Why Aliveness Matters Now

A behind-the-scenes series on building an aliveness movement from the Human Aliveness Lab

Illustration by Mihajlo Stojanovic

Hi friends,

I’m starting something new — a raw, behind-the-scenes series about building the Human Aliveness Lab, a global initiative to study and support what makes people feel truly alive.

Think of these as field notes. Less polished, more personal. Not official reports — but dispatches from the messy, hopeful, exhilarating process of trying to build something that doesn’t exist yet.

In this series, I’ll share:

• Stories and real-time reflections from my interviews with passionate people across disciplines

• The big questions we’re asking through the Lab

• The highs and lows of building a movement from scratch

• What it really means to live with passion and heart — not as a performance, but as a practice

These posts will always be free.

Because I believe this message matters — and the only way to build a more alive world is to start by spreading the spark.

If you’re one of the early paid subscribers: thank you. Your support doesn’t just fund research and movement-building — it gives me the emotional fuel to keep going. To keep writing. To keep believing.

And if you're considering becoming a paid subscriber… your support helps fund:

• Independent research on passion and flourishing

• Tools and experiences to help people reignite their spark

• The long-term sustainability of this mission

Either way — free or paid — I’m so grateful you’re here.

Let’s build a more alive world, together.

With heart,
Krista

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Dispatch #1: Why Aliveness Matters

Hi friends,

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it actually means to feel alive. Not just fine. Not just functioning. But lit up. Present. Connected to something that matters.

Because here’s the thing: almost everyone I talk to is struggling.

Some are languishing — their life feels flat, their days go by on autopilot. Others are in an even worse state. A friend whose life looks great on paper finds herself crying through her Peloton workouts and doesn’t quite know why. Another friend tells me he has panic attacks at 2am almost every night. Another feels like she’s been circling in the same place for years and is starting to give up hope.

The ones who don’t feel like this are the super passionate people I interview for On Fire. They have something to care about, details to obsess over, a reason to jump out of bed in the morning. These conversations give me hope and remind me that there is another way of being. They remind me that passion is worth fighting for.

When I mention I’m building a lab focused on passion and aliveness, people immediately get it. They light up. We all intuitively know what that feeling of being alive is. It’s not the same as happiness. It can include joy — but it doesn’t have to. It can also be fear in the face of a meaningful challenge. Or heartbreak. Or exhilaration. Or effort.

I feel alive when I’m in deep conversation about something that lights me up, when I’m lost in a great book, or when I’m in awe surrounded by nature.

But aliveness isn’t always joyful. I also feel deeply alive when I’m wrestling with a tough but meaningful writing project, in my fifth match at a jiu-jitsu competition, or halfway through a brutal set of hill sprints.

I’ve always thought “happiness” was the wrong goal.

Happiness is fleeting. Aliveness is what reminds us that we’re here.

It includes the whole range — the joy and challenge, love and heartbreak, effort and awe.

I don’t think there’s just one answer to feeling more alive. Passion is my favorite place to start — I could talk for days about how much our lives improve when we put our heart into something we love. But other things matter too. Connection. Growth. Purpose.

Aliveness is the North Star I keep coming back to.

I don’t have all the answers. But I know we can’t settle for just getting by.

If this resonates — stay with me. We’re just getting started.

With heart,

Krista

PS. I’d love to know: When do you feel most alive? It could be a moment, a place, a feeling. Hit reply or comment below and tell me.

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