Make time for that little adventure.
What was the last adventure that you did? Adventures can be small things, bigger things, and they can even be added in daily. The little adventures we put into our lives make life more exciting, and fulfilling. They help us to get out of the rat race. We only get so many trips around the sun so why not fill them with as much joy, laughter, and adventures as we can. This past week, I was reminded about making sure I continue to put little adventures into my life. I got a letter from a first grader, the daughter of an Ohio friend, who is reading the Flat Stanley book in school, and so she sent me a flat version of herself.
The letter asked me to take her on an adventure, and then write back to her about what we did. At first I was worried that I was not going to have time to do this. In the end, I was able to carve out a little bit of time each day.
This first grader has never been to California so I wanted to make sure I did an adventure that would show a familiar sight from California such as the Golden Gate Bridge. One day she went to work with me because that is an amazing adventure, by itself, that I get to have every day with my patients. And this past weekend, she went with me to a colleague's house for a webinar conference. It was during a long break of this webinar that we all piled into a car, and drive to the Golden Gate Bridge to take some pictures with my Flat friend.
The trip was a nice break for my colleague and I to connect, laugh, and make the most out of the weekend. Thanks to my new flat friend for reminding me to look at life as an adventure, and make sure that even the small things in life can be seen as an adventure. Simply changing our outlook can have an influence on how we, and our bodies, perceive things.
Perceptions shape how we respond to the outside world. If we are stressed because we feel as though we have been going non-stop then that is what our body is going to feel. We are going to respond in harsh tones, and be more irritated. However, if we look at things as an adventure, or simply as an opportunity, then the body will respond differently. For example, when we are stuck in traffic we will be more relaxed if we are going with the flow rather than trying to go faster than it. Our family and friends, our adrenals, and own body will thank us for not being so stressed, grumpy, and/or irritable.
Take time to slow down, look at life as an adventure rather than something to just get through. Make small changes so that you can enjoy life more. Trust me, your body will thank you for slowing down.