Don't Expect Anything
Don't Expect Anything
By Laura Mills
One of the first things my husband and I wanted to do upon arriving at our vacation destination was a sight-seeing river cruise. We found the correct pier, bought tickets, and boarded the boat for a 1-hour river tour. We were supposed to return to the same pier at the tour's end, but we noticed at that time that the bodn't stop. A few moments later, one of the guides told us over the intercom that our pier and others nearby had been closed in the last hour due to a rowing race, the participants of which would pass that way along their route. In the meantime, our boat had to wait on the opposite side of the river for however long it took all the race participants to row past.
This occurred at 4pm on the first day of our trip. My husband and I had landed in the city at 7:30 that morning and hadn't had a significant sleep or meal since early the day before. By then, all we wanted to do was disembark, freshen up, and find a restaurant. Then the boats started passing. I had never seen a rowing race before; suddenly, there we were on a boat near the south bank of a river in the middle of a beautiful city watching this race. And better than even front-row seats, we were watching the action from the level of the race itself.
It wound up being very, very, very cool, not a bad way to start a vacation after all, and another reminder that sometimes we just literally have to go with the flow
SUMMER VACATION
Today’s Guest Blogger is Chance Olesak
Summer Vacation…..
Summertime is here (although the weather this past Sunday night suggests otherwise) and that is the time of year most everyone enjoys. Long days, warm weather, vacation time for us kids!!! Summer is a great time of the year to unwind, a time let go from all that bogs us down in life. However not all of us are kids or young adults in school. We don’t get a guaranteed vacation for 3 months out of the year. Most of us are 9-5’ers with everyday jobs and find it hard to even sniff at a day off for months to years. Everyone needs time off, a vacation……or do we?? Why should we have to travel to exotic places to be free from work, when vacation could be as far as the next step we take?
"…you can live a whole lifetime, without ever being awake" —Way of the Peaceful Warrior
As it says in the Alchemist; "The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity." I’ve read quite a few books the past couple months and all of them are intertwined. They all share a common ideal of living the moment. You can truly be free at anytime, on any given day, anywhere in this world.
"There are no ordinary moments" —Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Being a collegiate swimmer I initially got introduced to yoga for the physical aspect of it. I’d do a DVD yoga session for 5:00 AM swim practice 3 days a week. Burning a sweat and stretching out my 5’4 body so as to help me swim like I was 6’4! My coach cut out the shavasana part of the DVD and figured it wasn’t important; it was a symbol of my life at the moment. I was missing out on the simple beauty and joys’ of life. My swimming career came to an end after a shoulder injury and I needed surgery to repair it. I was lost, torn and didn’t know where to turn for an answer. I came across the book "Way of the Peaceful Warrior". And in the weeks following my mom introduced me to Total Body Yoga.
Through my reading of a couple books lately and my yoga practice I’ve learned to let go. To not dwell on the past and worry about what the future may hold. I love each day as if it were a blessing; I put 100% into whatever moment is placed upon my path, not wasting any extra energy or thoughts on what may or may not happen. I just go with the flow. Yoga then helps teach us to flow like water. "Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and strong, none can withstand it. "–Saltwater Buddha
Go with the flow my friends. We are all faced with challenges and decisions in life. Decide on a path and go down it. Don’t look back, but don’t look ahead too far or you’ll miss out on everything that is going on around you. Most of all do something because you want to do it. Find the joy in whatever it is you’re doing at that moment and in every moment. "The journey is what brings happiness, not the destination" –Way of the Peaceful Warrior Life is what you make it to be. So make it a good one. Physically we might not be able to get away but mentally we can. Be happy, smile, be free, and be present in this moment.
Namaste
My Reading List:
Way of the Peaceful Warrior (It’s also a movie available on DVD!!!)
The Alchemist
Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment
Saltwater Buddha
Siddhartha