My Nathan Fillion moment…and why you need one too.

A few years ago, I was at a farewell party for a colleague, mingling and making conversation. Since I find small talk tiring, I asked a question I was truly curious to learn more about:

“What are you excited about in your life right now?”

I posed it to a doctor I knew, expecting a spark of enthusiasm. Instead, she paused… a long pause. I could see it in her face: she was scanning her life, searching for an answer. But there wasn’t one. She shared that life had become a relentless cycle of work, parenting, and countless responsibilities pulling in every direction. She was doing everything for everyone else—but nothing just for herself.

Lately, I’ve felt something similar. Maybe you have as well. The reasons vary: work, family, stress, poor health, the mental clutter of modern life. But the result is the same: we stop prioritizing our own zest for life.

A few months ago, a friend, fed up with feeling uninspired by her own life, decided to shake things up—and her decision pushed me to do the same. 

She told me she was deliberately filling her calendar with things that made her excited —concerts, travel, attending events to meet celebrities she enjoyed. She wasn’t waiting for excitement to find her. She was scheduling it.

So when I had the chance to meet Nathan Fillion, an actor I’ve loved for nearly 20 years - I didn’t hesitate. I booked it immediately. And let me tell you: having that event on my calendar felt good. Attending felt great. And every time I look at the photo taken of us together, I feel a little jolt of joyful energy.

Now, I have a challenge for you: What’s on your calendar that makes you excited? If the answer is “nothing,” change that. Find something—big or small—that lights you up. Make it happen. Because if you don’t prioritize your own excitement, no one else will.