What does it mean to be alive?

This has been explored at length in fiction – Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are just two of the works that come to mind. In these stories the monsters think, speak, move about, and interact with others, but Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster are not truly alive.   They lack an intrinsic something that sets them apart and often at odds with the ordinary human beings in their stories.

Several years ago, I came to the conclusion that though I was thinking, speaking and moving about, often frenetically, my life had very little life in it.

So I began to ponder this idea of life. What does it mean to be fully alive? By no means do I feel like I have a definitive answer, but I’ve made some interesting discoveries.

The most surprising to me was that life is about relationship. An inveterate loner, I have come to realize that relationship is quite possibly the only thing that makes life worth living. People are a tremendous gift. Not only are good healthy relationships a whole lot of fun, but spending time with other people, genuinely listening and caring about them, is the best way to get over myself. When life is all about me, it’s a dead yawn. When I’m seeking to value and serve others, there’s a whole lot of sparkle and fizz in my day.

For me, life is also less about trying to make things happen than it is enjoying what’s happening in the right now. I find that when I’m really present in the moment it becomes deeper and richer and more solid than anything I’ve ever manipulated, forced or cajoled into being. To stop striving after what I think I ought to have and to appreciate what’s right in front of me has enriched my life immeasurably. I’ve missed some tremendous gifts in my rush to reach the goal or complete the plan.

Which is not to say I’ve given up on goals or planning. If anything my goals are more fixed and my plans more solid. But I’ve learned that my plans and my goals should never be more important than the person right in front of me. Than taking a few seconds to notice the warmth of the sunshine on my face. Than breathing.

Life is fleeting, and if I’m going to live it with joy and energy and verve then, baby, I’ve got grasp it and hang on tight. This world and all its challenges and negativity wants to suck the life right out of me, but I will not be deflated.

I was created to live and to live life abundantly. With others. With thoughtfulness. With intention. With great joy and deep peace.

What brings you life?