What specific activity do you do to renew and recharge? That thing that can turn a bad week or month around in an instant. It wasn’t until I was 45 years old that I would have been able to definitively answer that question. And that was after my wife had been pointing it out to me for years (I know I’m stubborn).
I think knowing this about oneself might be one of the most important keys to a happy and balanced life. There are many things that can get us down in life. Unexpected trials, difficult personalities, and mean drivers to name a few.
But I have found that how I feel in my life is like a bowl filled with a liquid of amazingness. There are a myriad of things that drain away that amazingness. But conversely, there are things that fill it back up. And when our bowl is filled up life’s challenges seem fun, everyone is our friend, and nothing can shake our positivity.
The activity I do to renew and recharge is getting in the ocean. Any body of water will work. A river, lake, or even a bath. But to fill my bowl to the brim nothing is better or quicker than a few hours of getting wet while playing in the ocean. Surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, kiteboarding, or just floating on my back. My mind, body, and spirit all immediately start to feel better. It is like I am plugged into a vast network of positive energy. And it feels great!
What is that thing for you? Is it spending quality time with a specific person? Maybe hiking or biking out in nature? What about curling up by a fire with a good book in a room filled with peace and quiet? Take a few moments to see if you can identify it in your life. Or ask a loved one if they can see what it is for you (like my wife did for me). That thing that makes you light up. That activity that transforms grumpy you into happy you.
I think many times in life people end up chasing things like alcohol, drugs, retail therapy, and/or overeating to try to fill their bowl. It is a story as old as time. And yet these activities never really fill us up or make us truly content. That is why discovering your special recharging activity is so important.
I challenge you in the next 30 days to try to discover what makes you fill plugged in and recharged. Share what you discover with your friends and family. And then make sure you schedule in time to recharge yourself. Make it, and yourself, a priority.