| There�s something very magnetic about standing at the beginning of a trail, the opening stretching out before you leading to unknown (or maybe familiar) territory, beckoning you to take the first step of a new journey, embark down a path leading to adventure, knowledge, and insight.
In fact, every time I set foot on the Kalalau Trail, a rugged, magical 12-mile hike along the Napali Coast on the island of Kauai, I know I am in for a new experience, although I have traveled this way before. Each step takes me closer to my destination: a paradisical valley, brimming with waterfalls, natural splendor, and plenty of places to relax and dream. The trail gets tough in many places, we get tired, our loads are heavy, we wonder if we will have the strength to keep going. Just when we feel it�s too hard to go on, we round the corner, crest the hill, and looking out over the expansive blue ocean, are rewarded with a magnificent, breathtaking rainbow. We know we can go on. There is beauty, hope, and love in every moment�even when we think all is lost. This insight also applies to life, which is why I think of the trail as the �Trail of Life.� It goes up and down, around and around, leading toward a place we know we want to get to, but which requires us to work for our rewards. Life�s pathways, like the trails we walk on, are often full of surprises, with unexpected events occurring along the way, causing us to veer off course, navigating through tricky and sometimes treacherous places and exploring foreign, amazing new territory. This is perhaps the reason I�m so intrigued with paths; I see them in so many ways as a metaphor for life. Traveling a path can be compared to moving through our lives, and choosing which path to take is often not easy. There are so many different ways we can go, so many paths to travel, how do we choose just one? Throughout my life, I�ve been contemplating which path to travel, entering and walking down many, traveling for a time on one before veering off to explore another. It occurred to me that I don�t have to choose just one path; why not travel them all, or at least the ones that interest me? Blending many of my interests (choosing to walk down many varied paths), I�ve been led here, writing my first column for Insights: a forum with a little something for your body, your mind, and your spirit (because why choose just one, when all three are paramount?!). For me, my decisions about which paths to take on the journey of life have been influenced by several factors: parents, interests, and possibility of financial gain. We all want to �make it� in this world, which for most of us who are not (yet) independently wealthy, means making money. However, I am beginning to learn and understand that money is not necessarily the best or only reason to do something. Famous saying, �Do what you love and the money will come,� makes sense to me, even if what I love is just making me cents at the moment (sorry, couldn�t resist!). Seriously, though, in a world where our jobs are outsourced and where even the biggest, secure companies go bankrupt, leaving legions of dedicated workers stranded and searching for the next �job,� finding what we love to do and loving doing it is becoming essential and will, I believe, ultimately show us the most rewards. Finding the balance between work and what we love to do often means blending the two, after of course, we�ve taken enough paths to discover what it is we actually love to do. Years ago, a client, Jonathan Scott, author of A Father�s Love, presented a perception of prosperity that remains with me today. His heartfelt verses provide insight we can all use to prosper. Me Any My Prosperity My prosperity has nothing to do with the amount of pennies in my pocket, the car I drive or the house I inhabit. My prosperity has no relation to my relations or the people I know. My prosperity cares nothing about my education, experience, or inexperience. My prosperity starts with the thoughts I produce and the actions I institute. In the end, it�s all about me striving to serve all of you. And that is one reason why I�ve decided to launch Insights. I�m embarking on this path out of a desire to serve, providing a little insight each month for your body, mind, and spirit�who knows where it�ll lead? Happy Trails!!!! �The fruits of idleness are more important than the fruits of labor.� |
| Did you know unplugging our phone chargers, collectively, saves enough energy to power an entire city? Or how about the fact that walking, carpooling, riding a bike, or changing a light bulb can help fight global warming? You will learn all about this by reading 50 Simple Steps to Save the Earth From Global Warming, published this year by Freedom Press.
This guide offers practical steps to protect our earth from global warming in a positive and uplifting presentation of a serious subject. Organized in a fun, easy-to-read format, each step shows you a simple way you can help in the fight against global warming and feel good about being part of the solution to this current environmental crisis. Available online at amazon.com |
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