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Do you remember when your parents would tell you that you were going to Disney World, or some other vacation, and you were so excited for months? On the car or plane ride there, you could hardly stay in your seat. You were basically jumping off the walls until you arrived, constantly asking, "Are we there yet?"

Do you remember on Christmas Eve, when you could barely sleep at night because you were so excited for Santa to come?

As you got older, do you remember being excited to pick out your first homecoming or prom dress? Do you remember counting down the days until the dance?

I have always been the kind of person who was easily excited about things, even as I went into college. Whether it was a Halloween party or the premiere of a movie I wanted to see. I would look forward to things for weeks.

But is there an age where this changes? Where you no longer get excited about things?

I remember asking older family members, "Are you excited for such and such?" And they would look at me like they had forgotten what the word "Excited" meant.

And I was always scared of losing that childlike wonder and joy about even the smallest of things.

I think that maybe it's because, as you get older, you know about disappointment.  You find out that things don't always go the way you plan. And so in order to prevent yourself from being disappointed, you try not to get excited. You try not to look forward to things.

I've noticed  myself getting more and more like this. With things I used to get excited about, instead, I can feel myself pretending that it won't happen. In my mind, if it doesn't end up happening, I won't be as disappointed because I expected it. And, if it does end up happening, I will be pleasantly surprised.

But this kind of feels like a numb existence — living each day expecting to get disappointed. Excitement is what gets you through the daily routine. After all, if you're excited about what the next day will bring, you will keep on living. You won't give up.

Sure, you may get disappointed. But life is an adventure.  You never know what will happen tomorrow or the day after that. I think that's pretty exciting, don't you?

And, instead of relying on others to make your life exciting, rely on yourself. You are the only person you know will always be there, no matter what. So make your own life exciting. Make your own goals to work toward — whether it's writing a book, applying for a new career, etc.

Learn to do something new — like taking an art class, guitar lessons, tennis lessons, a cooking class, etc. And drop the things you aren't passionate about. It's your life, no one else's, and it shouldn't be wasted on things you don't love to do.

And, like Jonathan Mead says on the website Zen Habits, "Focus on what matters and stop stressing so much that you’re no longer enjoying life. … On your deathbed do you really think you’re going to be thinking about the to-do list you didn’t complete? I don’t think so. You’ll probably be thinking about how you wished you would have had more fun, spent more time with your family and enjoyed life more."

Visit the website Live Bold and Bloom for 26 simple ways to make your life more exciting.