It's Elemental
This month we have been exploring the idea of the four basic elements - air, fire, earth and water. According to ancient philosophies, these four elements are the building blocks of everything in the universe - including us. We’ve explored each element as it pertains not only to the world around us, but also how its presence or absence can influence our temperaments, personalities and moods.
If you’ve been following along, maybe you’ve been particularly drawn to one element or another, or maybe certain aspects have particularly resonated with you. Hopefully this exploration has made you feel more connected with certain aspects of yourself and helped you gain an understanding into different personality traits.
This connection with our authentic self isn’t something that can only be reached through mastery of ancient philosophical ideas - we can also come to understand ourselves by recognizing those times where we feel most like ourselves. Most free. Those moments when it feels like we are in the right place at the right time.
Those moments when you feel like you are… dare I say it... In your element.
My favorite definition for the phrase “being in your element” is from the Cambridge dictionary, which states that it means “to be happy because you are doing what you like or can do best.” Some definitions indicate that it involves doing something you are good at, while others focus on it being a time when you are doing something you are comfortable with or find enjoyable… but the Cambridge definition includes the feeling, and to me, that is the key factor of being in your element.
Being “in your element” looks different for everyone. For some it’s an activity - drawing, painting, running or dancing. For others it's a location - the beach or the mountains. And for others it's about who you are with - your family or friends, a group of peers or maybe even a group of brand new people to meet and explore.
Throughout the month, as we have explored the physical elements, I found it interesting to see how inter-related these two different definitions of “element” can be. For example, the activity in which you feel most “in your element” might align with the natural element that is most dominant in your personality! Maybe you’ve always felt most “in your element” while gardening, and throughout the month, discovered that your dominant element is Earth! Or maybe you feel most at home and authentic at the beach, and this week realized that the Water element is the one that resonates most with you.
Or maybe you aren’t sure. Maybe you identified a little bit with all four elements, and haven’t quite found that *thing* that brings you alive, sets your free or makes you lose track of time. And that’s okay!
The best way to find your element is to try as many different experiences as you can. Sometimes the path to identifying what is right for you is actually a process of elimination! Try everything. Try to experience as much variety as you can. And truly listen to yourself as you do. Listen to your senses, but also to your heart and spirit. You might surprise yourself - things you were raised thinking were a big part of you might not fill your soul the way you were told they would. And maybe that thing that people warned you against trying (because it was "too hard" or "too far away," or maybe because of their own personal biases and experiences!) is the thing that truly lights you up and makes you feel more alive than you’ve felt before.
The answer is to search, Vibe Tribe. Keep seeking. Explore every option and every aspect and find the pieces of you that join together to make the beautiful, authentic, complete person that is waiting to come out and play.
So tell us - when are you in YOUR element?
