Embracing the Adventure

I’m back to having adventures again! After a long period of babying injured knees and feet, I decided it was time to come back to life in a whole new way. And so two weeks ago, I woke up early, drove north, and hiked seven miles. My eyesight isn’t perfect yet. My muscles aren’t strong yet. My alignment isn’t quite back to normal… and I didn’t care! Life was rising up within me, saying, “You can do it. It’s time. Let’s get going again.” The next weekend, I did it again. My body wasn’t entirely comfortable yet, but my spirit was singing for joy.

Every time I get on a trail, even one I’ve hiked for twenty years, it’s a new adventure. Nature changes constantly, and there’s always something new to discover. The autumn colors are popping in different areas. The creek is deeper this year due to the leftovers of a hurricane that dumped a load of water on us.  The squirrels are busy putting away their winter stash, and my long-time friends, the ravens, seem happy to see the “cashew lady,” as I’m sure they call me behind my back.

“Caw. Caw. Caw,” they cry as their song echoes against the red rock cliffs. I caw back in my poor raven dialect and burst out laughing. I hear, “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” as their wings flap, readying them for a landing. We meet in one of our spots, and I toss the raw cashews far enough for them to feel safe approaching and close enough for me to admire them.  We look into each other’s eyes for a moment of pure appreciation before they load up their giant beaks like winged chipmunks and fly back to drop the bounty off at the nest. “Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh, plop.”  They land on the rocks, hop around, and fill up again. I am overjoyed.

At the end of the trail, the slot canyon curves, filled with a chilly stream that curves beyond the bend. I meet many people back there. I talk to one lady about angels and metaphysics, and get interrupted to joke with a group of young guys debating about how to put on weight! Before I know it, we’re excitedly discussing breakfast burritos loaded up with bacon, eggs, rice, beans, veggies, and avocado. I flippantly comment that I wish I could download five pounds, then, whereupon they got downright silly about the possibility of people contributing to their cause.

They leave, and a delightful couple appears next. They’re curious about why lies beyond the end of the trail. The temptation to slosh through emerald pools overrides my lazy desire to sleep on a sunny log, so I offer to be their guide. We wade into cold water that comes up over my knees, and round the corner to see one of my favorite spots on earth. Sandstone cliffs tower over the trickling waters of the creek. A gentle breeze flows through the canyon.

Patches of sunlight warm the rocks and glisten on the surface of the water like diamonds. An embracing stillness feels like a soft blanket of energy on my skin. We hike back to a giant “reflecting pool” surrounded by sheer red rock walls, and then return triumphant.  After the hike, I stop at a local establishment for my yearly treat of fresh-pressed apple cider.

These are the adventures I love.

Sometimes the adventures aren’t so fun. Tonight, for example, my inbox suddenly flooded with a week’s worth of delayed emails. Instead of writing this newsletter at a decent hour, I’m still working on it at 5:30 a.m. The evening/ night isn’t what I planned, but I find lately that as I simply embrace the adventure, it is actually fine.

As I work with clients going through tough times, I have huge compassion. I am often reminded of times in my life that felt so serious I didn’t know if I’d make it through them. Divorce, breakups, death, betrayals, debt, losing lots of money, injuries… all those things that make life tough at times are a part of my story too. But they’re only part of the story. They’re chapters, and out of each has arisen a greater resolve to love myself and others, a greater sense of the power within, and a greater desire to embrace life head on.

These challenges were catalysts for my growth—stepping stones to greater wisdom.  As the country song by Frankie Ballard says, “How am I ever gonna get to be old and wise if I ain’t ever young and crazy?”  Been crazy. Getting wise: Everyone I’ve lost to death has been found in more beautiful ways. Everyone I’ve lost in life has been replaced with kinder souls.  Every dollar I’ve lost is forgotten as I look around and count my blessings in this grand adventure.

So as life keeps “lifing,” here are a few ways to remember and embrace it as the adventure it truly is:

1.  Tell yourself, “This is an adventure.”

There’s something about the word “adventure” that reminds us that even the tough stuff can be enlivening if we see it as a challenge to be overcome. On an adventure, we become resourceful. We figure out ways around the obstacles. We rest when we must and move when we can. The barriers on the path are not assaults upon our character or messages to give up, but rather simply obstacles that can help us find our wisdom, guidance, and resourcefulness.

2. Have compassion for yourself.

I’ve known people who have undertaken massive physical adventures—long hikes, moves across the world, you name it. There were moments of exhaustion and discouragement, as there are in life. There were periods when they didn’t know if they could take the next step, just as there are times in life when it feels as if we can hardly move on.

That’s when we most need to have compassion for ourselves. We’re allowed to feel human. In fact, it hurts to pretend otherwise. There is tremendous value in loving ourselves through times, having compassion for ourselves when faced with obstacles, and treating ourselves with kindness when we need it the most.

3. After the initial reaction—pause, ponder, and then respond.

We all have our programmed reactions to life’s events. We’ve been taught how to feel and think in the case of debt, death, divorce, and more. We have a little librarian in our brain that looks up every life event and finds the “book” on how to react.  But we get to choose how to respond.

Here’s my formula for moving from reaction to response:

1. Accept the situation.
2. Notice the pre-programmed reaction. Acknowledge it.
3. Pause. Ponder. Ask, “How do I really feel?”
4. Sit. Breathe. Receive. Ask, “What’s next?”

For example:

1. Situation: My vision still isn’t perfect.
2. Pre-programmed reaction: Worry. “What if it never heals?”
3. Pause and ponder. How do I really feel? Mildly irritated but totally unconcerned. I can heal anything.
4. Sit, breathe, receive. What next? Improve my posture. Do yoga. Sit up straight at the computer. Do neck exercises.

In minutes, I’m out of reaction and back into alignment, spiritually and physically!

When you see life as an adventure, he obstacles aren’t attacks, and the challenges aren’t detours. Surrendering to the moment, we find a greater power within—one that has the answers, the energy, and the wisdom to help us move beyond the tough spots so we can, once again, find the exhilarating joy that comes from embracing adventure head-on

May your week be filled with kind adventures,
Love,
Ann