Kids; this is the story about the best summer of my life. Think about how you would define the best summer of your life. What would you want be doing? Where would you want to be? How would you life look if you could design the best summer ever?\r\n\r\nThe summer of 2014 is that for me, and much more.\r\n\r\nIt began when I moved my RV from Youngsville, NC to HYCO Lake, NC, outside of Roxboro. It was the beginning of March 2014 when Mary Mount invited me to move into the Temboli Manor. I had no idea how my life would change.\r\n\r\nIt had not taken long for my affection for Mary Mount to thicken, like melted milk chocolate that turns to creamery delight as it cools. I found myself wobbling back and forth between pinching myself to make sure it was reality, and losing myself in the delirium of happiness. To say I was scared, is an understatement. To say I was grateful is also an understatement. I felt like Peter Pan returning to Never, never land – not wanting to wake up and definitely not wanting to return to grownup world.\r\n\r\nI love the sunrises over Hyco Lake. The stillness of the water as the sky turns pink and mirrors the exact same colour on the surface of the lake. It often reminds me of a puzzle with the reflection off the water of the sky and trees around the scene.\r\n\r\nThe birds are an amazing cacophony of sounds in the morning. I have identified about 15 different species. It has been such a learning experience to watch the ecology change over the summer months. I watched Mallard Ducks mate and have their young. Unfortunately, I have witnessed the natural ebb and flow of life as young ducks disappear. From Hummingbirds, Carolina Wren, Cowbirds, Finches, to Osprey, Hawks, and Great Herons. It has been a joy to experience nature so closely, so intimately as never before.\r\n\r\nSome of the things that have made it so wonderful: sleeping out on the veranda and listening to the lake and forest go to sleep and wake up again, see the sunrises and sunsets, watching the space station pass overhead multiple times, all the flowers and vegetables grown this summer, all the photos of so many things, kayaking around the lake, gardening, lying in the sun, trimming the trees and bushes, writing in my blog, playing music, drawing, writing songs, developing CML, and most importantly, spending time with probably the most amazing lady I have ever met – Mary Mount.\r\n\r\n
Begin Again 2014
It always surprises me, and I am not sure why, that when it is time to begin again, to wipe the slate clean and start over at any time, I seem to need some outside source to get me to see it all over again as something new, yet not new at all.
Yesterday was one of those events. I met with a Duke University psychologist to try to get a handle on some confusing issues that was leaving me stuck in negative emotions for more time than I wanted to waste.
His advice was I know, begin again. Imagine being at the beginning of a new conveyor belt, and I can go in any direction, or not. The choice is mine. As always, I choose forward with the necessary changes to have more fun and enjoy the life I have. All we have is NOW!
It is said that people feel peace-of-mind to the extent that they feel in control of their lives. This should really be in control of their attitude, that illusive being that functions as both brake and accelerator of our happiness.
An interesting thing, depression. When someone can change their attitude so quickly, and often so effortlessly, by such simple things as answering the phone or gaining some input from outside influence. The difference for deep depression is that no input gets through. It acts like a secret dark veil that shrouds our minds to the point of numbness to all stimulus.
Goals and Action Plans
I have a couple of thoughts about what I have done over the years to make tomorrow better than today and to know my family will be looked after. I always had plans for my future, however, when I was young, they were carried around in my head, as my great-niece described today, as some kind of sticky note, stuck on the bulletin board of my brain. Incredibly that got me through until I was in my early thirties. I had finished high school, completed my term in the military, extended my education to being certified as a Respiratory Technologist and Cardiopulmonary Pump Technologist, completed an undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Science, married and had a daughter.
I remember being at my brother, Mike’s house and seeing a set of personal development tapes on his bookshelf by Brain Tracy. I asked to borrow them. I listened to them and they changed my entire life forever. What incredible changes can come as a result of small millisecond decisions? The lesson here is that I arrived at a crossroad of existence, and recognized it. The key here is that I recognized it. I am never sure how that works, except to the fact that when the universe offers you a morsel of insight, grab it quickly, and act upon it. The more of these you grasp in your clutches, the more the universe will offer you. If you pass them off as weird, or doesn’t make sense, or “that’s not me”, the universe will not offer as many in the future. You must be open to receiving them, and acting upon them, in which case you will see more, sooner.
I took those tapes home to Elora, ON and listened to them in my basement office. They were called the Psychology of Achievement. One of the tapes talked about goal setting and required that I sit down and write out what I wanted my future to look like and what would be my major definite purpose in life. I was instructed to write out the answers to about six questions, of which here are three.
- If I could do anything I wanted, what would I do, if I knew I could not fail?
- If I won a million dollars (make that 100 million today), what would I do?
- If I only had six months to live, what would I do
Questions are the answers in life, I have learned. It helped my design the following areas of my life that I use as daily areas of focus to help me create the life and lifestyle I have always wanted.
On Goals and Actions
- Fun
- Personal Growth
- Play It Forward
- Finance
- Family – Extended
- Health & Fitness
- Spiritual
Once I designed the areas of importance to myself, I then attached daily action plans to manifest those into reality. They all start with an idea. However, an idea, not written down, with an action plan is simply a dream, destined to be discarded to the pile of regrets. My rule is: “If it is not written, it is not so.”
Crystallize your Dreams into goals and action plans and you will be amazed at how your reticular activating system will bring those into reality.
Prodigal Son Returns
I arrived in Raleigh, NC on Oct 2, 2013 at my sister’s house after a night on the road and twelve hours of final driving with the 5th wheel in tow. Exhausted, yet so excited to be back in the US and with family who love me.
Driving through Pittsburgh and headed to and around DC brought back so many memories of the past. I had driven the route for many reasons previously, having lived and worked in Fairfax, VA, having delivered expedite freight to the east coast, having attended Network 21 functions in DC, having taken the kids to Gettysburg, DC, and Virginia Beach. Great memories are always a pleasure to revisit.
Immediately upon arrival, sister Molly had no trouble coaxing me to retreat to the ocean to find grounding in the waves, sites and sounds of the beach. The two day time we spent together driving to and from the Wilmington area was amazing and calming. We spent more time in each others company than we had in over fifty years. The sharing of memories of childhood, parents, siblings, friends, and kids re-ignited snippets of humor and tears which are always good for the soul.
Here are a few pictures; On the beach,
Sunrise with storm slowly arriving
Sis and I
My footprints in the sand, stay foolish, Steven Job’s says
Storm arriving
Beach cottages
Visit to aquarium
A DREAM COME TRUE
A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step, somebody, somewhere, at some time said. I am writing about that first step on a journey that started in my mind, many years ago.
Tonight I sit in a 35 and a half foot RV trailer in a trailer park in Waterloo, Ontario. The smell of campfire wafts through the chilled night air and reminds me of myriad times before in my life. RV, by the way now stands for “Re-Creation Vehicle” as I start, not just a new chapter, but a new book on my life.
The speck of dust in my minds-eye started at some time when I was in my late teens and solidified by the US military to travel in order to defend freedom and the American way. The Army slogan at the time was, Join the Army & See the World. How impressionable are teenagers to be sucked in by that crock? Obviously, it made an impression on me.
Once I began traveling, anywhere outside of Akron, Ohio, it was impossible to bury that wanderlust. I love adventure, and travel will create adventure every turn. Maybe I’m an adventure junkie of some kind, although I do not think I am alone in that longing, especially since I have canvased many people over the years who have told me that they always wanted to do what I am experiencing at this very moment.
Out of body experience as I thank the Universe for coming through for me once again.
If we want to believe that every Dream starts as a vision in the minds-eye, or that everything that surrounds us on a daily basis started as a thought in someone’s mind, then I am simply fulfilling what I envisioned over forty-five years ago! Profound, right?
Many people say they will do such and such when they retire and then proceed to do nothing when retirement comes. I guess you could say, I am living the Dream. Awesome!
This is my new home and traveling mode of no fixed address. When I say there have been many hurdles to overcome to arrive at this moment, that is an understatement. Most people become overwhelmed by the obstacles in their lives. I have chosen to overcome the obstacles and enjoy the ride of life.
Oakville Townhouse Renovations
The townhouse in Oakville was my home for over ten years. It was purchased to have a place for Miranda to live while going to Sheridan College. After she finished, Molly and I moved in until it was sold Sep 16, 2013. Over the years there had been many changes and improvements, however, most of the actual renovations took place during the last year.
I upgraded all the faucets, vanity in the basement, kitchen counters, front deck, deck off the bedroom, hardwood floors throughout second and third floors, cork floor in the basement, removed storage unit in the back and built new fence, replace all the stairs with oak stairs, used scaffolding to paint the living room high walls. Estimated costs – $15-20,000 in material and lots, and lots of hard work
[gm album=3]