re·fresh·ing (rĭ-frěsh'ĭng)
1. pleasantly new or different
2. to give new freshness or brightness to; restore

I had the opportunity to spend time with a few individuals last night that are so comfortable in their own skin that simply being around them brought new life to my bones.

There is just something about these kinds of people that make everyone around them less concerned with touting personal accolades or verbally validating their existence by listing their five year plan (noted appropriately at the end with nothing short of world domination).

I felt like I could be myself. I felt like I could actually say I didn't have all the answers. I felt peaceful. I felt more loving. I felt more real.

We weren't competing to see who was running the fastest or had the most potential (well, I probably was initially). But I realized that when people are happy with who they are, where they are and where they're going, there isn't an aura of competition or concern for self-praise around them. I didn't want to be anywhere else in that moment.

Most importantly, I felt that it was ok to simplify life ... to slow down. To just ... be ... me.

And that's refreshing.