Sparks

"The little lights aren't twinkling"- Art from Christmas Vacation.

The above quote is probably my favorite line from Christmas Vacation, which is my favorite Christmas movie, hands-down.

No offense to you Christmas Story folks.

I think we all feel like this sometimes, like the light somehow went out, that someone flipped off the switch and left us in the dark. It feels like we are going through the motions every day, and nothing excites us or makes us feel alive.

When it gets like this, repetitive, dark, and potentially self-destructive, it's imperative that you shake yourself out of the funk with some sort of adventure, anything that gives you a new perspective.

I'm writing this from a chair lift on Powder Mountain in Utah, a place that I have wanted to go and ride for many years.

Looking around at the snow-covered Aspen trees, the exposed rocks, and the fields of powder buried in the trees, I'm overwhelmed by the peace and solitude that comes from a solo chair lift ride.

More than any other sport I do, I feel like it forces me out of my comfort zone to talk to strangers on lifts or shoot down runs with new friends who are chasing the same thing you are.

It's exciting and liberating.

New places, new scenery, and new people all provide a spark to your creativity and, perhaps more than anything else, allow you to feel profoundly grateful that you have all of the gifts in my life that I have.

When we have been filming the same scene of the movie every day, year after year, it is easy to forget how big the world is and how many adventures it holds for us.

And the best part is that you don't need to travel far for it!

I challenge you today to just go somewhere new that's under 30 minutes from where you live. I promise you there are at least two or three cool places inside of a short drive that you haven't graced with your footprints, and that new place can give you the boost you need to get your zester out to freshen up your life.

I challenge you to find something exciting to do in your backyard.

I challenge you to try something new, read something new, or create something new.

I challenge you today to live a life worth watching!

EO