This week Awesome Stories bring you hula hooping, hibernation, the meaning of life, walking for health and zestful living.
Hoop Dancing
Katie Sunshine sure knows how to make hooping fun and interesting. In this video, she uses a hoop with holes to paint while dancing! She makes it look easy, but I’ve tried hooping and can’t even keep the hoop moving. Keep on shining Katie! 🙂
Hibernation for Health
Winter tends to encourage most of us to do a little less, be indoors and be more introspective. Andreana Lefton writes about how she uses hibernation as a conscious tool to retreat, restore, tune into silence and connect with the bigger rhythms of life. It’s easy to get caught up in our busy lives. She offers some soothing ideas for tuning into the silence using the gifts of hibernation to guide the way. I love this idea of taking a conscious hibernation. How about you?
Walking for Health
I love walking and keep pretty active with walking, biking and hiking. This article lists 8 reasons to adopt a car-free lifestyle. Walkable communities are more desireable, attracting people who enjoy the easy access and lifestyle of being able to walk to work, play and home. I know our downtown area has seen quite a renaissance of local, hip businesses that cater to the urban lifestyle, including our developing walking and biking trail system. Truthfully, I miss living downtown with the walkable access to many people, places and events. Now, I walk less, drive more and stay home more since moving to the suburbs. Obviously, going carless and walking is good for personal health, air quality and reducing impact on the planet. A win for all.
The Meaning of Life
Sometimes I get bogged down in deep philosophical questions like ‘what is the meaning of life?’ Other times, I relax and feel the main purpose of life is to love more. Many of us are encouraged to pursue happiness as the key to a good life, yet I agree with Christine Carter that happiness is the wrong goal. There is no doubt that feeling happy can add texture to our lives, but pursuing happiness may actually chase it away. Ultimately, pursuing a meaningful life is what creates the most long-term satisfaction. Here is another post I wrote called The Meaning of Happiness.
The Joy of Living
Here is a touching article about a man called Smith who found and shared his joy for life. The author, Richard Whittaker, talks about the flair and enthusiasm that Smith displayed for life. “I remember the unapologetic joy he took in being alive.” Many of us tend to forget or overlook the simple joys in our pursuits of fame, fortune and happiness. Smith found great delight in life, art and beauty. He was both an artist and enthusiastic lover of life. I’d like to be remembered as someone like Smith who expresses a great zest for living.
I hope you have a zestful week!
writing to freedom 
Thank you, Brad, for sharing another selection of wonderful stories and links. I look forward to delving more deeply into each, and sharing a few of them, too. The magic of hibernation I’m well acquainted with (and also know how ‘at odds’ it is with our perpetual-busy culture!), and I’ve been experimenting with the ‘car free’ for years now (also at odds in many places, though normal in others). What an enjoyable menu of inspiring reminders you’ve shared! Blessings, Jamie
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Wonderful Jaime! I admire you for experimenting with car-free. I aspire to live car free and have lived in places where I could walk and bike to more places.
Enjoy your delving, hibernating and whispers of spring! hugs, Brad
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Great stories this week, Brad! I enjoyed watching the Katie Sunshine’s hoop painting video, it looked like a lot of fun, and the art that ended up on her body as well as her hoop afterwards was pretty too! 🙂
The walking for health article made me feel a little sad because I adore walking, but am unable to because of my knees. I am able to bike though, and my hope is that this summer I’ll be able to get out and about more on my new bicycle, doing my errands, and just exploring more of the city. I did a bit of that last summer already (mostly reacquainting myself with riding along the Mississippi River), but I hope to implement more in the way of doing errands and such. I’ve been really itching to get out on my bike lately, but it’s still way too cold for me. There are people here who ride bike all during the winter though, it’s crazy, especially when it’s 20 below, but I see them out there! I bet the person who wrote the ‘8 reasons to adopt a car-free lifestyle’ article wasn’t taking our harsh winters into consideration haha!
Your mentioning pursuing happiness reminds me of a post I’ve had sitting in my drafts since last summer, it’s just a quote with a photo, I was hoping to add my own thoughts to it, but maybe it suffices all on its own, perhaps I’ll have to share it this upcoming week. 🙂
I loved reading the article about Smith, I want to be just like him when I grow up! 😉
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Can we both be like Smith? XD Like you, I’m a fair weather biker, though I like to keep active as I feel so much better. I hope you get out more this summer. It would be fun to paint while hooping, though I’d have to learn how to hoop first! 🙂
To loving ourselves as we are while we aspire to more. Hugs, Brad
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Hi Brad, I enjoyed the distinction you wrote about between happiness and meaning. I think for me there is no lasting happiness without connecting with what is truly meaningful, and in a sense we too often put the cart before the horse. I think often when we search for happiness, it is because we’re searching for meaning, and then we begin to work with the idea that meaning is something our ‘ego’ has been selling us a bill of goods about for quite some time. We’ve been chasing rainbows so to speak. Meaning arises right where we’re at… when we’re not convinced it’s somewhere else… 🙂
Peace
Michael
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Well stated Michael. Now, it’s time to go create some meaning in my life. 🙂
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These are all wonderful stories this week, Brad. But, I am going to focus on one that goes against the grain of what you might expect for my usual demeanor – but for a good reason. The idea of walking for health really resonated with me, probably because I have been doing it quite fanatically for the past almost two years without fail. I park at the far end of parking lots, I take the steps instead of the elevator, I walk to errands that I can instead of driving. And the funny thing is that it helps so much more than your physical health. It helps the mental, the spiritual, and even the social health aspects of your life. I have hatched the ideas for stories while strolling around. I have felt and indescribable feeling of contentedness at moments during these walks. I have even greeted strangers only to have their simple facial expressions and responses tell so much more – did I say that these walks helped to hatch story ideas – think George and Fred 😉
Thanks, as always, Brad for the dose of inspirational caffeine to accompany that in my coffee. I always look forward to the gems you are going to find. It’s a perfect way to begin my Sunday morning with a cup of coffee and a few inspiring and awesome stories 🙂
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I happy to be part of your inspiration Dave. 🙂 It sounds like you’ve found a wonderful routine with your walking. When I lived more central and walked to many places, I felt alive and connected, besides physically healthier. The walking pace seems more conducive to connection than our busy and insulated car-centered lives. I believe that we are meant to be more active and mobile, but that’s another post. 🙂
To Fred, George and walking!
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I must show my Granddaughter the Hoola Hoop dance.. I bought her a small on last Summer.. and she spent lots of time trying to master not getting it around her ankles.. ( She was 4 in Dec.. ).. I got it out again the other day on a Sunny day.. She was delighted she managed to twirl it 6 times before it fell to the ground.. 🙂
We have missed our walking I confess this winter.. and when I did lol I went flying! 🙂 Walking is the best exercise.. I will be thankful in a couple of weeks as I start to plant and plan out where everything is going in the allotments.. Thats the best part of Spring for me.. 🙂
Yes I am with you Brad, on us at times getting bogged down with the serious stuff of life.. I can not fault you there..
Great Awesomeness as usual dear Brad.. 🙂 I hope your week is going well?
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What fun Sue. I’m glad you have a granddaughter to walk, play, hula and love. I’m wanting to get out and more active too. Sounds like you’re itching for spring and gardening. My week is OK. I’m in job search mode again. It would be nice to get some stable income! 🙂
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What an awesome collection. Although it took me some time to savor each one…
Loved the beautifully penned Gifts of Hibernation. It is so important to tune out the world’s constant buzz and just be. A lot of people can’t tolerate alone time, but the payoffs far outweigh any discomfort. As for walking, I am so fortunate to live in a place where we can (and do) walk to everything year round. I completely agree with your assessment that pursuing a meaningful life leads to happiness and not the other way around. Lastly, ironically, I lived in the Oakland Hills from 2000 – 2004 but never saw Mr. Smith (and I walked to the “village” frequently). Then again, I drove an old Honda at the time — not the fancy/speeding cars that Richard referenced again and again. Ha! This must have all changed after I moved? LOL Smith seemed like a great guy though. Sorry I missed him.
Thanks for another great week, Brad! 😘
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Hi Shauna. I sure appreciate your enthusiastic support and how you dive into each story. Savoring is good!
I miss my walking lifestyle now that I live in a more suburban part of town. Wouldn’t it be fun to meet a character like Mr. Smith. Thank you for your friendship and support. Have an awesome week! 🙂
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Happy I found your blog! Nice to meet you 🙂
Estela
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Thank you Estela. Welcome to my blog. I look forward to connecting. blessings, Brad
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