My Favorite Question: What Makes You Come Alive?

Monday my workday was packed with deadlines. Regardless, I layered up, headed out into the sub-freezing temps at 7:30 a.m. and hiked into the Pisgah Forest to meet my outdoor fitness tribe for a cardio/strength training session. Three mornings/week I work out in nature—regardless of the weather—with women from their 40’s to their 80’s. We laugh, connect, exercise, wake up our brains and explore new spots in the forest with our fearless leader, Amanda. I never miss these outdoor sessions as they lay the foundation for my day and spark my creativity and aliveness!

Whether I’ve known someone for 20 years or 20 minutes, my favorite question to ask friends, is: What makes you come alive? I love watching people’s faces soften with curiosity, open and light up. Often, just pondering this question infuses them with a youthful vitality.

I’m deeply committed to living an awakened life. In 2020, after my husband and I became empty-nesters, we made a bold change—one that had been in the works for years. We left Austin, TX where we had lived for 30 years and found a permanent home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I fell in love with this region in 2014 when I came to Asheville to do a book signing. The ancient, healing, deeply feminine mountains, powerful waterfalls and rivers, and endless towering trees make me feel on fire creatively and more “me” than anywhere else I’ve lived.

What makes you come alive? What makes your body vibrate and quiver with life? It doesn’t have to be a big life change like mine. It could be small (hearing owls in the middle of the night) or it could be daring to envision a lifestyle you’ve never imagined. At the retreats I lead around the globe (check out my upcoming April 25th Tending Your Creative Fire retreat), I consistently hear women leaders share that they fluctuate between overwhelm and exhaustion. Others share that their lives often feel rote and joyless. When I check in with my brother—an overworked father and self-employed management consultant—on how he’s doing, he often texts back: “Groundhog Day.” I understand. And I’m a big believer that when we change our environment (and our routine), we change our perspective.

Ready to feel more wild and less “safe”? Try:

• saying “yes” more than you say “no” to new opportunities (or at least pausing before you say “no!”)
• taking risks and trying things you wouldn’t normally do (swim with friends under a full moon or learn to play guitar)
• doing things differently: walk a new route to work, change your morning routine, try a new dance class
• challenging yourself to stretch, learn something new and get out of your comfort zone (I started a new business at 55!)
• living in the present as much as you can; when we can “be here now” and access all of our senses, we feel more awake and alive!

Every day I make it a priority to keep choosing things that make me feel alive: dancing, exploring new trails, writing songs and singing, cold plunges in the river, speaking my truth in the moment and not holding back creatively. My friend Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy (SARK), one of the foremost teachers on living a creative life and author of Make Your Creative Dreams Real, says, “Being tame is what we’re taught: put the crayons back, stay in line, don’t talk too loud, keep your knees together, nice girls don’t. As you might know, nice girls DO, and they like to feel wild and alive. Being tame feels safe; being wild, unsafe. Yet safety is an illusion anyway. We are not in control. No matter how dry and tame and nice we live, we will die. And we will suffer along the way. Living wild is its own reward.”

This month I challenge you to reflect: what makes you come alive? And then full-heartedly go and do that.

Warmly,

WANT SUPPORT FOR COMING HOME TO YOURSELF? HERE ARE FOUR OPPORTUNITIES:

• *EARLY BIRD AVAILABLE UNTIL 3/3* April 25, 2025 ~ Tending Your Creative Fire: A North Carolina Women’s Retreat ~ 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Lake Logan Retreat Center, Canton, NC. Join women from across NC/Southeast as we enjoy a day of deep replenishment and renewal and reflect on “What is uniquely mine to do? Special discounts for Hurricane Helene victims. An ideal retreat to bring family/friends to and enjoy a weekend in the mountains.  Learn more/register here.
• Wild Souls Nature Adventures (based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC): authentic movement classes, community song circles, full moon hikes, meditation/resiliency workshops, women’s circles & more. Have me design a custom experience for your team/friends. Join us for our next Wild Souls Authentic Movement Classes near Asheville, NC. No Class Feb 23rd. Next classes: March 2nd, 9th, 16th, & 23rd. Learn more.
• *LEARN A NEW SKILL* Secrets to Facilitating Life-Changing Women’s Groups/Retreats in Uncertain Times ~ an online, self-paced mentoring course. Would you like to empower women in your area in 2025 through facilitating women’s groups/retreats? Based on Renee’s 30+ years experience training 450+ facilitators and teaching at world-renowned retreat centers like Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, this supportive, empowering on-demand video course offers everything you need to start facilitating women’s circles and retreats. Only $195. Learn more.
• Schedule me to speak in 2025-26. Did you know my primary work is speaking professionally at national/regional conferences, employee events and to companies/organizations worldwide? I love weaving neuroscience, life balance strategies, mindfulness & resiliency practices to create unforgettable workshops & presentations that help people feel more creative, focused, resourced and alive. Learn more about my speaking here.