Life in 3 – The One About Bravery

Today was about post-vacay recovery more than anything, so there was a lot of brain fog to burn off. Here’s what crossed my mind in the middle of unpacking mountains of dirty, wrinkly beach-worn clothes:

• There’s a whole lot more “sweet” to “home sweet home” after being gone for a week. It’s amazing how much a great mattress, abundant ice cubes, and oh-my-god-I-thought-you-died dog excitement can remind you that paradise can be found right at home, too. When you think about it, everyone has a little bit of paradise they’re surrounded with…we just have to choose to appreciate it.

• Being silly is a prerequisite to life. We get stressed a LOT. There are plenty of opportunities to worry, so when we run across the times when can goof off and act like we’re a couple sandwiches short of a picnic, we should go for it! I’ll never remember the 512,000 spreadsheets I’ve worked on in a lifetime…but GUARANTEED, I’ll never forget my daughters assuming their most “serious” explorer poses on the top of this volcanic rock formation. Get silly whenever and wherever you can.

• Try a few things you think are weird. Sometimes what we think is weird is just unknown to us. My family went on a tour of a family-owned chocolate farm, and we learned so much! Did you know that chocolate nibs grow in a pod, on a soft membrane…and some people eat that membrane because it tastes a bit like citrus? Yeah, me either. Only about 6 people on the tour tasted the membrane, which is actually becoming a local delicacy. Will I ever eat it again? Maybe not. But I’m glad I stepped outside my comfort zone to try something new.

Happy exploring & happy stepping outside your comfort zone. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Always do what you are afraid to do.