Category Archives: Inspiration

Day 3 – #SoloRoadTrip: Gut Instincts, Gravel Roads & Gaining Time

28 Thursday Aug 2025

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Last night brought a little rain, but Trooper handled it like a champ! I woke up to the soft sounds of the alpaca farm and since the “General Store” wasn’t opened yet 🤣, I said goodbye to my fuzzy four-legged hosts before rolling out and heading south.

🛣️ Mountains, Desert, and a Whole Lot of Driving

Today’s route took me from Montana, through Idaho, and into Nevada — where I officially gained back an hour of time. There was even a road sign to mark the moment that you are “Entering Pacific Time Zone.” I didn’t get the shot (safety first), but I found one online because—those who know me, know how much I love a good road sign.

My planned stop was just north of Elko, but the gravel road leading there was … rough. As in Trooper-is-rattling-and-objects-are-falling-out-of-cupboards rough. As I navigated deeper, everything in me was saying this isn’t the best. The desert landscape, abandoned-looking vehicles, closed-down gas stations … it all made me feel a little uneasy.

💡 Trust the Feeling. Take the Detour.

So I turned Trooper around. 🚐

I rerouted and drove a few more hours south to Winnemucca, Nevada — a town I’ve stayed in on a past #soloroadtrip. There’s something reassuring about familiar ground. I pulled into the same hotel lot, parked Trooper, and walked next door for some wings. Comfort food meets peace of mind. Plus a little wine. 🍷

🫶 Short Calls, Big Impact

As I drove through light rain … downpour rain … lightning … and blazing sunshine, I took a couple of phone calls that turned out to be surprisingly productive, which was a gift. ☎️ And I actually think the hearing is better from Trooper going 80 mph through rain, then my Audi at 65 mph in the sunshine! LOL

I have to give a big thanks to Scott, my steady and supportive rock. As soon as I mentioned my new destination, he was already online scouting out hotels and places to park. I’m so grateful for his quiet but powerful support on these trips (and of me always). I love you, babe.

📚 Books, Podcasts & Backseat Therapists

Today, I finished listening to Careless People. The finale was exactly as the rest of the book — absolutely fascinating and disturbing. I’ll definitely be recommending it to anyone who hasn’t read it yet.

After that heavy listen, I needed a little energy shift. I caught a quick hit of Gabby Bernstein on “How to Release Anxiety,” which included a few new techniques in there.

I also started in on The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende for my September book club pick. So far, I’m into it, but tonight I’ll need to dig into the characters and timelines a bit more. The author weaves between people and time periods, so between that, the changing weather, and going 80 mph … sometimes it was hard to catch it all!

🌙 Closer to Home

The silver lining of today’s detour? I’m now two hours closer to home. 🏡 Tomorrow will be a shorter drive, and after today’s 12-hour journey, I’ll take it.

Here’s to trusting your instincts, leaning into support, and finding cozy rest stops where you least expect them.

Day 5 – #SoloRoadTrip+1: From the Mountains to Mom and Dad

05 Tuesday Aug 2025

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We arrived! 🏡🏡

…. But, I jump ahead. Let’s start in the beginning.

We woke up early at our RV campsite this morning … finally able to see what the place looked like since we had pulled in so late the night before. The field was quiet, the air crisp … and we rolled out with a little sadness knowing this was our last day on the road.

First stop was McBride, BC to gas up. The guy at the RV site had warned us that gas stations between McBride and Jasper were few and far between … and he wasn’t sure if any gas stations in Jasper could accommodate a camper van like ours due to the fires last year. We thought that was odd but didn’t want to chance it.

This stretch of road was completely new to me … and it was glorious.

We passed Mount Robson and we pulled over for a few quick photos before a Momma Bear and her cub happened to cross the road about 10 car lengths ahead of us. 🐻 We had no one ahead of us so we had a clear view of their little journey.

Once we got into Jasper, we decided to skip the town and head straight for Athabasca Falls. Totally worth it. The power and force of the falls were incredible … such a great way to cap off our mountain portion of the drive.

After that, we made our way to Jasper Park Lodge — which, we’re happy to report, was spared during last year’s wildfires. We sat down for a delicious lunch … I had a glass of wine, Scott had a beer… and we soaked up the view. Absolutely breathtaking.

And then … it was time for the final stretch.

We arrived into St. Albert just before 8 p.m., where my Mom and Dad were waiting for us with a big smile and the warmest embrace one can only receive from a parent. We gave them the full Trooper tour and caught up on everything we’d seen, done, and experienced along the way.

We snapped a quick photo to mark the moment … and just like that, the road trip from California to Canada came to an end. 🎉

🚐 Total Distance – 1,938 miles

Grateful for the journey, the scenery, the stories … and the person beside me the whole way.

Thank you for following along.

Until the next adventure …

— Joanne (and Scott)

Day 4 – #SoloRoadTrip+1: Border Crossings, Backroads, and a Starlink Save

04 Monday Aug 2025

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We woke up this morning in the big field behind Birdsview Brewing, still feeling inspired from yesterday’s North Cascades views. Scott had a work call scheduled for the morning, so we were planning a Starbucks stop for Wi-Fi … but the universe had other plans. The call was canceled. 🙌🏼

That gave us a slow, lovely start to the day. I made Joanne’s Famous breakfast again (naturally), and we eventually hit the road northbound … headed “home”. 🏡

Of course, we did find a Starbucks along the way. Would it even be a road trip without one?

Just before hitting the border, we did a final purge of Trooper’s fridge. Out went anything questionable —because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that you don’t mess around with fresh food at the border. #PreviousEdmontonExperience.

Crossing at Abbotsford was smooth and friendly. I handed over my Canadian passport (lesson learned years ago when I got scolded for presenting my U.S. one while entering Canada), and the officer simply asked about my U.S. status. I proudly told him I have a U.S. passport too, and he said, “Great, have a nice day.” That was it. No inspection. No questions. Just a kind welcome home.

One thing I love about these crossings are the back roads leading up to them. The small towns, the farmer’s fields, the cows and barns … it all feels so grounding, like a soft welcome mat at the edge of the country.

After we crossed into B.C., we joined Highway 5, also known as the Yellowhead Highway, and needed to find a spot for Scott to take a call. He wasn’t about to risk being on video in the back of a moving van again (lesson learned from Day 1). We pulled into a perfect roadside rest area … seemingly in the middle of nowhere …… and within minutes, I had Starlink up and running with excellent Wi-Fi. The universe provides.

Scott jumped on his call. I finished and posted my Day 3 blog. There was even a roadside restaurant at the stop, so I grabbed us some lunch since we had absolutely no food left after the border purge. It all worked out perfectly.

Back on the road, I popped on Audible – I caved and starting listening to Let Them. I don’t know that I really love Mel Robbins, but I do like the content and intention she has for making us move through life in a better, healthier way. In all honesty and being completely vulnerable here, Scott sometimes prefers to focus on his work and listen to his music over my rambling or future casting … and I’m learning to honor that (plus get something out of my solo time too!). Win-win. 😅

As we approached dusk, we were gifted the most beautiful pink and purple sky! We pulled Trooper and snapped some photos. Now THAT was worth waiting for!

A few other fun signs we saw along the way that made me smile, and proud to be a Canadian farmer’s daughter …

Just before 10pm we rolled into an RV site … Trooper’s (and ours!) very first campground stay. All our previous nights had been Harvest Hosts stops at breweries, orchards, and farm fields. But tonight, Trooper is plugged in like a proper van and we’ve got a few neighbors around.

More tomorrow… for now, we’re just soaking up this stillness, settling into Canada, and figuring out how to slow down a little so we’re ready to spend time with the ‘rents. Who, btw, celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary today! I can’t wait to give my parents a long, big hug! We recorded an anniversary video and picked up the winning lotto ticket for my parents. 💰💰 What will we do with all the lotto winnings?!

🗺️ Day 4 at a glance

  • 2 extra hours given to us (who doesn’t secretly love when work calls get cancelled!)
  • 1 final fridge purge pre-border
  • 1 Starbucks, obviously
  • 1 proud dual passport moment 🇨🇦🇺🇸
  • 1 Starlink hero moment
  • 1 order of french fries AND gravy (one of my favorite food groups 🙂
  • 1 audible, 1 working passenger
  • 1 first-time RV park experience for Trooper

— Joanne (and Scott)

Day 3 – #SoloRoadTrip+1: Aqua Lakes, Last Day in the U.S., Border Contraband

03 Sunday Aug 2025

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Today was all about the North Cascades National Park, nestled up in northern Washington. We had hopes of getting up early and out the door, but let’s be real … we are on vacation and “all the things” take WAY more time than we expect. ⏰

We made a delicious breakfast (the Joanne Famous) 🍳 and took a few moments to soak in the peaceful orchard we had stayed at overnight. As part of the Harvest Hosts agreement, we stopped at the farm stand on our way out and picked up some cherries, tomatoes, and pickled green beans. But then we remembered we can’t take fresh produce across the Canadian border!! 😩 And our fridge? Still full. So, we spent the day looking up what is allowed and snacking on everything we could, doing our best to minimize border contraband. 😅

Then came the real adventure. ⛰️ We entered the North Cascades, winding our way through the mountain range, and our first stop was Washington Pass Overlook. And it was an expansive overlook with a long way down!!

Once my stomach made it back to where it belongs, we arrived at the Blue Lake Trail – a nearly 5-mile round-trip hike, which was beyond perfect. The trail was a dirt, single track trail, with a steady climb that resulted in 850ft of elevation gain and a beautiful reward at the top. Blue Lake was serene and quiet and the previous glacier still had snow nestled in several spots. We had a little snack up top, snapped some photos, and took in the views before heading back down. What goes up, thankfully, must come down!

What Scott and I always love about National Parks is the diversity of people you see out on the trails … grandparents, toddlers, families, couples, solo hikers, packs of girlfriends, groups of guys. It’s like a little outdoor community parade, and we both love seeing people from all parts of the world enjoying nature.

After the hike, we continued west across the park along Highway 20, stopping at one of the most breathtaking overlooks of the trip – Diablo Lake Vista Point. It was insanely windy, but the views … OMG – drop dead gorgeous. The turquoise water made us stop in our tracks. Scott wandered right up to the edge (as usual) while I stayed a healthy distance from the guardrails, my legs definitely get a little wobbly with that kind of height.

Farther along we took in the views of the Gorge Dam before hitting the small town of Newhalem and taking in a small hike at the Trail of the Cedars. Complete with a suspension bridge and tucked near a hydroelectric power plant, this small town had an early-1900s industrial-meets-wilderness vibe.

By early evening, we arrived at our next Harvest Hosts spot, a brewery right off Highway 20. We were a little too late to hit the taproom, but we parked in a big open field with plenty of space and fresh air. The sky was overcast, which made for great hiking weather earlier but didn’t offer much of a sunset. Still, it was peaceful and calm, and the perfect way to end a full day.

Todays’s highlights:

  • The hike to Blue Lake … peaceful, quiet, and absolutely stunning!
  • The aqua waters throughout the park nestled between towering peaks!
  • The family that asked Scott to take a picture at Diablo Lake Vista … and then another one … and then a family video!! I don’t know how he finagled his way out of a full blown producer role, but we ran into them again at the suspension bridge. The man practically accosted Scott … as Scott acted like he didn’t know the man. 🤣
  • That feeling of winding through majestic mountain terrain and Trooper’s first official National Park outing!

Trooper did great! The roads were twisty – had a few big drop offs and long stretches with high winds, so I definitely had some stomach-dropping moments … but Trooper handled it like a champ.

🗺️ Day 3 at a glance

  • 1 farm stand stop, with at the silver lining being the ice cream purchase that is allowed to cross into 🇨🇦
  • 1 final fridge cleanout mission – definitely a lesson learned
  • Many great conversation topics on our 5-mile hike to Blue Lake (much to Scott’s chagrin … yes I love to talk on hikes while Scott loves to “just enjoy the moment” LOL)
  • Several stunning National Park overlooks
  • 1 suspension bridge as our final goodbye to the North Cascade Mountains!
  • 1 closed brewery … but 1 quiet night with the beer we brought along 🍻
  • 1 nervous stomach (the downside of the beautiful vistas)
  • 1 peaceful, proud Trooper moment and first National Park visit complete!

Tomorrow is a big day — crossing into Canada 🇨🇦, just in time for a holiday. It’s “August Long Weekend”, which in Alberta is often referred to as Heritage Day. There’s a big annual festival in Edmonton this weekend to celebrate it so I hope my family and friends are enjoying the extra break from work. Except Quebec … funny enough, it’s not a holiday in Quebec. They celebrate some french guy later in August 🤣 so they still get a day off this month. Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrates the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, a Jewish preacher and prophet. [In case anyone was curious.] 😊

And that’s a wrap of Day 3, SRT+1, 2025!

— Joanne (and Scott)

Day 2 – #SoloRoadTrip+1: Morning Routine, Stunning Views & River Crossings

02 Saturday Aug 2025

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We did not wake up at 5am today… and it was glorious!
We woke with the sun, rolled over, and went right back to sleep. 💤💤

When we finally did rise, Scott got out the camp coffee gear and did a proper pour-over for both of us. I sat nearby, journaling in the morning light. That practice – my morning journaling – has been with me for years, on and off, but it really re-rooted itself back in 2018 after a weekend at 1440 Multiversity with my best friend, Linda. We attended a session with Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist’s Way, a book I had first read 25 years ago. She’s big on morning pages … just writing, stream-of-consciousness, for 30 minutes. Linda has done it every single day since. Rain or shine, hungover or while traveling. Me? I’ve been less consistent, but for the past few weeks, as part of my 5am routine reset, I’ve been back at it! ✍️

I asked Scott for his grace on this trip so I could keep up that morning habit. While I journaled, he did his morning routine – meditation, stretches, and a lot of coffee while catching up on the news. He looked like some yoga warrior glowing in the morning sun, right there in the parking lot of a brewery. 🧘

And then … “fill ‘er up!”. Thank goodness for Costco and $3.22 a gallon. We also grabbed a Starbucks before heading out of Bend, we’ll both admit it … the Starbucks was better than Scott’s brew this time. Sorry babe, but I appreciate the effort.

Once we were caffeinated and rolling, we tapped ChatGPT… aka Chatty … for help choosing a few spots along the way. And Chatty did not disappoint. One of the gems was Smith Rock State Park and it was the best! If you haven’t been – add it to your list! 🧗

Sheer cliffs, deep canyons, winding river, epic trails. We found a switchback trail that took us up the mountainside … and yes, I was a little nervous with the drop-offs, but I did it. 💪. We came across a river crossing that only opens when the water is low enough. It’s mostly for horses but … we crossed it on foot. It wasn’t deep … maybe mid-calf … but it was cool and refreshing and one of those small, magical moments. You’ll see photos below. Scott isn’t a very good rule follower so that alone made Scott’s day.

After the hike, we returned to Trooper and made lunch. We’re starting a little ritual … back doors open, lunch in the van, view out. Today’s view was that incredible rock face. Not bad for a mid-day picnic.

Then it was back on the road. 🚐 🎶

We made our way toward Yakima and stopped at a winery … but not just a winery. This place had it all: wine, whiskey, pie, tomatoes. We picked up a gorgeous tomato salad to go with our dinner, then made our way to our Harvest Hosts stop for the night — an orchard, all to ourselves. It was peaceful, charming, and just perfect.

Scott barbecued dinner under the stars while I cooked the veggies on the induction stovetop. We got our Starlink working within minutes (that will be a great #vaninvestment) and wherever the saying came from … we were “Cooking with Crisco!”

We received a great pic of Ms. Torrie from our housesiters. Come one. She’s adorable!! We miss her. If we were home, we’d have been up at 5am feeding her, walking her. But we know she’s in great hands with our house sitters. She’s probably curled up in one of her favorite spots, living her best life.

Tomorrow’s a big day.
We’re heading to North Cascades National Park. Scott is pumped. He loves National Parks. Before me (BJ, Before Joanne, haha) Scott was already on a mission to visit them all. Now it’s become our shared goal. We do at least one a year. We collect those ceramic coasters from each park and Scott guards his annual pass like it’s made of gold.

🗺️ Day 2 at a glance

  • 1 Starbucks stop
  • 1 Washington lotto stop
  • 1 epic hike
  • 1 water crossing
  • Trooper’s first State Park visit
  • Another lesson with our trusted toilet
  • 300 miles on the absolutely stunning Hwy 97!!!
  • Crossing the 45th Parallel (and we’ll be at the 59th Parallel mid month!)
  • Our inaugural lunch in Trooper
  • 1 missed highway exit (that turned into a silver lining with a much-needed gas stop… no Costco in this neck of the woods and the cost of gas sky rocketed!)

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventure…

— Joanne (and Scott)

Day 1 – #SoloRoadTrip+1: Pink Jobs, Blue Jobs, and a Whole Lot of Miles

01 Friday Aug 2025

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We started the day early. Our typical 5am. Well, let’s be honest, that’s our goal typical wake-up time. And today, with a long list of things to prep, we actually met it! When you’re about to take a multi-thousand-mile (and Km!) adventure in a camper van named Trooper, there’s no such thing as “too early.”

The morning was full of the usual pre-trip, final prep. I handled my “pink jobs,” (as my sister likes to say) … packing snacks, organizing Trooper, making sure everything was photo-worthy … while Scott tackled the “blue jobs,” like mechanical checks, ensuring we had enough coffee (apparently we didn’t), and watching the video on how to use a dumping station like a pro-in-training. That came in handy around Redding when there was a slight bathroom mishap … lesson learned. 💩🚿

We said a teary goodbye to our sweet senior citizen Havanese, Ms. Torrie, who stayed behind with an amazing couple from TrustedHousesitters. Major shout-out to that community and thank you Stephanie and Liam! We’re feeling totally at ease knowing she’s in loving hands while we’re away.

We officially rolled out of the Bay Area at 10am. Thankfully, there was no traffic, and we cruised over the Bay Bridge and made our way up Hwy 80. Scott had a few Friday work calls to take, so I drove for most of the day, which was perfect – totally felt like my #SoloRoadTrip would have typically started out! We did, however, swap out once so I could take one inspiring call with a female founder doing fascinating work in science and health. (Let’s be honest though… aren’t all conversations with female founders inspiring?) I’ll be following her journey closely. 🎙️ Thank you, Cata, for the intro!

📍 Route today: We started on the 101, hopped onto the 80, and passed through Redding … where the farm fields started rolling in and I soaked up the peace and stillness of mother earth. Then we joined one of my favorite highways … Highway 97. It’s a lot of single-lane road, surrounded by farmland, forest, and mountains. We passed by Crater Lake, which I visited on my inaugural #SoloRoadTrip in 2019. No time to stop today, but we’ll be back… Scott needs to experience her beauty too.
Our final destination was Bend, Oregon, where we enjoyed dinner and a beer 🍻 at Bridge 99 Brewery. And then, thanks to Harvest Hosts, we parked the van for the evening and had 20 steps from bar to bed!

✍️ While I wrote this post, Scott pulled out the whiskey and sat outside enjoying the peace and quiet. I joined him and we drank the last of our nightcap together. 🥃

🛑 Roadside Highlights:

  • 1 Starbucks stop (the upside with Trooper is the bathroom onboard .. the downside is less stops for my Chai lattes 🙂
  • Filled up at Costco in Redding where gas was $3.81/gallon (yay, the cost is going down!)
  • Temps hit a toasty 37°C (99°F) … AC and cold drinks were non-negotiable
  • Spotted a “Dunkin’ Coming Soon” sign, which made Scott (Boston born and bred) light up
  • Bought our ritual lottery tickets … one per gas stop, one per state … manifesting that millionaire van life 💰🚐
  • Love’s was a life saver … and we’ll leave that story for another time 🤣

🎧 We had The Highway (SiriusXM) playing most of the way. Thankfully, Scott shares my love of country music. When Scott was on calls, it was Podcast and Audible time for me! 🎙️ I’m into a great little story on leadership and influence right now so highly recommend.

📸 Odometer at start: 5,099 miles
🎯 Estimated drive time: 8 hours
🕗 Actual drive time: 10 hours (with joy, scenic stops, lotto ticket purchases and quick driving swaps)

And while this isn’t exactly a solo road trip… it technically is the #SoloRoadTrip+1. I’ll still claim the true solo journey on the return drive later this month. Gotta keep the tradition … and the hashtag … alive.

🍻 More reflections tomorrow. For now, cheers to the open road, good company, and a very full first day.

— Joanne (and Scott)

Day 3 #SoloRoadTrip – Reflecting

27 Saturday Jul 2024

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As some of my friends and family might have suspected, Pavan, Tyler and I all woke up “a little rickety” (as my friend Juergen likes to say). 😆

When my friend Moselle called me to catch up (which unfortunately was interrupted by my phone showing “SOS” and no-wife signal on the Coquihalla) her first words were “you sound tired”. Ahhh … I love that you’re the consummate honest friend, Moselle.

But … like most events in life that come with a little extra wine “it was worth it”.

After morning coffee and more catch up, I headed out on my way. Next stop – Kelowna, BC.

On the road, I finished listening to Jane’s memoir (where me, Julie, Moselle and Christy all got a shout out cameo appearance!!). Today’s drive included more silence with the radio off. A more reflective drive and an opportunity to listen to what my heart was saying. It was easy to do because the drive was beautiful and the internet was not available. But I was so moved by Jane’s story, I needed a bit of time to simply be in the world.

Traffic was terrible leaving Seattle but one thing I love about going through smaller border crossings into Canada are the roads that take you there. They are through farm land and small towns, and I try to imagine what people do in these small towns. Actually, I know that answer having grown up in a small town myself 800 miles from “the big city”. I respect the simple life. But when I was growing up in High Level, I didn’t know the world was bigger than that town, or had so many opportunities. Today is different … yet these small communities still exist (and hopefully thrive). As I get older, I’m more inclined to find places that slow things down versus speed things up. So driving on these backroads and entering a small border crossing, well it suits me just fine.

I’m always grateful when the border patrol says “Welcome Home” and hands me back my Passport. I want to scream “Wahoooooo!” but don’t because those border patrol people are very serious and I don’t want them to change their mind. But inside I’m smiling! BIG TIME!!

The Coquihalla Highway is beautiful but let me tell you something … there is not one Starbucks along the way! There were barely any turn-offs. I don’t know if I saw ANY. And I was looking. Thankfully I was distracted by view until I finally hit the Visitor Center just outside of West Kelowna. I could get out and snap a few photos of the breathtaking landscape.

Before I went to my friend Janice’s, I looked up “wineries nearby” and said “Add Stop“. Hair of the dog?! Ha ha .. Actually I just wanted to sit with my thoughts and reflect on things a little bit before heading to see my friend.

Matthew and Janice are “early to bed and early to rise” which suited me perfectly and gave me time to craft my Day 3 blog, write my gratitudes, do a little reading, and get a good night’s sleep.

Janice – thank you for the delicious spread of locally sourced food and yummy wine. Fun to think back to 2014 when we first met in Kelowna. I love how our lives have criss crossed and weaved together effortlessly over the decade. I feel blessed to have forged a friendship with you over the years.

We didn’t take a picture tonight (I’ll be sure to get one tomorrow!) but funny enough … I pulled up this photo from my very first #SoloRoadTrip … the date on this photo is July 26, 2019. How crazy is that!

Of course we don’t look a day older today then we did back then!

And just to show that I’m no fashionista and maybe need to spend more time updating my wardrobe … I’m actually wearing the exact same outfit that I did that day 5 years ago! AND … as I was dressing this morning, I had a little spidey sense that it might be the case. Same thing when I heard myself say “you should double check that the address in your phone is indeed where Janice stills lives”. Ha! Well, I gave the woman a little scare and a smile since she opened the door and saw someone standing there with a bottle of wine and suitcase in hand!

And this photo was the start of something for both of us. You, a new business. And me, my Women’s Leadership Unconference. God I love making cool memories.

I am enough

21 Tuesday Apr 2020

Posted by in Inspiration, Life's Lessons, Love

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last night as I lay in bed, i was reflecting on some people in my life. colleagues. mentors. friends. close relationships. strangers. and i started to feel down. started to feel like I couldn’t compete. started to spin with the thought … “what have I done? … how do i compare? … am I enough?”

so i pulled out my journal and i began to write. because even though my head tells me that i am enough … my ego was getting in my way.

I. Am. Enough." Manifestation Tattoo– Conscious Ink

i am smart enough

i am complete enough

i am fun enough

i am enjoyable enough

i am patient enough

i am outgoing enough

i cook enough

i am resourceful enough

i am courageous enough

i am generous enough

i am curious enough

i am vulnerable enough

i am complete enough

i am tenacious enough

i am witty enough

i am loving enough

i am kind enough

I am enough.

i am enough | Tumblr

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Living Your Potential

26 Sunday Jan 2020

It’s an interesting phenomenon that we can see the potential in others more clearly than they can see in themselves.  And the same goes with how difficult it is to see our own potential and a clear path to our goals and ambitions.

I’ve learned that I’m not going to change this, even though it doesn’t make any sense to my rational brain. But I trust that the Universe has a reason for making it easier to see the potential in others than it is to see it in ourselves.

Therefore the only option is to embrace the challenge and succeed anyway!

there is no man living

Here is what I’m learning about how people are achieving greater levels of success and reaching a higher level of potential.

Set a long term plan

A wise man and mentor referred me to an inspiring and famous quote which says that  we tend to overestimate what we can do in one year but underestimate what we can accomplish in 5, 10 or 20 years. I’ll provide the Bill Gates quote since he’s a tech icon I admire.

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

For the first time I created a 5 year plan versus my typical “one year resolution” list of 47 items that I wanted to accomplish in 12 months. It’s already made a huge difference in the way I approach life and has reduced my stress level tremendously.  Last year at this time I would have been freaking out and I would be telling myself — “it’s practically February – one month has almost vanished before my eyes!! — I am no where near accomplishing my long list of goals.”  For more reading on this check out Founderpedia post.

But .. because I have a five-year plan, I’m not freaking out at all. I’ve already accomplished a few things and if I take the long view, then I’m well on my way and feel confident that success is in my future.  Which leads me to …

Celebrate the small wins

We achieve lots of things on a daily basis, but because we’re so focused on accomplishing something big, we erroneously skip over the confidence boost and validation by not celebrating our achievements. Each win doesn’t require a grand stand and parade, but even a short discussion with yourself saying “I did that!” or “What a wonderful accomplishment towards my bigger goal” will increase your mood and give you energy as you tackle the rest of the day, year, decade.

Give. And then give more 

I’m consistently receiving signs these days that in order to increase our happiness and to help us be successful, we need to give. And it’s critical to give when we feel down and least feel like we can, or have, the capacity to give.

Giving doesn’t have to be monetary. It could be as simple as a compliment. And even if you’re a giver … you will be surprised how giving more will unlock the inspiration needed to tackle what seems like an insurmountable task.

Research reported in Adam Grant’s book “Give and Take” (which I highly recommend) shows that giving in chunks (ie: focused giving in a short period of time) versus giving in sprinkles (ie: one small act a day for a week), provides greater satisfaction and a feeling of happiness. And when we are happy, we know that we tend to be more motivated and therefore have a greater chance of working towards our goals and true potential.

Unlock-Your-Potential

Finding happiness 

Happiness isn’t always derived from the work we do or even the goals we’re trying to accomplish. Often finding happiness elsewhere (in an activity we enjoy; spending time with people that inspire us; volunteering with something you care about) can provide you with the happiness that will give you the motivation and push you to dig deeper and reach higher so you can truly unlock your potential.

… and on a personal note, just writing this blog today is a huge win for me that I’m going to celebrate with a delicious Chai Latte and a mini “woot woot” as I hit “publish”. 🙂

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Posted by | Filed under Family, Inspiration, Life's Lessons, LifePlanning

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Community

23 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by in community, Family, Inspiration, Life's Lessons

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The other day I heard an important distinction between the meaning of community and the definition of a network.

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A network is a group of interconnected people … which I completely relate to because I have personally built a business by building my network.

A community is a feeling of fellowship of others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.

The distinction between the two got me thinking about what community is … and the community that I have fostered … versus the networks I have built.

And then it dawned on me.  The reason why I have been experiencing a sense of loss and loneliness in my life. It is because I haven’t nurtured enough community, at a time when I think I needed it the most.

There are things we do that help foster community.

Being in a relationship … having a family … a partnership of some kind …

These all lend themselves to shared interests and common goals.

When we have a belief in something, or a strong passion, be it a spiritual belief in God or some passion for say a certain sport or the arts and culture, we have an easier time building connection.  We form relationships where we rely on others and over time, feel confident that no matter what, we are going to be there for each other … be it to pray with … cheer with … create with … or commiserate with.

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Being a solo entrepreneur can make it difficult to build or keep up within a community. We focus most of our time on our company.  We make decisions to prioritize growing the business over, sometimes, almost everything else.  And we can often seclude ourselves from places of deep connectivity citing a lack of time, energy or a whole host of other reasons, valid or not.

But the cost of disconnection can be great.

It’s almost like we find our own little hole and keep digging ourselves towards the opposite direction of community and support, even though I think we realize it’s exactly what we need to thrive.  We need community and that sense of support to keep our heart and soul alive – so it can fuel our imagination, our passions, and yes, ultimately our business.

We all have a lot to offer to a community, in addition to what we will gain from being a part of one.  But like anything else in life, it starts with taking a step forward in the direction we want to go.  And we don’t know what might stick, so we can’t be scared to go down a few paths to find the right one for us.

Be it for a season, a reason, or a lifetime.  Finding a community, or two or five, feels like a good use of our time.

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Special thanks to my new community #MC and my old #creativeNZ match for the inspiration.