A quote I don't agree with...

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” - Seth Godin

...Easier said than done.You can "set" up your life all you want, and unforeseen, unfortunate things can still happen. You can't control your life, but you can control if you are going to take time to get some R and R, so you can make the best of what ever life brings you. A vacation also helps to put things in perspective and creates life long memories.

"Sometimes when you do something out of the ordinary, you can experience something extraordinary!- Feather Janz (That one is mine and that quote I do agree with;)

I believe, when a study was done that surveyed many folks in a nursing home and asked them what their biggest regret in life was, that the number one response was..."That I didn't risk more or take more risks." The number one regret most people have when looking back on their life, is that they didn't try to step away from the ordinary more often, that they didn't take on a challenge because of the fear of failure, it's the realization that they could have lived a richer more fulfilling life... if they'd dared to do something other than what was set before them. Taking a risk in life, is not an escape, it's the underlying purpose.

I do believe that the second thing on this list of old folks, was the regret they had because they didn't take the time and make the investment to travel more and to see the world. To get out and experience and embrace other cultures makes you appreciate and understand the world you live in so much better and perhaps even better understand YOUR place in the world!

I've made a real effort in my life, from an early age, to do just that...take risks, step out of my comfort zone, and really experience the world around me. I know that these things have helped to form who I am today and have made me a better, stronger and more loving woman.

Perhaps it's because I first heard this message from the great preacher Tony Compolo, as a teenager and it always stuck with me. And also because I was able to hear him preach this same message in person 3 times. The most meaningful being when I took a risk, stepped way out of my comfort zone and served with his ministry of Urban Promise, in Camden New Jersey (just across the Delaware river from Philidelphia)the summer of 1996. I was 24 and I'll never forget sitting in the front row and literally soaking it up...as he had a tendency to split a lot when he really go going with his message;)

Risk More...

I think about this tonight as I apply for a second job, part-time, that is one I may not get but I'll risk trying because I'll never know unless I'm willing to risk failing. Even if I don't succeed at getting this job, I will know that I didn't allow the fear of failure hold me back. I do worry that possible employers might use my poor health in the past as a reason to not take a chance on me, but I know I am well today and I see wellness in my future...with or without this other job.

I happen to think that a little healthy escapism is good for the soul;) When you live a fast paced, hard driven, highly motivated life,a break now and then isn't just nice... it's necessary!! So when is my next vacation?!?!:)


Looking on-line for good vacation deals:)

Feather