Are You Fully Alive

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~ Howard Thurman

Are you fully alive? I often think of artists as being more fully alive than most. I guess because they are usually in touch with their feelings. I find it almost impossible to create if I can't feel.

I remember a time when I felt so fully alive. We had just moved to Europe. Germany, to be exact. I was walking through a lovely street market in the center of a quaint little village. The cobblestone streets were lined with fresh flower stalls. Village regulars were buying their groceries from local farmers, as the aroma of "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" filled the air.  The Konditorei (German for bakery) windows,  filled with delicate beautiful pastries, looked like something from a magazine. Just the the church bells began to ring and their echos danced down village streets. It was all too much! I remember taking a deep breath in and thinking, "This is what it feels like to be fully alive!"

Every sensory part of me was awakened, as if from a long slumber.

What is it about America, the land I love, that has silenced our senses? Quaint little villages with cobblestone streets, lined with ancient stone walls, have long since been replaced by strip malls, florescent lights and concrete.

The aroma of "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" have been replaced by McDonald's.

Fresh flower vendors no longer occupy village streets, but greet us by the glaring, light of florescent bulbs,  as we enter enormous supermarkets.

I often think what we call "progress" has taken a toll unnoticed by most. . . except for the artists.

What makes you feel fully alive? Can you relate to my observation?  Would you share an experience or time that you were fully alive? I'd love to hear about it.