When Does Time Cease to Exist for You?
Last month was my 25th wedding anniversary, but with everything going on—the pandemic, the election, racial injustice, the disruption of our daily life—it was hard to muster the mood to plan a special occasion. But this was a big milestone and we were determined to celebrate.
We decided to drive to Zion National Park in Utah. As we walked into an outfitter store, I was immediately drawn to a picture of canyoneering—exploring a canyon by hiking, scrambling, sliding and rappelling. That sounded fun to me and we decided to go for it.
It felt amazing to be out in nature using my body to scramble up the red-rock canyon and feeling exhilarated rappelling down the side of the mountain. The views from the top of the rock and in the canyon were breathtaking—mother nature at its finest.
Although I can’t go canyoneering in Zion every day, what was it about this experience that enabled me to feel so engaged and alive?
I was honoring my value of adventure.
Think about when you feel like you are “in the flow”—when time doesn’t seem to exist. Are you working on a project that is meaningful to you? Are you having a great conversation with a co-worker, friend, or spouse? Are you volunteering for a cause that you are passionate about?
When you feel a surge of energy and time ceases to exist, you are living your life how you truly want—you are aligned with your core values. When you feel drained, you are in a situation that is not aligned with what is important to you.
Identifying your unique values and bringing awareness to when you are and are not living your life by those values, is a game changer. When you are clear on your values it is easier to make decisions because you know what matters most to you.
Many of us are not aware of what makes us feel alive. The secret to increasing your energy and feeling more engaged in life is to spend more time doing what is meaningful to you.
How do I do that? Try this exercise:
Make a list of your daily activities.
Identify if the activity increases or decreases your energy.
Take steps to change what is decreasing your energy.
Focus on increasing activities where your energy is high.
Take note of what is meaningful to you (your core values.)
Through this exercise, you are consciously allocating time to areas that are important to you: family, work, health, or service, to name a few.
When we bring more of our values into our daily life, we are more engaged in our activities and feel more alive and joyful, no matter what is going on in the world around us.
“When you are in alignment with the desires of your heart, things have a way of working out.” – Iyanla Vanzant
