Last night I had a dream that I was walking in a pasture full of gorgeous colors.  The pasture was rustic and wild with flowers growing all over.  The hue of the flowers were dull but beautiful as wild flowers often are. A voice came up inside me that said “The World is Much Bigger than you Thoughts.”  I awoke smiling and then drifted back to sleep.  This pasture could have been anywhere but since I have walked pastures wild and vast in Ireland, I decided to share the above pic of a pasture that was next door to an organic farmhouse B&B I stayed in this May when I was in Donegal.  I have a very adventurous soul that gets trapped in the myopic worries of the material world. I am known for booking spontaneous trips when the pressure of everyday life seems to much.  I have traveled alone to several places and have come to love the freedom that solo travel brings. My happiest moments are when I am wondering and it doesn’t need to be to far distant lands.  I can often be found wondering the city neighborhoods of Boston taking in the old world feel of my beautiful city. I love to walk through the Public Gardens and watch the tourists as they ooooo and ahhhhh over sites that Bostonians pass by every day.  The wonder and splendor in their eyes always gives me new found love for the present moment around me.  We recently discussed letting go of anxious thoughts in our discussion Letting Go.  That ole hamster in the wheel, oh so cute, but maddening at the same time.  All of this brings me to a concept that while important to me, always seems to get lost along the way when my thoughts pick up speed.

I often discuss with my clients how they might bring in the wonder of adventure into their lives on a regular basis.  Generally I get responses like “I wish I had the money to travel” or “I have always wanted to go._____ but I have never had the money” or “I like to bike/hike/go to the beach, I just never end up going.”  To which I discuss the concept of creating every day adventures.  Generally this causes a very quizzical to look to come across their face (I am used to this look as working integratively means that you are often discussing ideas that seem so random to the average person but overtime make such sense:)  How can we begin to bring all the lust, excitement and wonder that vacations stir up to our every day experiences, I ask.  To which often begins a very fun and energetic discussion about passion, love and excitement.  Soon whatever was bothering that person begins to fade away as their imagination goes on a carpet ride.  We all seem to struggle, at times, with getting bogged down in the drama and stress of the moment thereby losing sight of the bigger picture of life.  The little voice within that spoke to me in my dreams last night happened for a reason.  Lately my mind has gone on a carpet ride that has not been about lust or wonder or excitement in any way.  Instead my mind has chosen to focus on fear based thoughts that state that the sky is falling, the world is black and things are not working out quick enough for my limited amount of patience.  I am back in the Chicken Little syndrome all over again.  I share this because as I listen to all those around me, it is comforting to know that my crazy mind is not alone.  Most people struggle emotionally around the holidays tending to lose sight of the intention of the spirit of the season.  While there may be stress and pressure, it is also a time of year filled with lights, music and the hope for a new beginning.  The wonder and cheer from children all around is enough to give you a contact high.  The wake up call I got in my sleep was overdue and much needed.  It gave me a renewed sense of my soul’s desire which is to explore, wander and be amazed.

In the end, Chicken Little realized that the sky never fell and I bet he was damn exhausted after all that worrying.  All of our troubles find a way of getting resolved one way or the other, the key point is to not only to stay sane in the midst of it but also to have fun.  Fun does not need to cost much money.  It can simply be going out into nature (as I did in the dream) and being with the wonders of the Universe.  It can also mean walking down a street you drive down all the time and taking in the things you usually dismiss as you drive by. It can be taking in the beauty around you, being present in the moment when you would generally be caught up in your thoughts.  Finding ways to bring in splendor, wonder and adventure into life is key.  It is true what they say about life being short.  Chicken Little lost a lot when he was so concerned about that sky. We lose a lot when we allow the daily pressures of life to cause us to forget about our soul’s desires.  How might you bring adventure into this holiday season?  How might you begin to see that the world is much bigger than your thoughts?  For today, I am going to lose the schedule I had in my head and do what my body and soul wants to do.  I am also going to make a plan to go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum over the next week because it is a place that always renews my thirst for wonder and adventure. I will also make a plan to go to the beach this week as the ocean soothes my soul like nothing else can.

Best wishes for an adventurous holiday season!

Cheers!