You know the feeling of experiencing something new – something you have never felt before. Like the feeling of your first kiss with someone you truly love – the way that your heart jumps into a petit jeté. Or seeing your first snowfall and feeling each flake kiss your skin; seeing the turning leaves of New England or the foaming tide of California. These moments are the ones that shape us; they form us. These are the moments that take our breath away; they make life worth living.
Last week, I took a cruise by myself on Mulholland Drive. Even though I have grown up in Los Angeles, I have never driven the famous road. It was an amazing experience. I was alone with an incredible place, stopping to see the breathtaking views of the city I have come to call "home". This got me thinking about how to have more moments just like this, where the view of your home literally steals the breath right out of your lungs and reminds how incredible the world actually is. So, how do we find these moments? Can we chase after them? Can we create them?
For one, we take risks. What if that kiss doesn’t live up to our expectations? What if that vacation to California makes your work email pile higher than you could possibly handle? Sometimes, we turn away from those questions and decide to just live life. I think that’s what life is all about, after all. It’s about the adventures. The moments we say, “So what,” and take a risk to experience something new. If you want to play with monkeys in Thailand while riding an elephant through a waterfall, then do that. We only have one life, so why not live it? Chase those moments that are new; that catch us.
Be curious. In the words of one of my greatest inspirers Walter Elias Disney, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Take advantage of new opportunities. The greatest thing I have done thus far in my life was move across the country for college. I didn’t know anyone over here. I had no friends, no family, but I saw an opportunity for new experiences. I have new friends, new weather, heck, I have even seen a plane get de-iced (something I would have never experienced had I stayed in Los Angeles). Seeing my friends dance around like no one is watching, or sitting on the Connecticut River are moments that take my breath away every single time. I moved across the U.S. because I was curious; curious about the word that lay beyond my minute perspective. With curiosity, we can create the breath-taking moments.
Seek the adventure. Don’t get stuck in the plans. Let life take you where it will. Fall in love, make compromises and just live life. Sometimes, if you let things be, you’ll find new experiences, you’ll find the moments. Look at the precious Carl and Ellie, although they never made it to Paradise Falls together, Carl realized that the real adventure was the life they led together. It was all the times they had to break open that saving jar to catch up on all the curve balls life thew at them. Because they had love and both followed their heart, they had one incredible life together. So, follow your heart because "adventure is out there!"
So be curious – wander and get lost. Take risks – sometimes ditch the things this world says are important and do something crazy. Seek the adventure – move place to place, find different jobs in different places and do what you love.
Let life take your breath away.
