Tag Archives: adventure

“We need to slow down to best connect with our deepest self.”

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“We need to slow down to best connect with our deepest self.”

—Barbara Waxman, founder of The Odyssey Group, and leadership advocate

Image from amtrak.com

Did you know that there is only one auto train in the United States?

For those on the east coast it’s a 17+ hour trek from Lofton, Virginia to Sandford, Florida — where you fill your vehicle with as much stuff as it can hold and then leave the driving to the conductor!

On these overnight adventures, you can even get a sleeper car and have the clickity-clack of the tracks lull you to sleep.

Unlike high-speed trains, in which getting from point A to point B is the goal, the auto train chugs along at more leisurely pace allowing considerable time to converse with your travel mates, do a bit of reading, and of course, reflect on your own life journey.

EXERCISE:

In what ways do you give yourself  time to slow down to connect with your deepest self?

Consider all the people (especially yourself), places, and things, you miss while rushing past them all.

 

Peak experiences are fun, but you always have to come back

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“Peak experiences are fun, but you always have to come back. Learning to appreciate the ordinary moments is the key to a fulfilling life.”

—Cory Muscara, former monk, mindfulness advisor, and University of Pennsylvania instructor

Image from Unsplash by DocuSign

A coaching colleague of mine is a world traveler, currently on their fourth six-month cruise around the world with their spouse.

Their adventures are captured in a daily blog recounting the people, places, and things they experience with beautiful photos and very detailed reflections.

Over the years, I too have had a good number of adventures that were measured in weeks. Although I remember them fondly, I tend to get homesick for the life I’ve created within my current communities.

A recent highlight was spending a full day alone with my 19-month-old granddaughter, to our mutual delight.

EXERCISE:

What peak experiences do your recall with great fondness?

How many have you had?

What are some of the many precious ordinary moments you experience daily that don’t require leaving home at all?

Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate

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“Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate.”

—J.R.R. Tolkien, 20th Century writer, artist, scholar, linguist

Image from Unsplash by Steve Johnson

Many people live their lives going in circles.

Like a revolving door to one of those fancy hotels in a big city, if we don’t exit at some point we keep going around and around.

How often do you take new roads and go through secret gates?

Where are you both looking and stepping around the corners of your world to discover new wonderful places around the bend?

What may be stopping you from going beyond your safe, well-worn paths?

EXERCISE:

How would a bit more “Hobbiting” in your life lead you to new and wonderful places?

What adventures may await you!

Friday Review: Adventure

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Friday Review: Adventure

How adventurous are you? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

Tap into a sense of pure possibility. What are your hopes and dreams?

 

 

 

 

The universe is infinite in all directions. Taking this cosmic approach with lightness and humor makes the trip far more wonderful.

 

 

 

 

“The Roller Coaster is my life…It’s mountaineering; It’s wanting to get to the very top of yourself.”

 

 

 

 

“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”

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“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”

—John O’Donohue, late Irish poet, author, philosopher

I recently attended a webinar on leadership resilience led by Mike Rochelle, a former three star general. He shared a story about the “Type A Personality Modification” class that was part of his military leadership development.

As a person who lived by his wristwatch, Mike was always in a rush to maximize his efficiency and effectiveness. His instructor gave him the assignment to go without his watch for a full week to see what happened.

During that week Mike discovered a whole new world of sights, sounds, and feelings previously hidden by his laser focused approached of getting from point A to point B. He began living life like a river and became much more present to its unfolding, and of course, the many people guided by his leadership.

EXERCISE:

Check out the 15-minute 2018 adventure documentary, Traveling on Trash by Dan Cullum and his friends, who traveled the 2,000 miles of the Mississippi River in 56 days. I hope that you, too, get caught up by the unfolding of its story.

The universe is infinite in all directions

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The universe is infinite in all directions. Taking this cosmic approach with lightness and humor makes the trip far more wonderful.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Jose Filipe

More and more people are flying these days to visit family, meet with customers, and finally to engage in adventures and travels that needed to be rescheduled on numerous occasions.

How many flights do you take in a typical year? How many frequent flier miles have you logged in your lifetime? What status level have your reached with your favorite airline?

Let’s compare this number to the distance to our moon, the nearest planet, the locations of Voyager 1 and 2, or even our nearest star.

When we make comparisons to these objects and the infinite nature of our universe with billions of galaxies, we have far to go. Luckily our minds have the ability to travel the 93 billion light years to span our known universe in the blink of an eye.

EXERCISE:

How and where would taking a more cosmic approach to your life bring you more peace and joy?

How can you travel with more lightness and humor in the days ahead to make your trip more wonderful?

Friday Review: Adventure

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FRIDAY REVIEW: ADVENTURE

How adventurous are you? Here are a few adventure-related posts you may have missed. Click to read the full message.

 

“A guest sees more in an hour than the host in a year.”

 

 

 

 

“We carry within us the wonders we see around us.”

 

 

 

 

“The Roller Coaster is my life…It’s mountaineering; It’s wanting to get to the very top of yourself.”

 

 

 

 

documenting details of everyday life

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“Documenting little details of your everyday life becomes a celebration of who you are.”

—Carolyn V. Hamilton, American non-fiction author

Image of a drawer full of photographs

Image from Unsplash by Jon Tyson

Who doesn’t enjoy a party or other form of celebration? Think back to those you most enjoyed. You may have documented many of them with photographs, to capture and keep as highlights for years to come.

One example has been my daughter documenting the daily adventures of our new grandson, Weston, to the delight of everyone near and far.

What if we didn’t look to only those special events and highlights as worthy of documenting, and simply saw the miracle of being alive as more than worth celebrating?

EXERCISE:

How can you more fully celebrate who you are by being far more mindful and aware of the little details and daily miracles of life?

Friday Review Adventure

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FRIDAY REVIEW: Adventure

How adventurous are you? Here are a few adventure-related posts you may have missed. Click to read the full message.

 

“A guest sees more in an hour than the host in a year.”

 

 

 

 

“We carry within us the wonders we see around us.”

 

 

 

 

“The Roller Coaster is my life…It’s mountaineering; It’s wanting to get to the very top of yourself.”

 

 

 

The Roller Coaster is My Life

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“The Roller Coaster is my life…It’s mountaineering; It’s wanting to get to the very top of yourself.”

—Paulo Coehlo, Eleven Minutes

Image of a roller coaster

Image from Unsplash by Claire Satera

The full quote for today is:
“The roller coaster is my life; Life is a fast, dizzying game; Life is a parachute jump; It’s taking chances, falling over and getting up again; It’s mountaineering; It’s wanting to get to the very top of yourself.”

Based on this quote, you might think I am a massive risk taker, tempting life and limb on a daily basis. I’ve had my share of adventures along the way, but for the most part, I am a bit more of an introvert than you might guess.

I do, however, love the idea of wanting to get to the very top of oneself, base on those life mountains or even hills we choose to climb.

EXERCISE:

In what areas of your life do you have the greatest desire for growth and achievement? How and in what ways can you be a bit more bold and courageous to get to the top of yourself in these important life domains?