I love a good challenge… even better when it is an adventure, an item on my bucket list, and I’m in good company…why not?! My risk averse friends are shaking their heads and getting out their ‘I’ll tell you why not’ list of what could happen. In the meantime, I am walking into the lion’s den with my husband, Mike, and our explorer friends, Dave and Joyce…Yes, that is my foot next to the track of a mountain lion in Zion National Park, Utah, and when my friend Dave suggested we proceed into an 18 inch wide and 15ft long gap in the wall of a mountain (eek!) and into a cave where all these tracks were dancing about out front, I questioned his sanity and mine. But here we are… Sometimes you have to assess the risk on the spot, discuss it with your team, prepare for the trek and designate roles, and believe in the team. Ok, honestly, I saw the herd of elk, in the next field over, they looked much tastier than our little group of four (thinking like a mountain lion), and looked into my husbands eyes for a second opinion. Then 5-4-3-2-1 (thanks Mel Robbins) I took my place in line through the gap in the wall…which opened up into a super cool cave with gradients of color and ridges and no mountain lions (thank goodness).
- Had we planned on making this stop? No.
- Did we anticipate walking through all that sage brush and elk scat? No.
- Did we plan on making crazy noise and throwing rocks into a cave, only to walk into it moments later to check it out? No.
- Did we do it and laugh through the excitement and nerves, echooo echoooo in the cave, and create one of the best moments in life that was unplanned, YES!
I recently watched a show called No Tomorrow and it inspired me to create my No Tomorrow list… hiking and canyoneering in Zion National Park was high on the list. So when the opportunity presented itself, thanks to Dave and Joyce, my husband I and locked it in. It far exceeded my expectations, and gave me the learning and adventure opportunity that I sooo needed. My personal motivation thrives on learning new things and tackling new adventures with good friends. It is amazing how much stronger a connection and relationship is developed when you go through an adventure together.
“I don’t divide the world into the weak and the strong, or the successes or failures… I divide it into the learners and non learners.” – Benjamin Barber
We talk a lot about self-care, and this is another facet of self-care. The trip gave hubby and I a chance to reconnect and enjoy each other, which sometimes gets lost in the day to day of raising young adults and full time careers. It also gave me time to immerse myself in nature. Nature has an incredible grounding effect that provides clarity to reprioritize and pop the smothering cloud of 42 ongoing task bubbles surrounding me at times. That reset and awareness puts me back into the Peaceful mindset that allows me to function at my best.
It is your turn…I challenge you… what is on your No Tomorrow list that includes learning, adventure, self-care, and connection with special people in your world? What impact do you anticipate it will have on you and/or others? AND, When will you commit to do it?
Let’s do this!