In my rowing days, having ‘bubbles’ meant the boat was going well. There would be a stream of bubbles that trailed the boat, it would run smoothly and feel somewhat effortless as everything was in unison. It looked good, it felt great and you knew you were onto something as a crew. Today I have ‘bubbles’ and I’m not in a rowing boat, or drinking champagne.

I have ‘bubbles’ about life. Something inside me is fizzing, its restless and excited. I can’t yet explain what these ‘bubble’s are about, it’s a feeling, a feeling I get when I write for Sideways Crayon. Sideways Crayon has been a journey, an extremely fast starting journey, where six days ago all I had was this challenge idea. I had no content and no site, not to mention any idea of how to even set up a site. I have learnt a huge amount about myself and I have been amazed. Amazed at what can be achieved in one week and amazed at how this challenge has been received by not only friends, but complete strangers.

As I said from the start, if I could inspire just one person to be more resourceful in any part of their life, then the sharing of this challenge would be worth it. I have had feedback and pictures from people writing letters instead of emails, plans to make a bike shelf rather than buy one, having a car boot sale to sell things they no longer need and lots and LOTS of suggestions of how the challenge could be run. That’s exciting, that gives me ‘bubbles’!

Of course, the feedback hasn’t all been sugar-coated, I’ve had people judge me for what I’m doing. I’ve had people tell me I ‘should’ do it this way, I ‘should’ do it that way. I’ve had people tell me it’s just not practical and you won’t keep it up. This feedback is gold, I embrace it, I love it and it too gives me ‘bubbles’.

There are just a handful of times in my life when I can honestly say I’ve had ‘bubbles’. It’s like meeting a partner or your soul mate (yes I do believe in them) for the very first time, like applying for a job that you really want, like lining up on the start line for an event you have spent hours training for. It’s a feeling about an opportunity, a feeling that lets you know you are alive. Today I have ‘bubbles’, today I know I am alive.

Am I alone? Have you ever had this ‘bubbles’ feeling and if so, how did it feel and what was it for?