Brightness of Life: The Wheel of Life Area That Makes You Feel Alive

Ever get the feeling you're going through the motions rather than actually living? The brightness of life area of the Wheel of Life is where you find out — and, better still, where you do something about it.

What Is the Brightness of Life?

The brightness of life is the ability to enjoy life itself — to enjoy something that not only brings joy but fills you with energy and gives you strength for new accomplishments across all areas of the wheel of life. It's your free time. Your hobbies and interests. Hunting, fishing, hiking, snowboarding, surfing, extreme sports, theatre, concerts, and everything in between. In short, it's the quality of your personal life.

This segment of the Wheel of Life helps you assess how actively you spend the time that isn't swallowed up by routine duties. If you devote it to simply watching TV or playing online games, the score will be low — because in that case the brightness of life tends toward zero. You miss out on all those emotions that come from existing in the physical world rather than a virtual one. But if thoughts of the pastime ahead spur you on, and every free minute is spent actively, then your degree of brightness will be high.

Score Your Brightness of Life Honestly

To assess your development in this area and score it honestly, we recommend working through these self-coaching questions:

1. Does my life hold more bright colours or grey routine?
2. Do I feel like I'm truly living my life, instead of just existing?
3. How often do I try something new?
4. Do I have enough free time across the day, week, month and year?
5. How often do I make time for my hobby?
6. Am I genuinely happy with my leisure on weekends and holidays?
7. Do I travel to other countries often?

By assessing this area, you get a clear sense of how "shining and sparkling" your life really is — how varied and how fun. Then write down the actions you believe will lift your score to the points you're aiming for.

How Can You Increase the Brightness of Life?

1. Act spontaneously. Just go ahead and do it, instead of drifting along and weighing the pros and cons. Friends invite you to the park for a walk, and we so often resist — "let's take a rain check", "I've got a lot to do at home". We always have a lot to do; it never ends. So it's better to head out for that walk, to breathe in a fresh portion of oxygen, new sensations and new sights.
2. Move, and enjoy it. Our body loves moving and is often grateful to us for it. Yet we frequently insult it with our inertness and passivity.
3. Learn from children. Children can switch from one thing to another in an instant, forever searching and finding, trying new things and having fun. Look at a child — yours, a neighbour's, a passer-by's, it doesn't matter — step into their shoes and play along.

What Else Can Improve the Brightness of Life?

• Creativity — inventing something unusual, something that's never been done
• Freedom of action (I wanted it, so I did it)
• A party, an unexpected meeting, a new acquaintance

The brightness of life is all about taking action. It isn't just the sensations we experience — it's the actions that bring us those sensations. So keep trying new things and keep developing yourself.

Ready to map yours? Grab a free printable Wheel of Life template or browse our printable templates, score your brightness of life, and start filling your days with more colour today.