Last time you felt alive?
Noticing the present moments
Written by Jenna, Edited by Jess
Over the holiday break, my mom and I did a “Jazz Funk” dance class together. While I danced as a kid, I hadn’t learned a choreographed routine in over 20 years! At first, I felt clunky as I tried to follow the instructor and remember the next move in the sequence, then piece it all together to the music. Clearly, I was very much in my head.
As we eased in and ran the routine more and more times, I started to hit cruising altitude. I let go of trying to nail every move perfectly and just had fun with it. I enjoyed the quality time with my mom – moving, laughing, being silly, connecting back to my inner kid – and became fully present. When I reflect back on the experience, I realize I felt truly ALIVE!
In the group coaching program we co-lead (called Alive), we always start with an icebreaker question. In our very first meeting, we ask: When was the last time you felt most alive?
This question often brings pause. High-achieving business school students are usually moving quickly from one thing to the next, planning for what’s ahead. This isn’t a question they’ve spent much time considering or keeping top of mind. Given the demands of life, it is likely an uncommon reflection question for most of us!
The students’ responses are always touching. They felt alive during the bigger moments. Walking the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain. Surprising family in India for a relative’s birthday. A road trip with friends. Yet they also felt alive in the small moments. Trying a new recipe. Hiking in nature. Swimming in the ocean. Singing at a concert. Practicing yoga. Sitting in the sun.
While the specific answers are always unique, the core themes remain the same. The moments that feel most alive tend to involve connection – with others, with nature, with their bodies. They include movement, laughter, presence, and being fully in the moment.
Coming alive isn’t just reserved for big milestone moments. It doesn’t always require a vacation, a major life change, or a perfectly curated experience. Feeling alive can show up in ordinary moments, when we let ourselves drop out of our heads and into the present.
Just like my Jazz Funk dance class. A random hour on a holiday break. No expectations. No productivity goals. Just movement, connection, and play!
Once we become aware of what makes us feel alive, we gain agency to create more of those moments. Rather than waiting for “aliveness” to simply arrive, we can intentionally make room for it now!
Next Steps:
Write down 3 examples of when you felt most alive. What patterns or themes do you notice in your alive moments?
What’s one thing you’d like to commit to this week to support you in feeling more alive?