I went to a really fun concert Monday night. And it really solidified exactly what I talked about last week. The importance of the Spark List. But also, it’s important to not let your everyday life keep you from carving out that space and time to do that thing that sparks you.

Because it’s so easy to feel too tired for it.

I bought Lumineers tickets for John’s birthday. I love going to concerts. Since 1998, John and I have always gone to concerts. I remember our first one in Omaha, NE. We went to see 3 Doors Down. We love seeing live music. We love seeing our favorite bands. So there’s really no reason why we shouldn’t have been excited to go. And we were looking forward to it. But when you get older, and you have more responsibility and more things to do, and when you spend so much time on your to-do list, it can tire you. 

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So during the day on Monday, we definitely both felt the late-night looming ahead of us. And it made us feel tired thinking about it. Because Tuesday is John’s early day to wake up. He has an extra early work morning. And he usually goes to bed really early on Monday. I didn’t say it, but in my mind too, I was thinking, it would be nice to just not have anything to do tonight. And if it weren’t for the tickets, I think we would have both been content with just watching a Christmas movie.

But, this is a band we both LOVE, and to see them in a small venue like The Aragon in Chicago- we should have been super stoked. But, well, we are tired parents.

But we went.

Annnnnnd,  it instantly filled us with energy. It was in this really cool venue from the 1920s. And it was just super impressive how awesome they sounded. Like better than their produced album. As soon as the band went on, it was one of those moments where time goes really fast. We almost forgot we were standing for four hours. (My knees didn’t forget, though.) And overall that night, it was nice to even feel a bit like it was like 2019 again. (You know, pre-covid) We felt so inspired by live music and the night out. It was also nice to feel like we dedicated some time to our relationship. As soon as we got there, neither of us had any regrets about going.

When you actually push yourself to do the things on the Spark List, that’s usually the reaction. When we were there at the concert, we felt, “Of course we wanted to be here doing this tonight!” 

Maybe it was harder to wake up the next morning. But it was worth it. And I think that all goes back to that idea that when we do give more time to our Spark List, we do feel better and we do feel more energized.

I felt that shift Monday, even just driving there. I went from tired to energized just in the car on the way. I was excited to spend some quality time with John because that’s harder too now as we get older, with kids and work. I was excited to have the date night and then on the way home, I felt even better that we carved out time for ourselves. I am aware that I have complete control over my life. I also am aware that sometimes my to-do list rules my life. Monday night made me realize it again- I really need to add more nights like Monday to my Spark List.

It goes back to that whole idea that the things that would be fun, that would feed that spark in our life, require energy…so we think we don’t have enough energy for those things. But those fun things are exactly what will give us more energy. And I think that’s important to acknowledge that. The fact that we think we don’t have enough energy for the things that will fill us up and give us energy. That’s probably the reason you don’t do the things that spark you more often.  You don’t do the fun things because you let that “not enough energy” feeling lead you. And I think that’s a feeling that holds us back from a lot of our potential too.

A lot of you have been asking me more about what is on my Spark List at the moment. Another thing is homemade gifts for friends. And it is something that I could have easily avoided – just kind of put off and went the easy route, buying something. But I like making things. And I like that people know I spent time on their gifts. Last year, I remember thinking I just don’t have time to do anything personal even though I love doing it. I didn’t want to repeat that again this year. So I felt inspired to make these bath mixes with pink Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, and a teabag. (Some may have already seen it on Instagram this week, so I’m not spoiling any surprises). I love the idea of putting some of it in the teabag so that it can steep as your water is running in your hot bath. And I think people appreciate homemade things like that.

All of this Spark List talk always reminds me of the instructions Dr. Michael Risher, from The Rehab Lab, gave me last summer. You may recall my writing about his instructions for me to have more fun each week because he said that would help my knee. He always gave me specific homework exercises each week but then, that one week, his general direction was to “just find one hour a week and do something fun!” He said it will actually relieve some of the tensions building up in my body over time that contribute to my knee’s inflammation. It may seem a bit strange a prescription from a chiropractor treating my knee but it also makes so much sense. It’s sort of the same basic idea that doing things for joy and inspiration can improve our lives in so many ways, and have far-reaching effects beyond the immediate activity.

Most of us had that inspired spirit as a child, that would never question the energy it took to do something. I know that’s how I was. But when we get older, we get so caught up with work and responsibilities that we lose that childlike spirit to follow the spark. As adults, we may have days, or moments, when we feel especially tired. But there’s always space for adding back in sparks of joy and inspiration. Even if they are small little ones… because they’ll give so much more energy back to us. Don’t let your to-do list RULE your life.

That’s the belief and the feeling I’m going to lead with.

You may not have a spark list, yet. But when was the last time you did something that really inspired a spark inside you?