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Is Your Life an Adventure?

December 1, 2014 By Dustin 14 Comments

1 Dec

2011 Pictured Rocks 090Adventure is an awesome word! What do you think of when you hear it? An action movie, something you have always wanted to do, or some memory of something you have done? When someone asks you if you have ever had an adventure if you say no or have to hesitate to remember when your last adventure was, then you need to get going!

Adventures come in all shapes and sizes and can be for young and old. Adventures are not just fun, they push you and make you stronger, they make you happier. A good adventure will push you past your comfort zone and help you to grow as a person.

Each person has a different idea of what an adventure is, but I promise you that an adventure that you have experienced will shape your life and stick with you much longer than any adventure you see on the tube. Don’t get me wrong, I love my T.V. as much or more than the next guy, but those T.V. shows or movies are not the things I remember when I think about the real adventures in life. I am talking about experiences you hold dear or that you tell your kids or friends about. I am talking about adventures where my heart was pounding, where I was scared and didn’t know what was going to happen, where the adventure pushed me to grow and let me know that I could do more than I thought!

I have climbed the corporate ladder and after climbing to the top of my company, I was still unfulfilled by my work. I was living someone else’s adventure and following their dreams. I finally left that job to try the adventure of starting my own business. I am not bragging about that; I am saying it because if that is something you want to do, then go for it!

Some of my most memorable adventures have been testing myself physically, but some of my most life changing adventures have pushed me more on the mental side. One of the biggest adventures any of us can experience is following our dreams!

I am at a place in life where I often think about what we are all told as kids, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” Somewhere along the path we lose confidence in this saying. We start settling for what is in front of us instead of pushing for what we want. Why do we do this? The answer is because it is more comfortable. Some people have life circumstances that change their plans and make them take a different route, but even in those circumstances we can choose to get back on track and follow our dreams, even if the journey will now take us longer.

I am not preaching, I am reminding myself what I believe in. My wife and I were able to build a successful business over a period of five years. We enjoyed the business, but always knew that was not our dream. Our dream was bigger and scarier. We chose to sell our business this past summer, but time has kept ticking since then and we have not stayed on the path of our dream.

We have let circumstances, emotions, or difficulties slow us down and keep us from our path. The biggest obstacle that I personally face is fear and self-doubt. I know I can duplicate what I have already accomplished, but I have moments of fear and self-doubt as to whether I can really accomplish what I have dreamed of.

Do you ever have something that you really want to do, but you avoid it because of that nagging doubt in the back of your mind? There is only one way I have personally found to keep accomplishing my goals in life. That key is to live a life of adventure! What I mean is regularly pushing your limits in different ways that make you grow as a person. Consistently pushing past what you thought your limits were increases your confidence and teaches you perseverance. Not every adventure needs to be with an end goal in site. The point is, if you want to do it, do it!

Starting my own business was one of my biggest adventures in life. Another of my favorite adventures I have experienced was a whitewater rafting trip in West Virginia. I went with a group of friends and we rafted on the toughest rafting river east of the Mississippi. I had talked about a trip like this for years, but never did it. Haven’t we all had things we said we wanted to do and just kept putting off or never got to? I finally did it and I rode in the front of the raft the whole time!

When you are on a powerful river that can pull you out of the boat or flip you at any time, you on are an adventure! Coming straight into that whitewater with it splashing over the raft and throwing you around really gets your adrenaline going! Just like any good adventure I pushed my limits and came out stronger. On this adventure I also had the benefit of being with friends and sharing something like this creates a bond. I am not a good swimmer so the fear of drowning kept me from experiencing this adventure, but I pushed past it and had a great time. My confidence in what I could do also grew.

I came back from that trip pumped up! I was pumped up for life, for adventure, for everything. I knew I had crossed a boundary and would not go back to a boring, routine day to day life. I was wrong. I was soon stuck back in my old routine going to a job I did not like each day and living for the weekend. It kept me from giving my best to my wife or kids. I was stagnant. I was stuck and hoping for some way out, but not doing anything about it myself. Finally a few years later, I had another adventure that I really loved.

I had always wanted to go on a cool hiking trip and always told my wife I was going to. I never did and used the excuse that none of my friends were into that kind of thing. Really, if I wanted to do it I could have at any time, but I just chose to live in fear and stay in my comfortable, if unfulfilling life. I finally talked my dad and a friend into going on a camping/hiking trip. We went to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and parked our car. From there the adventure began.

We hiked 8-10 miles each day for four days. Each night we made camp at a different spot along the lakeshore. These were not campsites with electricity or outhouses. This was roughing it! In between our hikes along the beaten path we ventured off and hiked many miles up and down slopes, along the beach, and through thick woods. On one of our little off the beaten path hikes, we hiked/slid down a loose shale hill to a rock outcropping looking over Lake Superior! It was risky, but allowed us to get pictures and see things that we would not have been able to experience if we had stayed on the beaten path.

On our last night we made camp and it happens that a couple that was also hiking had made camp not far from us. We all shared the fire that night and got to talk a little bit. They were a young couple in college and were excited for life, like so many of us are before we let the day to day stresses beat us down. Anyway, they were both adventurers. They regularly hiked and they were also kayaking guides in the Upper Peninsula. In the winter they worked as ski instructors. In short, they were living an adventurous life.

2011 Pictured Rocks 185

It was nice to hear of others living a life of adventure, especially as we were on an adventure of our own. That night my friend shared with the group his dream that he had always wanted to pursue. He wanted to specialize in making food that was light and easy to carry for hikers, kayakers, or adventurers. His goal was to make the food functional, but also tasty. He made a sample of it for all of us that night. We were all impressed and the couple said if he got his business off the ground they would push for his food to be used on their kayaking trips.

Everything seemed exciting and we were all pumped up. Unfortunately once again after we got back home the excitement wore off and we went back to living the routine. My friend let life and obstacles stop him from following his dream and instead started working more hours at a job he did not like. He settled, just like I did. I did not keep pushing myself and living adventurously. I chose comfort and ease over happiness and fulfillment.

I chose that path until I chose to leave my job and start my own business. It was not all in one day and it was a lot of small steps that I took before quitting my job. This is when I was alive! Each day brought something new and pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was doing more than I thought I could and I was a better person. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I even got stagnant in my own business.

I still did my best for my customers, but I stopped trying to grow my business and grow as a person. The reason why, is that I knew by then I was supposed to be working toward my big dream that I had always kept in the back of my mind. I knew I could and I knew I should, but I let fear, complacency, and self-doubt keep me from doing it.

I am finally back on path. Am I where I want to be? No. Have I accomplished all of my goals? No. Have I gotten my dream business running? No, but I have started it and every day I try to do something for it. I try to push myself to learn or to do something new. I am not there, but I will get there.

I now know that not only do I need to make sure I experience adventures in life, I need to be consistent in pursuing those adventures. Those adventures keep me growing. They push me and add excitement and fulfillment to my life. I know that each adventure is a small step of growth in my life and if I keep the attitude to push for what I want I will accomplish my goals and dreams. I hope you do the same!

Filed Under: Personal Growth Tagged With: Adventure

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Comments

  1. Tania Vaughan (@TaniaJVaughan) says

    December 2, 2014 at 4:13 pm

    I feel inspired by your story. It is so hard to keep the momentum but I know when I follow God’s plan every day is an adventure that I want to grab.

    Reply
    • Stephanie says

      December 5, 2014 at 3:36 am

      Thanks Tania, I’m glad that this was able to inspire you. Isn’t it crazy how easy it can be to get off track or settle for what is easier!?

      Reply
  2. Barb @ A Life in Balance says

    December 6, 2014 at 1:27 am

    Thank you for posting to Motivation Monday!

    Reply

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Stuck in Your Rut - Stephanie


Today has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very
Today has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 

Some days are like that.

And sometimes those days are our fault.

My day was caused by a toxic client. As much as I would like to blame her, I take responsibility because I knew from the beginning that I never should have worked with her.

When we go down paths we shouldn't go down, we usually have painful consequences.

Several valuable lessons were learned today and I would like to share them so I don't have to relearn them again in the future and maybe I can spare you some future pain too.

1. Be careful when doing business with people whose values don't align with yours

2. When you feel you should get out of a situation, do not delay

3. Never do any type of work that leaves you feeling your values were compromised

4. Toxic people can play nice... for awhile... But their true colors will always show through in the end

5. Trust your instincts

6. When you turn a situation over to God, it doesn't mean the way out will be pain free

And finally remember, some days feel like terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, but it doesn't have to stay like that.

Happy Friday!

I've been pondering this a lot in the past week.


I've been pondering this a lot in the past week.

I do a lot of work in the mental health space. I believe in the benefits of therapy and medication as needed. 

But as I help people share this message that "therapy is for everyone," I'm starting to wonder if we are spreading the wrong message.

Yes therapy can be for everyone. And there are some people who absolutely need the support and guidance of mental health professionals. But does everyone actually need therapy to be mentally well? 

That seems to be the trend we have taken as society.

Therapy can play an important role in helping people heal and live healthy, but are we becoming too dependent on believing we ALL need therapy? Have we lost the ability to process through difficult situations on our own or with our own support system?

I'm not sure. I'm still pondering. But I would love to hear your thoughts.


We see what we look for.

In our first house, we h
We see what we look for.

In our first house, we had beautiful sunrises and sunsets over farm fields. A few years ago we lived by the ocean where we saw stunning sunsets regularly over the water. 

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets is one the things I've missed since living in a neighborhood in a suburb of Louisville Kentucky. The trees around us block out most of these beautiful moments every morning and night.

I was up early this morning and decided to sit outside and enjoy the cooler air and I had the opportunity to watch an incredible sunrise from this small little section.

It reminded me that we often get what we look for in life. If you want to see all the bad, you will. If you look for the good, you can find it. And just because we don't see good things happening at every moment (like I don't usually see the sunrises) doesn't mean they aren't still happening all around us.

#thankfulgratefulblessed #tuesdaythoughts #beencouraged


Wow! So true.

I came across this incredible remi
Wow! So true. 

I came across this incredible reminder in an email today from @lysaterkeurst and @proverbs31ministires.

Yesterday was a rough day. I got myself into a difficult conversation with someone and ended up saying things that I regret out of my frustration.

Too many times in life I have allowed my emotions to get the best of me which never ends in me feeling better than I did in the beginning. Carefully planned words are ALWAYS better than speaking in the heat of the moment.

Sometimes we need to say difficult things to people, but we can choose to do it out of love instead of frustration and anger.

So, I cannot control the actions of others or many details of this specific situation, but I can control my words in the midst of it, and I can control how much power I allow the situation to have over my life.

Sharing in case my failure can help anyone else do better.

#workinprogress #stilllearning


The power of our minds and the way we choose to th
The power of our minds and the way we choose to think is amazing!

A couple weeks ago on vacation, we had the chance to hold a baby alligator. There were grown people on the boat who were terrified to sit next to a person holding the alligator. Then there were those, like Macy, who took advantage of a new opportunity and gave it a go.

If we really think about it, this is exactly what happens in life too. Some people are too afraid to take a risk and try something new when the opportunity comes and others are willing to give it a try. 

Some are afraid to let their friends and family try a new adventure because their own fear is so strong so they discourage them from doing the thing even if that person really wants to try it.

Our minds and our thoughts are so incredibly powerful but the good news is that we get to choose our thoughts and actions. A new situation may feel scary, but that doesn't mean you can't choose to move past that fear and try something new.

#tryingnewthings #overcomingfear #chooseyourthoughts

Have you ever thought about how a click of a camer
Have you ever thought about how a click of a camera button has the ability to capture a moment in time? Pretty amazing!

We always make a point to take pictures of the big moments or the things we do when we travel, like our day trip to Nashville yesterday.

But there are so many day-to-day moments that make my heart happy too, like seeing my daughters cooking dinner (which they choose to do a lot - blessed mom right here!) or when my husband is helping the girls build garden planters for our veggies. I need to make an effort to take pictures of these moments more so I can be reminded of these simple joys. The days seem long but the years are going fast!

What is something you see in day-to-day life that brings you joy?

Do you ever just wish you had a quiet moment alone
Do you ever just wish you had a quiet moment alone?

I loved this little bit of time I had on our Tennessee vacation, sitting on the porch swing listening to the rain.

I'm guilty of filling my day too full and trying to do too much and tiring myself out.

This morning I was reminded of Luke 5:7 "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

It's important to be intentional about creating space to withdrawal and pray.

Some days it looks and sounds pretty. Most days, it's finding the one quiet place in my house. All that matters is that we do it.

How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Y
How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting with several different women. I'm getting ready to write website profiles for them and wanted to learn more about them.

I noticed something that got me thinking during one of the calls. 

I asked the question "Who do you enjoy working with?"

The woman gave me a long list of the people she didn't feel qualified to help. She shared her heart for people but would then explain the areas she felt she was lacking. 

I'm sure she didn't realize she was doing this. I know I struggle with doing the same thing. It's so easy to spot in other people what we miss in ourselves. 

So, how do you think and talk about yourself? Do you focus on where you are lacking and where you don't feel "good enough" or qualified? Or, do you acknowledge your skills and strengths? 

We all have areas we can grow and improve but we are unproductive when those are the main areas we focus on.

#focusonyourstrengths #thoughtlife #positivethinking #buildconfidence


I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicat
I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicated by @andiandrew this morning and came across the saying "healed people heal people." It really struck me.

I've heard many times the old saying "hurting people hurt people" but this simple switch made it so different. 

It made me really reflect on my actions, words, and behaviors to see if I was helping or hurting others. It made me think about what areas of my life I needed to walk in healing so I could help bring others along.

I also love the way this shifted from the negative to the positive. "Hurting people hurt people" can be used as an excuse if you've experienced pain in your life. "Healed people heal people" is so much more of a calling to rise up out of painful situations to make a positive difference. It gives your hurtful experiences and pain a new purpose. 

Just something to think about.

#encouragement #movepastyourpast #womensupportingwomen

Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick wit
Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick with me here.  
 
On Thursday, I took my kids to the zoo for a few hours. We've had an exhausting couple of weeks. Things haven't gone as planned. Work has been hectic and I've been working long hours. We're in the middle of trying to make some big life decisions again (which seems to be the constant state of life).  
 
Can you relate?  
 
The zoo is one of our happy places, so we picked the warmest day of the week and took some time off to get outside and enjoy ourselves.  
 
Some of my favorite animals to watch at the zoo are the meerkats. 
 
If you ever watch a gang of meerkats, you'll probably notice that there is almost always one meerkat that is standing up checking the skies and looking around while the others are off doing their thing. Why? 
 
That meerkat is watching for danger. They are checking the skies and surrounding areas for predators. They remain alert in order to allow the others to find food and do what they need to do. 
 
On this trip, I could relate to that poor little meerkat standing up, not enjoying herself in order to try to protect her family—not realizing they are safe from predators. As a wife and mom, I think that instinct comes pretty naturally to us women. I've been so caught up lately in trying to figure out how to balance what the different members of my family need that it's been harder to enjoy the good things in each day.  
 
But I'm not a meerkat. There really aren't predators circling around me, trying to get my family. Yes, there are dangers in this world, but when that's all I focus on, that's all I see. I miss all of the good things that are taking place and the positive moments I could be enjoying. 
 
So, if you can relate to that little meerkat too, here's your reminder to take a break. Be present in the moment.

There are hard parenting days - which we've had qu
There are hard parenting days - which we've had quite a bit of lately - and then there are the days when your kid surprises you with a homemade card. 

The world is full of scary, hard things right now and it's easy when you focus on those things to forget all the good that is right around you.

I'm getting started so I can be organized and on m
I'm getting started so I can be organized and on my game for 2022 thanks to help from my new planner by @christybwright

Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things
Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things that are within our control.

You can't control what others do to you... but you can control what you choose to do after that. If you're holding onto unforgiveness towards someone, it's going to seep into all areas of your life.

Being easily offended and staying offended and angry gives things outside of your control power over you, your day, and your attitude.

If you're tired of not making progress in life and often feel angry, I encourage you to look inward. Sometimes I'm caught off guard by the things I thought I had dealt with and moved on from that I didn't.

#movingforward #dontbeeasilyoffended #inspiration #armorofgodstudy

There are few things I find as beautiful in nature
There are few things I find as beautiful in nature as a tree with fall colors on a bright sunny day. ❤️🍁

#fallcolors🍁🍂 #louisvillezoo

It can be so hard to ask for things that we want.
It can be so hard to ask for things that we want. The fear of the "what ifs" always want to get in the way. But what if we change our thoughts and expect the best instead of assuming the worst?

My dad has been an incredible example of just asking. He doesn't overthink asking questions to people and because of it, he learns all kinds of cool things. He doesn't worry about if the person says "no" or responds negatively. He doesn't let fear stop him. 

Over the years, my husband and I have learned to ask for things we want. We asked for work from a church without knowing if they would be interested. We asked to barter handyman services and home repair in exchange for lower rent. 

We've asked for some weird things that don't seem like they should have worked out, but they did. And we would have never had those opportunities if we hadn't been willing to ask for them.

Are there questions you've been avoiding asking out of fear?

This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change bec
This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change because it's uncomfortable and painful. But so many times the life we want is on the other side.

#motivation #thursdaythoughts #growthmindset #growingpains #pushpastthehardthings


What if you don't wait to get started until everyt
What if you don't wait to get started until everything is perfect? What would that look like? 
 
I'm giving you a sneak peek into what my incredible workspace looks like today 😜 
 
Today I have a few calls so I'm working with my messy bed as my desk so I can have a quiet space. Sometimes I work from my kitchen counter. My family of 5 lives in a small rental house right now. I don't have any space for an office, but I'm running a growing business by working like this. 
 
If I had waited to get started until I "knew everything" or had the perfect setup, I would have wasted the last 5 years. If I had waited until I "knew just a little more" or felt a "little more ready", I still wouldn't be doing anything. Even after 5 years, I still have LOTS to learn but I'm so much further along because I took the step of getting started.
 
It sucks to hear, but you have to get started before you're "ready". That's just the way it works. Don't let your circumstances get in your way. And - this might sound tough but - stop making excuses. Look for a way to make it work as best you can right now. 
 
 
 
#getstarted #femaleentrepreneur #makeitwork #midweekmotivation #takeachance #mompreneur #homeschoolingentrepreneur #overcomefear #buildyourconfidence

This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 ye
This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 years ago, I had such little confidence. I let fear control so much of what I did.

I was working to grow my freelance business and almost skipped an opportunity to take on work because the potential client wanted to schedule a phone call instead of just working through emails and messages. I broke out in hives just having to talk on the phone.

I couldn't handle ordering a pizza because I was too nervous about not knowing what to say. I overthought everything.

Fear controlled what I did and didn't do. It caused me to struggle in my thoughts and postponed my ability to go after the things I really wanted to accomplish.

Learning to overcome my fears took a lot of time. But slowly, I started to make progress. They were little changes at a time. I didn't even notice the growth as it happened. 

But then one day, that same client pointed out to me how much more confidence I had. And then another client mentioned how much I had grown in my confidence and ability to share my thoughts and opinions.

It ended up impacting every area of my life. 

But don't get me wrong, some days are still a struggle. Sometimes I still get hives when I have to talk on the phone or do a zoom call with someone I don't know, but not every time.

If you struggle with fear and confidence, know that you can improve and grow in this area. It doesn't have to be how you remain for the rest of your life. And so much of what you want is on the other side of pushing past that fear.

#overcomefear #buildconfidence #personalgrowth #growthmindset #motivationalquotes

Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you
Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you're on vacation? This picture is from over the summer when we did a mini vacation. It's easy when you get out of the routines of everyday life to start to think outside of the box and see new opportunities. 
 
But then we get back home. Clients need my attention. The house needs to be cleaned and dinner needs to be cooked. The kids have activities. And before I know it, I've fallen right back into going through the motions instead of really living each day. 
 
Here's your reminder for the day. I know it's Monday and it's easy to drag through the day. But choose to get outside of your comfort zone. Choose to look at things in a new way. Choose to start building the life you want to live, even if it's one tiny decision at a time. 
 
#mondaymotivation

Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going
Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going to. Choose courage and push past it and just watch as your confidence starts to build.


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