What Sparks You? Finding Your Spark for Health and Life

Heather Headley
Sep 29, 2022
2 min read

Updated: Oct 1

Introduction

Recently, my favorite motorcycle — who I affectionately call Tina — started sputtering and backfiring. It was obvious that something wasn’t right. The culprit? Her spark plugs.

Every engine needs three things to function: air, fuel, and fire (or spark). If even one is missing, performance drops. Our bodies are no different. We need air, water, and fuel (food) — but we also need spark. Without spark, we can survive, but we don’t thrive.

In life, spark shows up in two ways:

Our metabolism — the body’s internal engine.
Our soul spark — the inner fire that makes us feel alive.

The Spark of Metabolism

Our metabolism has two main parts: anabolism and catabolism.

Anabolism builds new cells, maintains tissues, and stores energy.
Catabolism breaks down fat and carbohydrates to release energy.

Many factors influence metabolism: what we eat, how much we move, sleep quality, past and current weight, and health conditions like hypothyroidism, PCOS, or Cushing’s disease.

Too often we blame our metabolism instead of appreciating it. Our bodies aren’t working against us — they’re signaling us. When we listen to those signals, we can start restoring balance through practices like Holistic Healing: The Mind-Body Connection and learning the Signs Your Nervous System Needs a Reset.

Our Bodies are resilient, always aiming to survive and thrive. When health problems appear, they are signals that something is out of balance. Instead of resigning ourselves to “I can’t lose weight because my metabolism is slow,” we can see it as an invitation to shift — with small, intentional changes that make a big impact.

The choice is ours:

Take control and thrive.
Or stay stuck in the victim mindset, believing life and health are out of our hands.

The Spark of the Soul

Then there’s the other kind of spark — soul spark.

We can live on autopilot, stuck on the hamster wheel of daily obligations: wake up, work, dinner, TV, bed, repeat. Or we can ask: What sparks me? What makes my soul sing?

If you know, go do it — often. If you don’t, give yourself permission to explore. Maybe it’s art, travel, music, nature, or simply allowing space to rest and reconnect.

We weren’t put on this planet just to exist. We were meant to thrive. Life is more than the “missionary position of routine.” It’s about rebellion against dullness, choosing joy, and finding meaning.

Sometimes reconnecting to what sparks you begins with release — letting go and surrender or practicing self-forgiveness so you can create space for joy again.”

Change Your Spark Plugs

Like Tina, sometimes all we need is a tune-up. Whether it’s tending to your metabolic spark with better fuel, rest, and movement, or igniting your soul spark with passion and purpose — your spark is what keeps you thriving.