“The Glory of God is man fully alive.” ~ St. Ireneaus
He convinced me this was how we should spend our morning. Climbing over 1,000 feet up a mountain to Harvard Lakes, just outside of Buena Vista, CO. With his wife, Diane, our colleague, Joy, and me following behind, Ken Davis led the charge.
Truth is, he left us behind. While we walked up the mountain, he ran. About an hour in, long after the lack of oxygen worsened my dementia, I wondered why I’d consented.
But then we reached our destination. A glass-like mountain lake sat cradled in evergreens, rocky outcroppings, and reedy brush, with the Rocky Mountains back-dropping the canvas. A view impossible to manufacture without a thousand-foot climb.
Worth it.
The beauty eased my wheezing. And as we caught our breath, we talked about his new book, Fully Alive: A Journey that Will Change Your Life. He told me why the message of this book has become a flaming torch he’s determined to carry as long as he breathes. As I listened to him talk, I looked at the view and realized we’d done precisely what he professes to believe. Right there on the side of a Colorado mountain.
Fully Alive.
Below is the video of that conversation. But be warned: not a single shower was involved in the making of this interview. Neither were make-up or hair stylist, for Ken or myself. But what you will see is nature’s beauty and a man burning with a passion for people to live—really live!—the way God intended.
To learn more about the book, go to http://fullyalivebook.com. While there, you can watch videos and access additional resources such as DVD and Action Guide.
But it gets even better.
This week I’m giving away a Fully Alive DVD and a book. To qualify for the chance to win one of these gifts, do both of the following:
- Leave a comment below answering this question: What one change can you make TODAY to live more fully alive?
- Share a link to this post on Twitter or Facebook (make sure you tag me so I see it, @MicheleCushatt), using the hashtag #fullyalivebook
I’ll announce the winner in a couple days.
In the meantime, LIVE!
One change I can make today to begin living more fully alive: identify one of my habits that I know is not adding any value to my life, (or the lives of others), and replace it with one that does.
Great one, Dan. Habits take more time/energy than we think. It’s good to intentionally evaluate which ones are good (disciplines) and which ones are detrimental.
One change I can make to be more fully alive is to fully recover my enthusiasm for helping people with their health on a personal level despite my having been sidelined for a moment by a few trials and challenges.
I like your spirit, Camille. Thank you for your heart to help others.
That was a GREAT day! One way to live Fully Alive is to hike like that more often….it was fantastic!
Yes it was! Of course, I always like spending time with you. You make me laugh. Even when we’re wheezing. 🙂
This was so good. I loved how the focus is not on just one aspect but all: physical, emotional, spiritual.
One thing I can do today is to put my shoes on. I can get back into the habit of exercising again and not give up when I only have 55 minutes instead of the full hour. Thanks so much for the encouragement you give!
Thanks, Brent. “…Put my shoes on.” Love it. Great first step! I usually find once I’ve put my shoes on, it’s not so hard getting outside and going for a walk/run/bike ride. It all starts with the shoes.
Between Christmas and New Year’s of 2006 I began running CONSISTENTLY. Within 6 months I had dropped over 40 pounds and nearly 50 points in my cholesterol. Now almost 6 years later I have completed 4 marathons. Amazingly I was actually bored training for and running for last April’s Nashville marathon.
Thanks to Ken’s motiviation I have decided pursue one the biggest challenges of my life and attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon. It is a challenge that is WAY out of my comfort zone, but a test I wanted to take. I also decided to begin blogging for the first time at http://www.chasingboston.com to document my journey on this process and hopefully inspire others to work towards something they never dreamed they could.
I do not have the strength alone to hit this goal which is part of the reason I am pursuing it. This is a goal that is making me fully alive as I am relying HEAVILY on Christ! Regardless of whether I hit it, my relationship with Him is in the best shape it has been in a long time!
What a story, Kris! I’m so glad you shared it here. So, 8 miles this morning at a 6:42-6:55 pace? I’m impressed. I think you’re well on your way to achieving your goal. Great work. Glad we can follow along with you!
I have a father who has Alzheimer’s and a mother who has dementia. To be fully alive, I need to change my mindset and KNOW that I can do nothing to change their situations! I need to love them and pray for them and pray for me to have patience and compassion and understanding (is that more than one thing???)! That is the one change I can make to be fully alive—to change my mindset! My attitude!
Wendy, what a loving and courageous act of service you’re doing for your parents. Wow I have no doubt it’s overwhelming at times. But I’m inspired by your commitment to maintaining a good attitude. Well done.
I can be more present in the moment. It’s often easy for me to be thinking either too far down the road or in the past.
Me, too. It’s like driving a car while looking at the intersection 3 or 4 ahead of you, and missing the one you’re passing through right now. Can be dangerous.
Thanks for sharing in inspiring video interview. Love the entire message and mindset of fully alive.
One way I can be fully alive today is by focusing less on self and instead choosing to consciously invest in others. Daily service and random acts of kindness keep the adventure in life.
Blessings to you and yours.
In “The Law of Happiness” by Dr. Henry Cloud, he reports generosity and acts of kindness actually cause a change in brain chemistry, in particular the pleasure center. Meaning, when we do something generous for someone else, we’re truly happier in a physical sense. Fully alive!
Hi, Michele! What a great video, and an excellent question. Today, “more fully alive” means “more fully present”. The multi-tasking monster, the future-dwelling gremlin seems to strip me of joy–all because I am not fully present in the here and now. So, today I will focus on remaining fully present! And fully alive.
Have you been reading my mind?!?! This is the subject of the post I just wrote (not live yet) … missing out on the full life right here, right now, because of all the to-dos and busyness. A great first step, Kristen.
Think one way I can be more fully alive is to take more risks… to get outside of my comfort zone and be willing to try something new – even if it seems a little frightening.
Risk … to make sure our fear doesn’t keep us from living, trying. Thank you for this, Pat.