Day 328: View from the other side

September 5, 2017

I'm currently reading this fascinating book entitled "Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists are revolutionizing the way we live and work." It's so intoxicating that I'm reading before I go to work, on my breaks, and before bed.

The main focus is exploring the upper ranges of the human experience, and how those peak experiences can be used to improve satisfaction, performance, connection with others, connection with the Divine, and much more.

There are four signature characteristics that underpin these ecstatic experiences, according to the authors. They are as follows:

Day 244: Love big

June 13, 2017

Have you ever noticed that death, or even the subject of death, can illicit very odd behavior from even your closest of kin? Well, I've noticed some very interesting behavior even in myself this past week while I'm facing this firsthand. The perfect example of this can be illustrated through an odd animal encounter yesterday.

I was sitting at the dining room table of the cabin, working away on my laptop. The beautiful clouds over a serene Lake Almanor put my inner turmoil seemingly at ease. I heard Kai frolicking around in the living room, so I went to see why she was so playful.

A loud shriek involuntarily erupted from my mouth...

Day 202: Off the grid?

May 2, 2017

Over the weekend, I watched a recent T.V. interview of Matthew McConaughy on the David Feherty show. I've never been the star-stuck kind of person, reading People magazine or catching the latest online clips of Hollywood gossip, so I really don't know much about this actor. I learned that he's great at golf, and got started in acting as a result of getting kicked out of a bar due to a dramatic conversation about golf. What stood out to me the most was McConaughy's love for camping and the outdoors. In preparation for this upcoming summer, I've been putting together a bucket list of camping destinations. This includes a return, after almost a decade, to Silver Falls, Oregon. This incredible spot is surrounded by Christmas tree farms, has quiet camping grounds, and contains a 9-mile hiking loop with ten amazing waterfalls along the way. I know that I choose to immerse myself in nature when I want to get grounded and connect with the most important things in my life. Turns out McConaughy did—and still does—the same thing.

Day 132: Creativity Boosters

February 21, 2017

The focus of this week for me has been to explore my inner child. Boy, did I get to do this yesterday at Lido Beach. My friend, Ursula (10 years of age) and I went down to catch some rays, play bocce ball on the sand, savor ice cream cones from Big Olaf’s, and take a dip in the water on our day off. When the traffic at 5 pm was still hectic to get back over the bridge, we opted to stay longer and collect sea shells.

Day 131: Mission Accomplished

February 20, 2017

I still feel like a kid, chatting excitedly about the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch over the weekend. I’ve been sharing this with the baristas at Perq (one of my favorite hangouts), the cashier at Trader Joes, and even the neighbors I encounter while walking the dog. Pretty much anyone who will listen.

The experience was exhilarating.