This week's word is ALIVE. Our feelings about being ALIVE are best expressed in these quotes:
"I believe that if you don't derive a deep sense of purpose from what you do... if you don't come radiantly ALIVE several times a day... if you don't feel deeply grateful at the tremendous good fortune that has been bestowed on you... then you are wasting your life. And life is too short to waste." Srikumar Rao
"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy... if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you... if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand... Rejoice, for your soul is ALIVE." Eleonora Duse
"I don't believe that people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being ALIVE." Joseph Campbell
Michelle Larson - I feel most ALIVE when I am immersed in a foreign place; absorbing the energy, witnessing the devotion, experiencing the culture in a meaningful way. This photo was taken of me in Varanasi, India. I was in a row boat on the sacred Ganges River. The candle and flowers are an offering to the Gods; a wish or a prayer. I was mid-wish as this photo was taken... then I placed the candle in the water and watched it float to meet the hundreds of other flames, with their reflections dancing while they manifested.
Julie Cimpko - About eight years ago, a friend of mine took me to my very first dance class. I’ve never had any formal training and learning something new as an adult, well, it was more than intimidating. My choice of fitness had always been something more hardcore like bootcamp, weight training, running for a crazy amount of miles. What I’ve learned from dance is gratitude for my body, the grace of movement and the space to get out of my own head. It is when I truly feel ALIVE. (Photograph taken in Laguna Beach, CA)
Chelsea Hipley - I have never felt so alive. I reflected a lot this weekend about where I’ve been, and how excited I am to see where I’m going! I am so happy with the life I’ve made for myself. The guidance I’ve received, the encouragement and the love from those I choose to surround myself with has all helped shape the woman I’ve become. There were times in life where I’ve felt so stuck, desperately wanting a change but too terrified to do anything about it. But I’ve come to realize, if you never take flight, you will never soar. (Photograph taken in Laguna Niguel, CA)
Susan Shepardson - To me, the world is so full of wonder, alive and beautiful. I chose to write a haiku because the poems are simple and written to evoke images of the natural world, two of my favorite things!
Madeline Lovejoy - Rollercoasters and ferris wheels and rides make me feel alive, exhilarated and a little scared, and totally caught in the moment and the thrill, able to regain a sense of wonder. "...and I am perpetually awaiting a rebirth of wonder." ~excerpt from Lawrence Ferlinghetti's 'I Am Waiting', from "Coney Island of the Mind." photo taken at the San Diego fair, 2011.