Moving & Shaking: A Personal Way of Life
If I had to describe my lifestyle in two words, it would have to be “moving & shaking”. Getting up, getting going, and getting out of the house is almost always what brings me the most joy. In this article I want to explain what moving & shaking means to me and how this lifestyle came to be.
The First Steps
Back in 2016, as a fresh high school graduate, I found myself starting to get into a bit of a rut. Friends had moved off to college. Relationships from high school were starting to drift. And honestly, my schedule just didn’t have very much going on. I was still taking a few classes per semester at college, but the truth was that I really wasn’t all that invested in my education. Other than going to class, the bulk of my life pretty much involved sitting around and watching YouTube.
As you might imagine, all this sitting around hadn’t rewarded me with much in the world. By the time late 2017 rolled around, and my 21st birthday was approaching, I found myself feeling pretty bummed out.
I still remember sitting there with my Grandfather a few weeks beforehand, and explaining to him just how depressed I was at the fact I was about to turn 21 and had so little going on. “Why don’t you come down and visit with me” he suggested. “We can celebrate it together”.
As we were able to diagnose from talking together when I came down, the issue was that I was having a hard time making “the first steps” in life. For most of my teenage years, friends and family had done most of the work for me, and I had just kind of shown up and gone through the motions.
Friends would organize the get togethers and parties, and I would just show up and partake in the fun. When we went out to eat somewhere, friends or family would be the ones to do the talking. Even when it came to females, a good chunk of my interactions were orchestrated and set up by friends.
Now as a grown adult, it was up to me to start doing those things on my own, and the fact of the matter was that I just wasn’t doing a good job.
Getting Out Of The House
To help get me started and more comfortable with making those first steps, my Grandfather would give me small goals and things to do. He would say things like “I want you to go over to my buddy’s Tennis facility and see if he can let you know of anyone that’s hiring”. And then from there he would say “I want you to go in to those places to introduce yourself and apply in person”.
At the time, these things were pretty nerve-wracking for me, and took a lot of discipline to follow through with. However, the more that I would get out there and go for it, the more I realized that it was actually bringing me a lot of joy and satisfaction.
I continued to go down to see my Grandfather a few other times that year, and each time he would help me a little more. Before I knew it, by the end of that year, I was almost a completely different person.
Moving & Shaking
It was actually Grandpa who first said the phrase “moving & shaking” to me. I remember calling him one afternoon and saying that I had spent the day editing a new video for my YouTube channel. “That’s great” he said, “But that sort of thing is really more for 7pm-11pm. From 9am and through the daytime you’ve got to be out moving and shaking”.
My schedule changed a lot through the late part of that year, and life looked a lot different than it had from the time we first met together in early 2018. There were a lot of days where I would get up at 8am, get out to hit class from 9:30am to 12:15pm, go to work from 1:30pm to 8 or 9pm, and then come home and do homework until it was time to go to bed.
On days off I would make an effort to get out and go to new places, talk to new people, and work on my life in ways that were productive and meaningful.
It was amazing how the most simple things started to bring me great joy. A short conversation with the clerk at the grocery store. A visit to the walking trail to say hello to my other grandfather and his friends. Even just a visit to the local preserve to go fishing and take a walk.
It was incredibly rewarding because I had spent so much time at home previously. And also, because I wasn’t doing these things because anyone else was making me. I was doing them simply because I wanted to be more proactive in life, and I was doing them on my own.
Keeping it Going
To this day, I continue to make a way of life out of that initial path I started on 7 years ago. I still get up each day looking for new moves to make, new ways to grow, and new ways to expand and make things better. My best days are easily the days where I fill the day with focused, meaningful tasks that help get me up and get me going.
As a result, my life has looked a lot better than it would have otherwise. Even though at times getting out and doing new things can make life more challenging, it also makes life much more joyful and satisfactory. If it wasn’t for those conversations with my Grandfather and me making the changes that I did, there is a chance that I would still be living the way that I was living to this day. No going off to college, no stepping up from a C student to an A student. No career changes and professional growth. Very little personal growth, and very little to reflect on in a positive light.
If you were to ask me if I recommend this way of life, my response would be an easy yes. Getting out each day to do new things, go new places, and have new experiences will only make you happier, healthier, and more well-rounded in the long run. The more you stay comfortable and in the same spot, the less enjoyable and stimulating your life starts to become. Get up each day ready to make good moves and do great things. It not only makes things more enjoyable in the present, but it will pay dividends when you reach new destinations and accomplish new milestones in the long run.
