A Nice Reminder
Recently, I was scrolling through Instagram when I came across a post by Karol G with the word eudaimonia.
It translates to:
A happiness that comes from living with purpose, overcoming adversity, and flourishing as a person.
And honestly… it hit me deeply.
Not because life has felt perfect lately. Actually, quite the opposite.
But because that definition reminded me of something I keep learning over and over again throughout my life:
True happiness doesn’t come from constantly chasing external or material things. It comes from staying connected to ourselves. From living authentically, meaningfully, and in alignment with who we truly are.
Losing Connection to Ourselves
The last few months, I haven’t fully felt like myself. I’ve been on a rollercoaster of emotions.
Not completely lost.
Not completely broken.
But definitely disconnected at times.
I have always considered myself a pretty emotionally steady person. Grounded. Self-aware. Able to navigate life with a certain level of balance.
But that’s also when I’m consistently practicing self-care.
Life transitions have a way of shaking even the strongest parts of us. And often, they slowly pull us away from the very routines that keep us grounded.
Planning a bridal shower and wedding in two-three months with no steady income coming in, the uncertainty of finding work, the emotional shifts, the stress, the overthinking, the feelings of not being good enough, and simply being in a season of change… I found myself fluctuating emotionally more than usual.
Some days I felt inspired and aligned. Other days I felt anxious, disconnected, uncertain, or emotionally exhausted.
The Practices That Ground Me
And slowly, without fully realizing it, I started letting go of the very things that help me stay connected to myself.
The morning walks or runs.
The journaling.
The affirmations.
The moments of stillness.
The habits that ground me emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Ironically, I even created journals centered around healing, self-reflection, intention, and reconnecting back to ourselves… yet I wasn’t fully showing up consistently for those practices lately.
Sometimes we can intellectually know what helps us. But actually practicing it consistently is something entirely different.
And I noticed something important:
The moment I stop practicing the things that nourish me… I become misaligned.
Not overnight.
But little by little.
I think many of us do this.
We get busy.
Distracted.
Overwhelmed.
Social.
Emotional.
Caught up in life.
Caught up in other people.
Or caught up in uncertainty.
And suddenly, we’re no longer truly connected to ourselves.
What Kiteboarding Reminds Me About Life
Then I came to the Outer Banks.
The wind has been blowing frequently, and I’ve been kiteboarding a lot lately.
And kiteboarding… it’s one of the best things I’ve ever discovered in my life. It has become one of my greatest passions.
It challenges me.
Grounds me.
Humbles me.
Energizes me.
Forces me into the present moment.
When I’m out there on the water, I’m not obsessing over the future or the past. I’m not spiraling in my thoughts. I’m not trying to control life.
I’m just there.
Alive.
Present.
Free.
And super stoked.
The Difference Between Escape and Fulfillment
And while yes, I’ve also been socializing more, partying a little more, and enjoying the people around me, I’ve also become aware of the difference between temporary distraction and true fulfillment.
Some things numb us for a moment. Some things reconnect us back to ourselves.
There’s a difference.
And I think that’s why the word eudaimonia resonated with me so much.
Because true happiness is not just pleasure. It’s not perfection. And it’s not escaping life.
It’s alignment.
A continual return to yourself.
It’s continuing to grow through adversity instead of allowing adversity to harden you.
It’s creating a life that feels meaningful from the inside out.
And maybe that’s what healing really is.
Not becoming someone new.
But remembering who we are when we are connected to ourselves.
Choosing Aliveness Again
Since I was younger, one thing I’ve always done is celebrate life.
And yes, I know life changes as we grow older. We become more aware of responsibilities, heartbreak, uncertainty, loss, stress, and everything in between.
But honestly… not that much has changed for me at my core.
Because even now, I still try to remind myself to celebrate life anyway.
If something beautiful happens, celebrate it. If something painful happens, find meaning in it. And if life feels uncertain, overwhelming, messy, or full of what-the-fuck moments… maybe there’s still something there worth experiencing too.
Being here in the Outer Banks has reminded me of that again.
Watching the wind, being on the water, kiteboarding, laughing with people, feeling present… it reminds me that life really is what we make of it.
Not because everything is perfect. But because we still get to choose how we meet life.
Maybe That’s Eudaimonia
And maybe that’s part of eudaimonia too.
Not avoiding hardship. Not pretending everything feels good all the time.
But continuing to choose aliveness anyway. Continuing to choose to be a good person despite the circumstances.
Choosing presence.
Choosing meaning.
And choosing joy where we can.
Because personally, I don’t think we’re here only to suffer.
I think we’re here to experience life fully.
To grow through it.
To feel it.
Love through it.
And yes… to celebrate it too.
Journal Prompt
What are the practices, people, places, or experiences that help you feel most connected to yourself?
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