Expand

I just read a beautiful quote about expanding in life and it has me thinking. It seems to me that most adults live within a kind of box, hopefully a comfortable box, but a box nonetheless. A confined space, reined in by expectations and responsibilities. Life becomes a kind of groundhog day and it is very easy to just plod along, head down, goals in place, going through the motions without much ever changing. Every now and then we experience something that opens our eyes and hearts and souls in a new way, and then we go back to the norm. What if life is about more than that norm? Maybe it’s time we looked to expand instead of staying in our boxes.

What if we sought more of those moments that make us feel so alive we could burst, when we feel God, when we get butterflies in our stomach, when we are so entrenched in what we’re doing that we lose track of time?

I think the awareness that we’re living this tucked in, safe version of life is the first step to living a more meaningful, happier life. (Even if you are already pretty happy right now) The next step is wanting more than that tucked-in version, wanting something different, allowing yourself that wanting.

And I’m not talking drastic measures, retreats in India, running away from home on a newly-purchased Harley Davidson, and looking for answers in a redwood forest. I’m just talking about how we can find more magic in life, feel “lit up” by something more often, grow as people- intellectually, interpersonally, spiritually- instead of staying the same and running the risk of stagnating.

“Expand” will mean different things to different people, and can often take place in your own home. No motorcycle or swami pants required!

Mixed in among the next steps are…

thinking about what you want when you think of expanding

and

opening your eyes to the possibilities

 

We can expand all parts of our lives- our minds, our souls, our relationships, the different pieces that make up our daily life (remember the Wheel of Life I talked about a while back?).

Expand…Your Mind

There are lots of good ways to do this, and sometimes it might take a while to find what feels right to you…

◊The easiest way is to read a good book. Try different types of books- nonfiction, memoirs, personal development. Ask people about their favorite books. Not much of a reader? Try an audiobook. Or read “young adult” books…(I’m a big fan of some of those!)

◊Watch new things…try documentaries, different kinds of movies, new shows on TV that might teach you something and get you thinking. (Expanding your mind while sitting on your own comfy couch sounds pretty good…and God knows most of us have had plenty of couch time this year!)

◊Take a class or go back to school. Go to a free talk at the library. Sign up for a webinar. Check out online sites like Teachable and Thinkific. So many options…

My dad loved learning and despite being technically challenged (he called the iPad we got him for Christmas one year “the machine” and when email became mainstream at work he would print them out to read them) signed up for online classes through Hillsdale College somewhere around the age of 80!

◊Listen to podcasts. There are soooooo many of them…Oddly enough, the Joe Rogan Experience was the first podcast I listened to! I’m thinking I’m probably not his targeted audience, but I’ve learned a lot from his podcast. On long car rides when my podcast ends my phone will automatically play one of my husband’s and Joe Rogan is one of his favorites. I’ve learned more about elk hunting and micro-dosing than I ever imagined I would, but I’ve also learned a lot about health and fitness stuff and found myself inspired to be a better person after listening to some episodes.

I listen to a lot of career stuff (like Don’t Keep Your Day Job with Cathy Heller) which might not be of interest to everyone. But if you google people you find inspiring you can often find them in interviews on other people’s podcasts even if they don’t have their own.

You can listen to TedTalks too.

I love listening to stuff while I’m cleaning…it makes cleaning a little more bearable 🙂

◊Give meditation a try if you haven’t already. You can read more about it here, but checking out a free app like Insight Timer is an easy place to start.

It might feel weird at first, but there are so many possibilities and this is a great way to open up to expanding…

Expand…Your Body

You might be thinking the last thing you want to do is expand your body. (Especially if you’re sporting a little quarantine fluff like this girl.) But what I mean here is expanding what your body is capable of…stretching it, taking it to new limits.

This can mean anything from walking and stretching to trying a test of endurance and strength- like a 5K or a half-marathon or a marathon.

It can mean picking up a new active hobby, trying a new sport, picking up that tennis racket again.

Try a new form of exercise, join a gym, take a yoga class. Get a little crazy and take a hot yoga class!

Sky-dive, go horseback riding, snorkel, learn how to surf. Whatever it is, just try something new or set new goals for yourself.

My husband (crazy-runner-and-you-can’t-even-imagine-what-he’s-obsessed-with-now-guy) talks about doing things that are “feats of strength.” There is a kind of satisfaction and pride that comes from reaching milestones, from being able to do things you couldn’t do before. Expand what your body can do…it will affect other parts of your life as well. Think pull-ups, push-ups, weight lifting.

I can probably do zero pull-ups without some form of assistance right now. But I remember the first time I did a real pull-up- just one- vividly. I cried, my kids cheered, and it was a really good feeling.

“Expanding your body” to me also means taking care of your body. Maybe in a whole new way. Take health to a new level…nourish your body in ways you haven’t been. Try healthy foods. Cook for yourself. Drink water.

Expand the idea of what caring for your body means to you…See food as fuel. View sleep as a restoration and reset. Raise the bar on taking care of your physical self.

Expand…Your Life

“Life” is a pretty big category. I can lump all sorts of things into this one. But here are some ideas I’m thinking of…

⊕relationships- Use this as a chance to think about the relationships in your life and where some might need a little extra attention right now. Make time to expand them. Go a little deeper, find new ways to connect, have deep conversations, take a walk together.

It also might mean new relationships…Try making a new friend. Go somewhere you’re likely to meet someone with common interests or someone who is also trying to branch out a little. Does this sound awkward? Yes, it does. But meeting different kinds of people and opening up to new relationships is bound to help you grow.

⊕fun- What do you do for fun? How much time do you spend doing things that are fun? Fun for you, not just something you have fun doing because someone you love has fun doing it. (I’m thinking Barbies or Superheroes here unless you’re into that sort of thing..)

Living a joyful life is important. We often don’t make having fun a priority, but maybe we should. Maybe having allowing more time for fun, frivolous stuff would open us up to more happiness in other parts of life.

⊕creativity- For most adults creativity gets pushed to the back of the attic. Or the spidery basement. Unless you have the chance to get creative at work you may not tap into creativity at all.

And if you are creative at work, do you give yourself time to be creative outside of work, just for you?

I used to think I wasn’t very creative because I’m not an artist or a musician, but creativity comes in lots of different ways. Give yourself some time to explore.

⊕work- Do you have a career you love? If you said yes that’s amazing…but you can still think of ways you can grow at work.

If you don’t “love” your career, but you’re content, what could you do to make it better? To increase your happiness and fulfillment there? Maybe it’s an idea for a project, or teaming up with someone for camaraderie and inspiration, or changing up the way you do things.

If you hate your job, what are your options? For most of us, we can’t just quit a job we hate. But sometimes we need to weigh the soul-sucking against the benefits. And maybe not storm in and quit, but maybe get your wheels spinning about what options are out there for you if you start looking for them…

Maybe you’re close to a retirement that you’ve worked too hard for and put too much time into. Then what can you do to make your last bit of time there better?

Work is a big part of life; most of us spend a lot of time there and it impacts the other areas of our lives too. I’m not naive enough to think this one will be easy and we’ll all sail off into the sunset in our dream jobs, but maybe dreaming isn’t such a crazy idea? I mean, why not dream big? Work hard, be responsible, but know that there’s a world of opportunities out there.

And enjoy the nook you’re in, too…

None of this means there’s anything wrong with living a comfortable life and loving where you’re at right now.

You can love your life and look to expand at the same time. It’s taking “loving your life” to a new level. Loving more, living more, and sharing that philosophy with the people around you. It’s leveling up and maybe inspiring someone else to level up, too.

It can mean enjoying the nuances of daily life (including ice cream and mindless TV on the couch and perseverating on what color to paint your living room) while looking to grow, too.

Do you crave “expansion”? Is there an area of life where you feel stuck? Or do you just feel like there must be more to this life than the day-to-day life you’re living? I would LOVE to hear from you! Comment here, email me at mary@stayathomefit.com or visit me on Facebook or Instagram.

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