Taking My Foot off the Gas Pedal
Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy) by Simon and Garfunkel
When I am driving somewhere that I have never been before, I have to admit, I can get anal about having to have directions to get there. Matt is the opposite, he is okay with having some kind of directions, trusting that we will eventually arrive at our destination.
This can be frustrated when you hold a belief that life is about the journey, not the destination. If that is so, then why are directions so darn important to me? It could be because I am such a visionary that without direction, I lose focus and travel round and round without making headway. Would it be so bad if I made a few “wrong turns” on my way to the next thing that I am creating in my life? It depends on the perspective that I choose.
If I end up going in a direction that is different than I anticipated, and I decide that it is an adventure, then the journey is enjoyable and I am open to possibilities. If I deem that turn to be wrong and I beat myself up about it, the first steps to choosing a less than joyful perspective have started and it is all downhill from there.
Enjoying the journey is a matter of noticing the perspectives that we get to choose each and every day. One of my life lessons is to slow down, so I can make the conscious choices that bring joy. When I am moving to fast, it is easy to make unconscious choices and wonder where the joy went.
Try taking your foot off of the gas today and choose the perspective that you want to see the world from. Enjoy the view and the journey.
The Peacock
Yesterday I was reminded of magnificence!
I am enjoying time in Northern CA this week. I assisted the Passion Test certification training in San Francisco last weekend, which was the start of my magical journey. That work is so transformational-I am honored to take people through the Passion Test process of clarifying what is most important to them in their life.
I came to Sebastopol to spend the rest of the week with my family. One things that we do each year I come here, is to visit a hot springs. This year we went to Vichy Hot Springs in Ukiah, CA. The mineral baths there are over 150 years old. It was a very relaxing couple of days.
I did an amazing 2.5 hour bicycle ride through the vineyards up there. As I was heading home, I came to The City of 10,000 Buddhas. Needless to say, I had to stop. It was exquisite. It is a Buddhist temple and retreat center. I rode around for a bit, until I came across a peacock in all of its glory. You met him in the photo at the beginning of this post.
My #1 passion is to stand in my power, while being connected to my heart. I believe that this is what the peacock was doing. This experience called me to share these words with you–a reminder for all of us:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson
Go and let your light shine, and shake your tail feathers while you are at it!
Anticipation….
I love adventures and surprises! Especially when I am the one organizing the moments of delight. There is something about knowing that I am part of creating an experience that will make someone happy, that raises my Joy Factor. I have hosted many surprise parties, taken Matt on surprise trips and left unexpected goodies for people to find. I love to give gifts for no reason, as well as for special occasions. The surprises can be large or small – it does not matter. What is important is that I enjoy the process of doing it and that the recipient(s) enjoy the process of receiving.
This past weekend, I had an opportunity to do just that. When making plans with Art and Robin to get together on Saturday, I asked them if they wanted to go on an adventure. They were up for it and the fun began for all of us. Over the next few days, emails went back and forth with a few questions from Robin to asssure she was prepared, so she could enjoy the adventure to the utmost. Questions like, what should I wear (very important question regarding the cute factor), should she bring bug spray, another good one for a July evening and cash or credit? Once those were answered, they were open and ready for what the evening entailed. Anticipation was present for all of us.
Saturday came, and off we went to Smyrna-yes, outside the perimeter people, to have dinner and see a show. Not just any show- we spent the evening watching Van Heinekien, a Van Halen cover band. It was a blast! We laughed and reminisced about the past and our Van Halen experiences.
As “David Lee Roth” sang about Beautiful Girls and Dancing in the Streets, I sat back and relished the joy that was happening not only at our table, but in the room. The show was fun, and the journey that got us there added to the experience.
How can a little anticipation bring more joy into your life?
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The Joy Factor
Welcome fellow Happiness Pioneers! You've come to the right place if you are looking to raise your Joy Factor. My vision is for everyone to live a life aligned with their passions and full of joy. The intention of this site is to offer you juicy nuggets that will increase your experience of joy and delight. Take a look around, grab something yummy and share the joy.
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