Pillar 2 - Positive emotions Pillar 3 - Engagement & Flow

5 tips to feel fully alive

When do you feel most alive?

 

You know, that feeling of truly living? Excited about life, immersed in feeling it with all your senses?

 

Here are some of common moments like this for me:

 

  • when I am by the sea 🌊, alone, immersed in nature, moving my body 🤸♀️, ideally with a bit of a breeze – it could be run, hike, cycle, yoga, doesn’t really matter, there is something about this magical environment combined with movement that really does the magic for me

  • when I am reading a rarely great book 📗 (How to think more effectively by School of life was a recent example) – and when I am allowing myself to get immersed in it, not thinking of anything else, not doing anything else

  • designing a workshop 🤓 – I love creating a plan and content for a new workshop – there is just something inspiring about planning how to make learning experience interesting and insightful 💡 (I also love training new trainers at Trainers Toolbox to do it :))

  • delivering a speech or a workshop 🎤 – I love talking about the topics I love, and hearing new perspectives on topics I find interesting 

  • scuba diving 🤿 or snorkelling – the silence, the full immersion in the sea, the movement in 3 dimensions, and a beautiful wildlife – it gives me the feeling of silent wonder 

  • travel 🗺️ – different views, change of sceneries, exciting architecture or enchanting nature, travel to new places never stops to feel like an adventure 

  • a meaningful conversation 💬 – could be with fellow trainers, with special someone or with a dear friend, but what makes it magical is the sense of new insights and perspective, as well as the sense of sharing a special moment with a wonderful person 

The list goes on – but what matters more is what is your list

 A moment to reflect 

 What are those moments in your life – the moments when you feel truly alive?

 

 How can you bring in more of those moments in your life?

 

 Don’t rush off to keep reading – take a moment to truly think – how can you do (even) more of what makes you come alive? 

Here are 6 tips to have (even) more of these moments

1. Whatever is that you do - do only that

Whatever it is that you are doing right now, you are giving it a small chunk of your life. 

You are spending minutes on it that you will never get back.

 

So how can you make sure that it’s worth it?

 

By getting the best out of it!

By savouring it, by learning out of it, by making it memorable. 

 

Be in it with your full heart 🫀 and full attention – or not at all!

2. Choose your experiences intentionally

Be intentional. Think, how do I wanna spend my time? How do I wanna spend my day?

 

What would give me a moment of joy, what would feel meaningful right now?

 

Put in an effort to protect your time and space for the things, the places, the people that inspire you. 

 

(If you need ideas on how to live more intentional life, I spoke about it recently at my TEDx Talk – check it out here)

3. Use emotions as a compass

Notice what is happening for you in different moments.

 

Pay attention. 

 

What do you feel, what thoughts are running through your head, what signals is your body sending you? 

 

Don’t numb yourself (too often) with chocolate, a drink or Netflix. 

 

Use sparks of joy and moments of tingling excitement to recognize how they are pointing you to something that you want to grow more of. 

 

Recognize moments of anger, frustration or sadness as pointers to what are the things that you need to work through and learn to manage better. 

 

(and if you would like to get better at listening to yourself, practice Self check in often – you can find the guidance for Self-check in in this 10-min-youtube-video)

4. Work on your beliefs about life

If you believe life is tough and life is a struggle, no matter how many of good moments you have,, you won’t enjoy them and savour them fully.

 

Living life that is full of positive energy, engagement, joy, meaningful connections starts from believing that that is how life should (and could) be.

 

If you have any doubts about it – it is time to work on those doubts and those beliefs!

 

Open yourself up for more, ask for more from life and believe that you deserve it – and the new paths to fulfilling life experiences will open up ahead of you. 

5. Rebel against social media

The other day I was sitting on an island mountain top with one of the most spectacular views in the world.

It’s 360 degrees of magic around you, with mediterranean scents, glancing over small islands with turquoise sea around them, large butterflies fluttering around you.

 

I was almost alone. The only other person on the peak was a lady my age with 2 kids running around her. 

 

Guess what was she doing?

 

While kids were playing and exploring the environment, she was on her phone, scrolling tirelessly for most of her time there.  

 

I know, I know – we’ve all been there – that moment when phone pulls in your attention with something that is truly not the most relevant nor the most beautiful thing in that moment. 

 

Yet what a waste!

 

To be in a gorgeous place, one that is designed to create a moment of awe, appreciation, wonder…. and to lose that because of getting distracted by social media?  

 

Want more LIVING? Drop the scrolling. It is killing our attention span and ability to focus – and it is stealing away moments that we will never get back.

6. Embrace the unique opportunities that life presents you with

Or even better, create those opportunities. 

 

Life is full of adventures – but often our eyes are closed for them. 

Sometimes, we are too busy or too tired to notice the opportunity for a meaningful, fulfilling experience. 

Other times, we think it is something out of our reach – something we don’t deserve or we cannot afford. 

 

There could be many reasons why we miss chances – yet in the end when we look back at out life, those unusual adventures and chances that we did choose to jump into are what makes our dearest memories. 

 

And if you are in a search of your next adventure:

Deep Dive Into Flow:  A Happiness Academy course designed to bring new levels of engagement into your life with science-based tools!

Now – action time!

 Moment to reflect

 

 Which of the 6 tips will you make part of your week? 

 

 Which other tip would you add to this list?

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