As I write this, I recently kicked off a 3 week vacation from my day job. I love the work I do, but I’ve been feeling burned out and uninspired. I’ve always been clear on the fact that my occupation is not the source of my fulfillment, but I realize that work has an indirect connection to many of the enjoyable experiences that I’ve shared on this blog for years. The exhibitions I’ve discussed, food I’ve tried, travel and other adventures I enjoyed, books I’ve read, classes I’ve taken, and people I’ve met and loved have mostly all been in some way connected to work. My career began with commuting to a major city for 3+ hours every day, and the adventures I had during that time were numerous, life-changing and priceless. I love that I’ve created a life where there is a lot of pleasure alongside my work.

But recently, I’ve felt particularly disconnected when it comes to the things I enjoy. I traveled extensively over the past few years, and while I loved those times away, I still felt like something was missing. Something just wasn’t . . . clicking. I felt like I was going through the motions instead of really LIVING. During some meditation and reflection time, I saw exactly what I needed to do, to bring back the joy that I no longer possessed.

I need to return to myself.

The question of “Who am I?” has come up a number of times this year, particularly in sessions with my therapist. The question forced me to examine who I’d allow myself to become, in order to have the things I wanted. I adore the person that I am, but my current life doesn’t have the depth that I desire. I reflected back on the times when I felt most joyful and vibrant, and I noticed a recurring theme. Always, I felt my most alive when I was deeply engaging my senses. My senses of sight (artwork and natural wonders), hearing (live musical performances and listening to rainfall), smell (perfume, candles, and other home scent), taste (chocolate, international foods, whisky, wine), and touch (luxurious fabrics and exquisitely textured items) were all front and center when it came to sensory engagement. I even wrote a book on how our five senses help us to manifest our dream lives (Come To Your Senses)! My senses are crucial to how I enjoy my life. I’d even venture to say, that my senses are how I LIVE my life.

So I’m returning back to that. I’m making my five senses the focus on my writing and vlogging experience. I need to get back to the beauty of pleasure that I can measure with my body. And that’s what I intend to do. I don’t know how long I can keep up this focus, but I know that I will be closer to my ideal existence if I start centering my senses again. I hope you plan to stick around for this phase of my journey.