I am putting a lasso on life. I don’t mean that in a controlling way, but only in the wild cowboy way.

The weather is getting nicer and I’ve decided I am going to make my life go the same way. I am chasing the things that make me feel alive. First, my husband and I just bought paddle boards. We have a beautiful lake near our home, and we’ve been riding out on our walk-on-water boards, frequenting private tree-lined nooks and crannies where we can laugh at each other as we try to balance doing yoga or just lay back and look at the open sky. We have been running, laughing, eating healthier, and trying to work less. We have been cuddling with our dog.

Some days this is easier than others. It’s crazy to me that relaxing can be hard. But, it is something I am getting better at doing. I’ve become a truly independent consultant at work which made me feel surprisingly more relaxed than I thought I would. Sometimes we carry around burdens we don’t even know are so heavy on our backs. My husband and I also have been church hopping, and I think we’ve found one where we can breathe deeply and connect to others easily. There isn’t much – or maybe anything – better in life than that.

Another thing I did for myself lately was visit two of my closest friends (one being my sister) in the Pacific Northwest. They spoiled me with love and companionship. Among the hikes, spa treatments, beach campfires, reading of stories to my nephew and niece, shopping, red wine, and solving the world’s problems, my heart began to become light again. The trip gave me a new, positive energy for doing this work of lassoing that was so needed in my life. Sometimes spending time with those that cherish your soul can heal you beyond what anything else in this world can offer.

So, if you need me, I will be lassoing life. Whether or not life decides to cooperate with the things I cannot control, I will be spreading my wings and breathing deeply. I will be taking in the sun, or the moon, and counting the stars at night. I will be rejuvenating my spirit, infusing it with the best things I can reach.