Alert, Awake, Active and Alive

Have you seen our Facebook cover this month? If not, go and check out our page. It’s a very dynamic image of a snowboarder.
It made me smile when I thought about it. I’m sitting in a café in Andalo, a small northern Italian town in Trentino province. This place looks like it was established especially for those enjoying winter sports. This is pretty much all you can do here and quite frankly all you should do here. If you don’t, than what are you doing here in the first place?

Every tourist is wearing full skiing gear. Even if they are just taking a walk around town. As if at any moment there could be yet another opportunity for them to ski or snowboard. Everyone is ready, alert, awake and active. The day starts early. Everyone wants to make the most of these really freezing but bright, beautiful and sunny days. Little shops around town sell mainly sports clothes and anything else you could think of for your winter activities. Even for children as young as 5. I saw a kid on the street with a gold medal. He is already “the best” at something. Can you imagine the atmosphere? A small town, quiet (you would think), but no one here sits still. If you’re here, you’ve got to be active.

All this made me realise that here in Italy, I’m right in the middle of our monthly theme. In a place and with people, who are most definitely revved up. This is my first-hand experience. I can see it and I can feel it. For me it’s a great start for the New Year. I’m here for the first time and coming to Italy I didn’t realise that it would fit so well with my personal idea for 2016 – to feel that I’m alive (more than ever before). Sounds obvious, maybe even quite general but it’s very accurate description of what I’m trying to achieve. The truth is that at times I feel that I miss out on simply just being alive. How come? Because of my thinking that gets in the way. My careful planning… of everything really, weighing the pros and cons,  my perfectionism and “not starting until you’re completely ready”. If that also sounds familiar to you, you get the idea. We often don’t have (and can’t have) all the answers but I “love” my apparent sense of control. It gets in the way of that simple joy of life but I tend to hold on to it for dear life. What for! Too much planning, thinking, making sense of things, trying to understand, put together and organise.

Tina Fey once said “Say Yes and you’ll figure it out afterwards”. This sums up what I mean pretty well. We all have so much life to live. It comes down to our daily choices that ultimately define how full-on our experience is. In life we either play it safe or we’re up for it. As if at any minute another adventure could unfold. And just like all the enthusiasts of the winter sports here in Andalo, we want to be fully equipped and ready to say “Yes” at any moment. For me 2016 will be about not knowing and being ok with it, about letting go in order to experience more.
Because if you’re alive – you’re awake, alert, active and ready. Ready to Go & Live with energy, truly revved up.

What is your 2016 theme?
What does being alive mean to you in 2016?
What activities, challenges and adventures would give you this full-on experience of life?
You don’t want to miss out on things, do you?
I most definitely don’t.

P.s. Brene Brown recommended this book a number of times. It’s a perfect read for 2016 – “Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes