There’s so many questions I could ask to start this one off so let’s get them all out there and in your head. What do you find yourself the most excited when you are doing? What do you do to get yourself excited about a new day? What is excitement even and what can we do with it?
I feel that in many ways excitement is what fuels my ability to love and the intensity with which I do. Excitement is where I find the oomph to follow through until I reach my goals, to set the time aside to really dive into something and seek understanding. When I’m lacking in excitement for life, my passions die down and my soul gets quiet, as if going into hibernation. It starts drifting away and fizzling out anytime I spend to much energy on something that isn’t meant for me.
I believe that excitement acts as an alarm – alerting you to the things that will set your soul on fire. Yet we often don’t follow it because we are taught from a very young age that the best thing we can do is seek security and stability. Excitement isn’t always secure or stable – in fact I’m not so sure that it ever is. So we don’t follow our passions, our dreams, the places the excitement draws us because there’s often a lot of fear surrounding anything that isn’t secure, stable or consistent.
But with the way our world is set up, there will inevitably be times that you have to do things that you aren’t excited about and don’t necessarily want to. In these times, I habit pair the less pleasant tasks with something that I’m able to build excitement about and when that’s not possible I try to sandwich them between two excitement inducing activities. This is how I create “movie moments” for myself rather than waiting for them to hit. When it comes down to it, our feelings are energy and we can either store energy or use it. Choose wisely.
Have you ever had an emotional reaction disproportional to a situation? Maybe you burst into tears after spilling your coffee or slipped into a fit of rage after someone cut you off in traffic during a morning that already wasn’t going as planned. I remember being at the gym with my mom and she called my dad to let him know that we were on the way home and to put the potatoes in the oven. She called twice and he missed the call both times and just like that, she was pissed – acknowledged that she shouldn’t be, but remained pissed.
I’ve caught myself – far too often – punching walls, counters, my car, my legs, and honestly anything within reach that wasn’t another person. Every time someone has told me that I scare them I find myself so caught off guard wondering what they could possibly mean. It’s only in the moments that I remember that all of the people that have said that have seen me explode in one way or another. Before I knew how to pour excitement into my life, I fueled it with anger. That’s what happens when when you continue bottling up all of the bad in hopes that no one will notice it or maybe that it will go away. Energy can’t just disappear, you have to do something with it.
So what are we supposed to do? How do we use energy in a way that is beneficial rather than destructive? How do we pour it into something instead of it erupting like a bomb. The best thing we can do is lean into our feelings and acknowledge them rather than hide them. They serve a purpose, they act as built in indicators no less important than the fire alarms strategically placed throughout your life to keep you safe. The problem lies in the fact that we’ve become so conditioned to trusting everything external and nothing within ourselves. What if you have all of the answer that are right, for you, though and relying on everyone and everything else keeps leading you to the wrong answers?
Personally, I find my excitement in falling in love – with something, someone, somewhere, it doesn’t matter which really. I do my best when I’m living a life rich in variety – different activities, new places, new people, building connections, unique challenges, opportunities for growth I didn’t even know I needed, new music. The variety to things which I need variety in seems to be endless. I know that about myself, though, and it means I can use that information to say yes for the things that are for me rather than try on things that aren’t or set parts of myself aside in an attempt to adapt.
What if, as the negative emotions popped up we took it as a sign that something isn’t working for us. We can then identify the conflict, and then released the emotion and choose to stop putting ourselves in the “not for us” situation? Then, as positive emotions and peace take their place, we can pour that positive energy into creating the life of our dreams.
When people say to do more of what you love, take it as a literal suggestion rather than a cheesy saying. Doing what you love is what makes your life fall into place and attracts what is meant for you. It makes the necessary things that you may not enjoy doing feel a little less burdensome because you’re able to carry a bit of the left over excitement over to the next activity. Find the things around you that you enjoy and appreciate, and focus on those – be grateful for them. Learn how to use your energy in a way that works for you.
Much love, until next time.
Madeline May I... 