What does Elation look like? My elation looks like me standing tall with pride and optimism. It is an author receiving a little message from a known or unknown reader saying, “Your book (article, blog, idea) helped me understand…” It looks like holding a published book in your hands for the first time. It is the smile on a child’s face when she learns to ride a bicycle without help or training wheels.

What does Elation feel like? Where do you feel it in your body? I feel elation in my belly, like a giggly child full of bubbly energy. When I feel elated my body feels light as a feather or excitedly liberated. It feels like a sense of accomplishment. Everything in my body vibrates with joy and freedom.

Sometimes it’s hard to explain how a feeling feels. But, finding words to describe it helps to solidify our intellectual understanding of any given feeling. With Elation, I imagine holding my hands in the air and waving them happily while proclaiming, “I did it! This is exciting!” That image creates an anchor of sorts which helps me recognize the specific feeling. Then, I can recognize it in myself or in others. It’s a good way to add to your dictionary of feelings.

Elation in my life functions to generate vibrant energy in the space of all that is life. It is a vibration that resonates through every fiber of my being. It is contagious energy. When I see it in someone else, I find myself hopping onto the same wave of liveliness. Isn’t it interesting how contagious feelings can be?

If you care to, this is an invitation for you to explore elation today. What does elation look like to you? How does it feel to you? What is the function of feeling elated? Tell me what it is like for you to feel elated. Share the colors of elation in your world!

We are amazing, feeling beings…