The Life We’re Living

The Life We’re Living

Do you ever try to stuff yourself into the life of someone that you know you’re not but think you should be? Of course. We all do it in one way or another. We take jobs we know we don’t want, or go places we don’t really want to be, or even keep friends that don’t fit our lifestyle anymore. One of the ways I have done this is to overexert myself with traveling. Home is my heart in so many ways. But, just like fitting a mould, I wanted to love traveling. And, in so, so many ways, I do. I love experiencing new things. I am a good traveler and I entertain myself easily. I have adored my experiences.

It is not, however, where I cultivate my best self.

I have been traveling what feels like nonstop for years. I wrote about this recently when I talked about learning to say ‘no’. I want to go in more detail about why I feel the need to say no, and it isn’t just because of taking the “right” kinds of jobs or being tired or taking care of my health. It is much deeper than that.

I returned home from a trip last week, which I had been looking forward to because I knew it was my last trip until I had a full two months off from travel. I haven’t had two months off from travel in two years. I got home and after jet lag finally went away, I settled immediately into my happy place – my routine. Wake up just before 5am, hike, yoga, finish my emails, work on business and then dedicate myself to creativity, whether that be reading, writing or photography. I was drinking my yucky looking (but very yummy) green smoothies and finding more energy and getting overly excited about the little things, like moths and falling flowers and blue skies.

I was home – physically in my body, and in my mind.

I know, that sounds like hippie nonsense. But it is true in every sense. My body feels better, physically. My mind feels more focused. I am being more prolific. My desire to create is in full force. My ideas are flowing more naturally. I am more in tune with my deepest inspiration rather than the shallow variety (oh yes, there are many types of inspiration).

What an absolute joy to be in sync with yourself. For me, traveling feels like being out of sync.

I want to find deeper ideas, but they won’t come. I want to explore, but I am tired. I find an idea, but I don’t feel like creating it. My camera feels like a burden. My writing falls short. Out of sync.

I didn’t quite realize the extent of how bad I was feeling until this morning. I woke up smiling, I answered my emails so happily, with so much joy. I did yoga outside on a rock with the blazing sunrise behind me. I gave thanks for every little thing. It is easy to fall into a routine that isn’t natural to your being. Those kinds of routines feel like necessity, like waking up for a job you don’t like or traveling constantly or always being ‘on’ for social functions. Those routines can be learned but they don’t always bring joy. I woke up remembering what it feels like to, with my whole heart, desperately want to be in the life I am living.

I desperately want to be in the life I’m living.

What a way to feel, right? Now I have a standard to measure my decisions against. Would I feel desperate to live that moment, or would I rather let it pass?

Am I living in my bliss, or am I faking someone else’s?

What circumstances do you need to feel your best?

I’d love to hear the ways you feel your best, and maybe we can all learn a tip or two from any responses! Mine starts in being grounded (home), having routine (yoga/hiking, designated email time, etc.), and being able to set my schedule.


At the Promoting Passion Convention this year we will talk in depth about how to find/chase and be inspired by the life you want to live. How to creatively go after it, how to passionately live in it, and how to then encourage others to do the same. I’ve watched lives transformed from talking about this topic in the past and it is a beautiful thing.

Join us for PPC 2017 this year in Buffalo, NY from September 8-10, 2017. Spaces are very limited.

12 thoughts on “The Life We’re Living

  1. This post made me think of a poem by Buddy Wakefield:
    “Y’all, we’re all gonna die.
    That’s the exciting part.
    It’s learning how to live for a living,
    that’s the tricky stitch”

    I admire you so much for understanding what you need, both mentally and physically, and allowing yourself to have it. I think so many people get stuck trying to make sure everyone else’s needs are met and they don’t have time to do what makes their hearts happy anymore.
    You inspire me everyday ❤️

    My circumstances.. I think it’s actually being able to have time alone. I need to be alone to kinda be able to recharge.

    Sending you hugs!

  2. What a beautiful post! It is not easy to be in a state of balance and happiness expressed in our eyes or smile. Especially if we seek that balance and happiness only outside ourselves. In my view, the balance and happiness that connects us to life is in synchronizing our being with everything around us: with our friends, with our conquests, with our emotions, with our passions, with the nature and movement. The movement generates energy in us, which will nourish our creativity and our perseverance. Yet, being at rest can also be as important as being in movement. In a moment of rest, we can observe what surrounds us or in a close of eyes to feel our interior. So, I ride a bicycle in a morning routine and run at the end of the day. However, I also stop, whether at home or surrounded by nature, and let myself take in this deep meditation of my being. And lately I’ve been more standing, which is reflected in the bathroom scale! LOL! xoxo

    1. I think it is fantastic how active you are in your own wellbeing. I wish more people took good care of their needs! <3

  3. Brooke’s, it sounds like it is time for you to buy a house up on a mountain in the forest, and become a hermit artist that only goes to town for supplies once every few months. 🙂

    I am best in sync when I don’t have to work a day job, my day job is part time but can be a really pain in the neck!
    So for me being in sync is; working in my gardens; lots of creative time, and riding BMX which keeps me in the moment (because if your mind wanders while riding BMX, you get pounded into the ground! LOL). And I hate to say it, but a little video game time is really great. 😉
    I am quitting my job, as soon as they find a replacement worker for me. This will be a huge change! 🙂

    P.S.
    If the everyone did more “hippie nonsense” the whole world would be a better place!

    1. You know, I think it is about that time 😀 I’ll get groceries via Amazon and a garden and no one will ever see me again, wahoo!

      I was walking a trail today and thinking it would be fun to take a bike out there, but I’ve never done that before! Congrats on quitting your job! I hope it will bring you so much joy!

      1. Yes, get a bicycle! They are so much fun, they offer freedom like nothing else. Make sure you wear a helmet, they are hot, but well worth it!!! 🙂
        I am still working until my boss finds a replacement, which may be a while. 🙁 But the money is still nice. 🙂

  4. Such a beautiful blog post! I am in the process of getting to my happy place. The past 6 years have been full of ups and downs, mostly downs, which has made it hard to reach where I want to be. I have been doing art for 3 years, but I also still do family sessions, and I haven kept saying to myself ok this is the last year doing them and than I feel guilty that I am disappointing people and still do them. As this season starts for me, I am looking at it differently, like I have been awoken in a way, this will be the last year I am doing them. I want to come centrate fully on my art, I want to have my work in galleries and I know in my heart that is what I am meant to be doing. So for me I am headed to my full happiness, my work, my family, volunteering/fundraising and some time for myself. Now I just need to learn the art of balancing it all out!

  5. I love your blog, books, and photography very much. Your writing about passion, inspiration, and your artistic journey is of value to any creative person. A special request: would it be possible to enlarge the small font size of the blog body text to the more web-friendly 16 pixels, or thereabout, for greater ease of reading? Thank you kindly for considering this idea. Since best wishes.

    1. Hi Peggy! I’m currently attempting to change the font/size, but I’m so bad with technical ANYthing so it might take me some time to figure this out 😀 I am trying though, thank you for the suggestion!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *