here without sweating my A** off.
My hubby and I are also planning a camping trip for this month, and man, the images and memories that come to mind as I book campsites and pack our gear light me up with an excitement like no other!
So clearly there’s a theme for me; activity outdoors and adventure really light me up.
You could be totally different than me though.
You might hate yard work and can’t imagine why someone would want to go sleep in the woods with wild animals and possibly not shower for days on end…
Wait, you shower while you’re camping? Just kidding, I shower too, sometimes. ;)
The thing is, it doesn’t matter WHAT you love.
It just matters that you do it.
So what lights you up? What makes you feel alive? Is it traditions, family, the art of make-up, traveling, encouraging someone, cooking a great meal?
When we know what makes us feel alive, what matters most to us, how we want to show up in the world and interact with others… also known as, our values, we can start intentionally living them out.
There are no “right” or “wrong” values, and values can even change from season to season.
It’s not WHAT you value that matters, but HOW WELL you LIVE OUT your values.
Living out what matters most to you has a huge impact on your satisfaction in life.
So here’s my invitation to stop chasing the fleeting emotion of '“happiness” and start pursuing something that can help you feel a deep sense of vitality.
-Emma
