Roadtrip Realizations
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One of my mottos is “Enjoy the Journey,” and on our recent trek from California to Texas, we did just that. We took in many sights and learned some lessons along the way, too. Remember that in life, sometimes it’s about getting to a destination – but getting there is always easier when you enjoy the journey.
Sunny in Scottsdale
Our first destination was Scottsdale, Arizona, where we enjoyed a water park. It was sunny, as expected, but the water was freezing, which we didn’t expect. We could have easily focused on that and had a miserable time, but we chose to enjoy the time together, relaxing and unwinding.
Lesson: When you manage your expectations, you can manage your emotions.
Lucky in Las Vegas?
Next stop: Las Vegas. I actually did get lucky in Las Vegas – I won a little playing poker one night. I like poker because it actually requires action and strategy, as opposed to the sit & spin slot machines that tend to eat people’s money.
Lesson: When you take action, you take control, as opposed to letting life happen to you. Are you gambling with your life, hoping to get lucky?
It’s Just A Hole!
Third leg: The Grand Canyon.
We took a train to get there and enjoyed the entertainment offered on the ride (plus the nice break from driving!). When we got there, it was just a few flights of stairs up to the GRAND view. We took it in and after two minutes, Ecksley, my four year old son, commented, “The Grand Canyon is NOT fun.”
So we went for a hike and enjoyed the scenery as we walked.
Lesson: Life is a lot like this – we often have huge holes in our lives, and instead of looking at them and figuring out how to fill the holes, we find a way to cope with the problems and make them part of our victim story.
Well, nothing’s going to fill the Grand Canyon except maybe darkness at nightfall, but you can fill the holes in your life and create the experience you want.
What I’ve learned is that most of us have holes in our lives because we don’t know what we want, but we do know what we don’t want. Having the clarity of what we don’t want gives our minds something to focus on, and energizes them – creating more of exactly what we don’t want! So figure out what you do want, and you can fulfill what’s missing inside of you.
Get the BIG picture…from Way Up High!
Our next stop was Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is home to the world’s longest aerial tram (2.7 miles!), so we rode on up to the top of Sandia Peak and went exploring.
The views were amazing and breathtaking, and reminded me that it’s good to take time to look at the BIG picture.
Lesson: Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day details that we forget the enormous possibilities in life. It’s important to take a step back (and maybe go a few miles up) to look at what’s working and what’s not. Then spend more time doing what’s working.
Cool Stuff Under the Desert Floor…
5th stop was in Carlsbad, New Mexico, home of the Carlsbad Caverns. We took a greatly anticipated trip down into the Earth and discovered some wonderful creations below the surface.
There were HUGE rooms in the caverns, and the rock formations were remarkable. And all hidden under a desert up above (which was also pretty remarkable, by the way).
Lesson: Many of us have hidden talents and treasures within ourselves that never see the light of day. What’s buried within you that would be a beauty for the world to behold? All it takes is some exploration to figure it out!
Texas + June = Heat + Humidity
San Antonio, Texas was our home for 3 nights. One of those nights I was doing a conference call in the car sweating so profusely that I must have lost 5 pounds!
Honestly, the heat & humidity were so intense there, that I’m not sure what else to say other than thank goodness for air conditioning!
Oh wait! The Alamo is in San Antonio, and while I got there too late to explore it one day, I was able to see the structure itself and marveled at the smallness of it. Surrounded by downtown hotels & highrises, the Alamo sits there – a small building with a BIG story.
Lesson: You don’t have to be big to be significant. Stop playing small and unleash the greatness within you.
Family Fun!
We finally got to our destination – enjoying the journey all along the way – in Webster, Texas.
Just minutes from the NASA Space Center and a short drive to Galveston, we enjoyed our gathering with family from all around the US. I could devote a whole article to this one stop, but will keep it short and sweet.
Lesson: It’s good to reconnect and enjoy time with people who support you, whether they are related or not.
Home Sweet Home
After all that (16 days on the road), we made it home by driving less than 24 hours from the East side of Texas almost all the way to the West coast. Now that we’re home, we’ve got new perspectives because of where we’ve been and what we’ve done. We brought all the good times back with us by focusing on them and giving them our energy, rather than the opposite. And that’s an article for another time…
Until then, tell me about your summer vacations and what lessons you learned or how you were able to Enjoy the Journey.
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Quick Links
- Focus on What's There, Not What's Missing
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- Everyday Appreciation: One Easy Way to Empowerment
- Overcoming Overwhelm
- Five Quick Fixes to Overcome the Fear of Talking To People
- Functioning Without Fear
- Meet Aurora Winter
- Meet Beau Henderson
- Embracing Your Boundaries to Expand Your Brilliance
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