Sleep is our opportunity to recharge, a time to let the day’s bumps and bruises—both psychological and physical—heal. It is a natural break in our daily routine that allows us to reset and try again the next day.
For some, sleep is just another part of life. Like eating or breathing, it is an activity that sustains their lives and allows them to function.
For others, sleep is a magical place that they can never get to often enough.
When we were children, we were constantly pushing our boundaries, learning what we can do, and then going beyond what we have done. This involves taking risks, trying new things and learning about the world. For a child, everything is an adventure and horizons are constantly expanding.
As we get older, it is easy to become jaded—life becomes routine and we lose our ability to see new things even when they are right in front of us. We begin to acquire commitments and responsibilities, and we tend toward living safer, more stable lives. But does that mean that we shouldn’t continue to take risks or do exciting things? Absolutely not.
Adventure and stability are not mutually exclusive.
Some parts of our lives are fun, but other parts of it – not so much.
We all have responsibilities – things we have to do – things we do because we get paid to do them or because they are necessary parts of our lives.
But does that mean that these things can’t be fun?
Some people go through life with a sense of weight on their shoulders. Everything they do seems to involve drudgery, and they are constantly worried that something new will either add to the grind or throw everything out of whack.
Others always seem to be positive, happy and energetic. They breeze through mundane tasks and take on new challenges with creativity and vigor. They approach every aspect of their lives with a sense of joy.
How much of our lives is spent waiting for something to end?
The car ride while commuting to work, a boring meeting, waiting for a doctor or a flight—how many things fall into the category of waiting for time to go by?
At other times in our lives, we feel like we don’t have enough time; we have to prioritize and squeeze things in. Sometimes, we feel like we never have a moment to ourselves to decompress and regroup.
This dichotomy in our perception of the passing of time is not necessary. To address it, we have to pay attention to our wandering brains and direct them where to go.
How often are you truly excited about something?
It doesn’t have to be a big thing; we can be just as intensely excited about everyday things as we are about big, important things. In fact we should be.
Excitement is one of my keystone emotions. It is one that I constantly pursue and use to gauge the quality of my life. I like to be excited.
Excitement can come in many forms and from many sources. When some people think about being excited, it is often in anticipation of some big event or trip. But if we only get excited during experiences that are designed to give us excitement, we are missing out on all the things that have the potential to be exciting if we pay closer attention.