June 21, 2007

How to Be Alive and 10 Ways to Celebrate It!

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 7:58 am

Give It a Try

silhouette of girl splashing water at sunset

Oh yeah, science has defined and described life — no disputing that. It’s that time that occurs between birth and death that we fill up with breathing, eating, sometimes sleeping, preserving the species, and whatever thoughtful and mindless else we might devise.

To get beyond the state of being to having meaning is an art and a craft. The trick is finding the space between the literal and the figurative.

If you want to give it a try . . .

How to Be Alive

In some ways, being alive is a mystical balancing act. It takes thinking and feeling about ideas, things, and people. Actually being alive is deliberate and spontaneous. It’s getting all systems go while being totally still. It can be done. I’ve actually met people who are alive!

Here’s a way to give it a go.

  • Check your life signs. Even though working lungs and a beating heart are clear necessities of living, most of us hold our breath and lose our hearts when we’re overwhelmed. We crawl up into our heads and forget who we are.

  • Know that you can’t get a life — you’ve already got one. If you don’t have one, you’re not reading this.

  • Bring things to life. Be there and show up with all that you are. We get back what we invest.

  • Hold onto your wonderful memories, but let go of the rest. Keeping too much makes us less, holding onto less makes us more.

  • Work hard to reach for your potential, but be easy on yourself. We all need love — our own most of all.

  • Be true to life. Listen to what you knew when you were born. We start out wise, authentic, and letting the world know we’re here. That’s the part we call spirit. We know. We did then. We always will. It’s who we are.

  • Be who you want to become.

The best part of being alive is that other people find a living soul fascinating and attractive. They come to see what makes a person so energetic and calm. Any life expands with each person who takes part.

10 Ways to Celebrate that You Have One

When we walk back into our own life again, it’s a wonder — we wonder at what took us so long, wonder at things we hadn’t been seeing, doing, being, sharing with folks we care about. The realization can be quite stunning and profound.

It’s breathtaking to be living.


Definitely worth celebrating. Here are some ways to do that.

  1. Whenever you stretch your mind, stretch your body too. The difference is exponential and incredibly cool.

  2. Do something that’s not electronic. Better yet make it something you’ve never done that you do with someone who sees you as you are.

  3. Go somewhere you can’t see anything made by people. Then before you look, close your eyes to listen for the longest while.

  4. Eat something delicious. Go for that “last cookie” feeling with every bite.

  5. Run your hand along a fence or a wall. Sit on a floor. Walk the curb like a tightrope walker would. You know how. I bet you’ve done them all before.

  6. Listen to music filled with images of your history. Seek out and savor the smells and tastes of comfort times in the past. Send a thought to the people who experienced them with you wherever they are. They’re not gone, if you remember.

  7. Test drive your body like a two year old who just got brand-new shoes.

  8. Run in the grass and fall down on purpose. I bet you did that once too.

  9. Touch wet paint to see how wet it is. Wipe your hand on your pants without a thought. Then send a wish to a guy who did that same thing once, while his mom was watching. Know that his mom didn’t get mad.

  10. Say “I love you” and mean it to someone who least expects it. Then do it again and again. Every time that you do, tell yourself the same thing.

I’m guessing you have the hang of it by now. Being alive really comes down to one sentence.

Live your experiences and experience your life.



We have a whole life of time to do nothing but that. It makes sense, simple and elegant. It’s not hard to be alive . . . once we remember how.

Liz's Signature

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38 Comments to “How to Be Alive and 10 Ways to Celebrate It!”

  1. June 21st, 2007 at 9:47 am
    Karin H. said

    Morning Liz

    It’s breathtaking to be living.

    IMHO it’s even more breathtaking to become aware to be living.
    That sometimes happens in a flash: that sudden and simple realisation that life is great when it’s truly lived fully.

    I love to be living ;-)

    Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

  2. June 21st, 2007 at 9:53 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    Wonderful to see you!
    I think what I meant was

    It’s breathtaking to be alive and living.

    I agree it’s a flash-dash when your goes “Oh my gosh, I get it! This is what it’s about! It’s so easy. How cool is that?!!”

    When that happens, who could NOT be in love with life and living?

  3. June 21st, 2007 at 9:56 am
    karen said

    Hi Liz,

    I like this phase of yours best
    “Be who you want to become”

    We have talents which we can spread abundance to many people and enjoy living.

    Watching “Britain’s Got Talent” really got me to start blogging to share how I discover my teenage talent only till 30s….

    http://secretofunlimitedprosperity.com/65/sharing-an-inspiration-on-britains-got-talent-part-3/

    Enjoy living each day. thats the way to be happier!

    Cheers, Karen

  4. June 21st, 2007 at 9:59 am
    Karin H. said

    Hi Liz

    When that happens, who could NOT be in love with life and living?

    My thoughts and feelings exactly.

    Karen: spot on on talents and to be living IMHO. That’s when we really become alive when we are able to use those talents the way we are supposed to use them: fully.

    Karin H.

  5. June 21st, 2007 at 10:02 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karen!
    What a great reason to become a blogger. Whoa! I bet when it came clear what blogging has to offer back, you became the unstoppable smiling blogger that you are. :)

  6. June 21st, 2007 at 10:06 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Karin!

    . . . when we are able to use those talents the way we are supposed to use them: fully.

    Passion. :)

  7. June 21st, 2007 at 10:12 am
    Karin H. said

    ;-)

    Right ;-)

    Karin H.

  8. June 21st, 2007 at 12:58 pm
    Adam Kayce : Monk At Work said

    Hi Liz, Karin, and Karen,

    This is a great post, Liz… a two-hands-up, ten-fingers-spread and head cocked back shouting, “YES!” kinda post.

    Life is what we make it, nothing less or more. So why… not… make… it… amazing!?

    Thanks for reminding the parts of us that would rather sleep.

  9. June 21st, 2007 at 1:24 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Adam!
    It is a joyful post. I stayed up WAY too late to make it happen and I’m feeling the energy still!:)

  10. June 21st, 2007 at 2:07 pm
    zakman said

    Yes! Life is worth living. And how do I find 10 ways to celebrate it? You guys might not believe it, but this is how it goes for me:

    1. Being able to find a pair of clean socks every morning.

    2. Be able to brush your teeth every morning without wanting to puke.

    3. Being able to look at your boss in the eye when you speak.

    4. Being able to come back home after work and have a cup of coffee, instead of the vodka.

    5. Being able to call your mom and say “Hi” so happily that she can actually feel it.

    6. Being able to say “No” so easily that the sky will fly away.

    7. Being able to understand that “this too shall pass.”

    8. Being able to know when to let go and let God.

    9. Being able to be there for someone at any time.

    10. Being able to look back, understand and not regret.

  11. June 21st, 2007 at 2:09 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Zakman,
    Those are all celebrations of a fine new life! Congratulations. :)

  12. June 21st, 2007 at 2:19 pm
    Sean Howard said

    LOL.

    Thanks Liz.

    The end of the “paint touching” story was how my Mom looked at me in a perplexed kind of way and just asked “why did you do that?” to which I replied “to see HOW wet it was” and then proceeded to wipe it all over my shirt. ;)

    It’s good to be alive and what a gift to be reminded!!!

  13. June 21st, 2007 at 2:50 pm
    Dawud Miracle said

    Nothing like taking a huge leap into a cool lake on a hot, summer day to remind you you’re alive…

  14. June 21st, 2007 at 3:04 pm
    Mark Goodyear said

    Here’s how I plan to be alive this weekend. Pirate bowling! My son is turning three and that’s his birthday wish. So we’re going to all dress up like pirates and go bowling… Arggghhhh, and we be plannin’ to speak the language of the sweet trade, too.

    Nothing makes me feel quite so alive as children–especially my children.

  15. June 21st, 2007 at 4:24 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Sean!
    Perplexing a mom is a great skill in a young man. Being a mom, I know I appeciate that skill more and more as I realize how often it happened and how much I learned from it. :)

    I obviously enjoyed the image of the story. :)

  16. June 21st, 2007 at 4:26 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Dawud!
    A jump in the air is something I might not accomplish — my husband remimded me last night that he’s never seen either me or my son run for any reason — but a jump off a curb might be my version. Done with art and style of course. :)

  17. June 21st, 2007 at 4:28 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Mark!
    Pirate Bowling! No kidding!! I think you ought ot take all of us with you. We could dress up as pirates too. Pirate night was one of the best Open Comment Nights here. So we still know a lot about pirates to share . . . will you?? Huh can we? . . . Whatdya say? :)

  18. June 21st, 2007 at 6:10 pm
    Mark Goodyear said

    Come on down to Kerrville! We’ll be at the Family Sports Center on lanes 1 and 2. The more the merrier.

  19. June 21st, 2007 at 7:22 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mark!
    Hopefully you remember my Kerrville story! I’m on, I think, as long as it’s not on Sunday! :)

  20. June 21st, 2007 at 9:13 pm
    gp said

    how true, we get so stuck inside our heads we for get that this life is not a “dress rehearsal”

    dance like no one’s watching
    gp in montana who celebrated life with an elegant dance thru the forest on Picken :)

  21. June 21st, 2007 at 9:58 pm
    Katie Chatfield said

    I feel like I’ve just dunked my head in icy water-wooooosh- a million dancing particles of life celebration just sparkled into existance
    Thanks Liz, and thanks Sean for sending me here.

  22. June 21st, 2007 at 10:27 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi GP!
    How do you deliver such wisdom every night?

    I dance in elevators. :)

  23. June 21st, 2007 at 11:32 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Katie!
    How cool is that!! Welcome to the conversation. I’m delighted that you found your way here via Sean. I read his post eaerlier and I had no idea. . .

    That does sound like a refreshing celebration.

    You’re not a stranger anymore. :)

  24. June 22nd, 2007 at 10:31 am
    gp said

    thanx for the wisdom compliment. Comes from doing what I love.. and nothing like a good day on the mare :)

    gp in montana off to Alle the show queen later:)

  25. June 22nd, 2007 at 10:48 am
    Dawud Miracle said

    A jump off a curb - with style, of course - would be your version. And that’s what makes your soft and cuddly.

    But running…no running? Really?

  26. June 22nd, 2007 at 10:53 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi GP
    Doing what we love does make us wise, doesnt’t it? I guess we get closer to ourselves in that way. :)

  27. June 22nd, 2007 at 10:54 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Dawud!
    No running, dancing. :)

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  30. June 29th, 2007 at 7:33 am
    Dawud Miracle said

    Ah, dancing does fit.

  31. June 29th, 2007 at 8:55 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Dawud!
    Of course dancing. We’ve done it! :)

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  35. December 4th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
    Alice said

    I am so excited i found this blog! With all the literature i’ve been reading in school (Nietzsche, Heart of Darkness, and some short stories) i’ve been thinking about this whole being alive thing, and i’m so afraid i will lose myself and stop experiencing life…i don’t want to be like so many older people who are more dead than alive….but i feel so alive right now after reading that!!!

  36. December 5th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
    Liz Strauss said

    Hi Alice,
    Wow! I’m excited to hear from you. What’s to stop experiencing? Who are they but guys who wrote words in a book? Your heart beats, your mind knows why you’re living . . . I know you know. Your comment tells me so.

    Liz

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