Archive for January, 2009

Boating – A Natural High

Friday, January 30th, 2009

Growing up in Silicon Valley you don’t always know what you don’t know, even though you might think you know.

For instance the idea of owning a boat seemed, well, ridiculous to say the least. On occasion during side conversations at cocktail parties I might here the statement, “Boating is like cutting $100 bills as fast as you can.” or the well known, “The two best days are the day you buy a boat and the day you sell your boat.”

“There’s more to the truth than just the facts.” Author Unknown

All of that changed the day I decided to take a “leap-of-faith” shocking friends and family back home and a few Grand Lakers by starting a new and adventurous life on the shores of Grand Lake. This continues to be one of the best decisions I have ever made, besides marrying my wife, Kristen.

Everything I had known was left behind and a new chapter opened. A chapter that included my first visit to a Wal-Mart store, watching satellites at night, observing eagles in flight, experiencing the wildlife that living on Grand Lake is so blessed with, and a new owner of a boat dock. Having never owned a boat dock before I was not so sure what its purpose was except to sit on it and watch the day go by.

Neighbors would come down and show me how to fish for crappie and fishermen would show up fishing all around it which seemed oddly foreign to me. As far as I was concerned it was a great place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning before starting the day.

As Kristen and I got to know more and more people in the community we were consistently asked two questions, “Have you found a home church yet?” and “Have you bought a boat to fill your boat dock with?” Both were new concepts to say the least.

At first owning a boat was not a priority. That was before we got picked one night and went for a boat ride around Grand Lake. After a couple of more rides around the Lake I started thinking, “You know a boat could be nice.” That is when I got my first taste of the Tulsa Boat Show as a guest of Mike and Harriett Long. As I looked at these boats I realized there was more to a boat than just a hull and motor.

It took a while, but after a couple months of browsing and testing Kristen and I became the proud owners a 28-foot Cuddy Cabin SeaRay. We didn’t think about it when we brought our boat, but discovered after several journeys around that Lake that a bigger boat would be much better for those days when the wakes from other boats can make the ride less than enjoyable. This is a case when bigger is better.

Our first trip out onto the Lake was at dusk and we decided to drive our boat to the dam. It was a beautiful star studded evening. Then everything got dark and everything changed. Where were we? Which direction did we need to go to get home? After a few hours of following the shoreline into a number of coves and hollows we finally discovered the cove that lead to our home. As we passed each neighbor, his lights went off, and with a sigh of relief we finally successfully parked the boat.

That is when we decided we needed training on how to navigate our boat and find out other things about boating that we didn’t know. The next day we signed up for The Boat Smart Course in Grove. At the conclusion of the coarse, with a certificate in hand and a new sense of confidence, we set out to explore the Lake at night which has become our favorite time to take our boat out on Grand Lake.

“A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature.  It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”

Henry David Thoreau

It has now been eight years since we purchased that SeaRay and when I desire a shift in attitude or a bit of inspiration a ride on the lake remains one of the most effective ways to achieve a natural high. Whether taking a ride to Mooney’s or a friends house nothing makes me smile or feel as good as a boat ride. Who would have thought?

I found out a couple years ago that part of the reason for my feeling such a natural high while boating is because the surface of water holds a thin layer of ozone which is lifted into the air as the boat cuts through the water filling my lungs. Now I breathe in deeply as I make my figure eights and cruise through the water.

Boating is definitely one of the best forms of transportation that I have come across and, like so many things about living on Grand Lake, owning a boat is one of the best parts. Meeting friends out on the Lake for dinner, sharing celebrations out on our boat with family and friends, and watching the stars and moon at dusk all take on a whole new meaning when you are out on the water. And, add to all of this the natural high that boating can give you. Boating has it all.

For me the purchase of my boat remains one of the best purchases that I’ve made. If you have been considering a boat purchase and need a little nudge, Spring is just around the corner and the upcoming Tulsa Boat show is the perfect place to explore the options available to you.

“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” Roy Disney

Let me know what you think.

Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

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The Time is Now!

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

How many of us are looking for more meaning and purpose in our lives?

“The Old Year has gone.  Let the dead past bury its own dead.  The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time.  All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months!” Edward Payson Powell

How many of us are just going through the motions in our daily lives?

“Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits.” Author Unknown

How many of us are willing to go through the journey to discover our greater purpose?

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.” Ellen Goodman

NOW is the perfect time to start the process of kicking butt with your life! You can begin by thinking about the kind of future you want to create for yourself. I truly believe you can create in your life whatever it is you desire the most. Thinking and visualizing positive thoughts about whatever it is you most desire will, in time, create that which you think about and focus energy on.

Ringing in the New Year is an extremely powerful time in my life. It is the time of year when my wife Kristen and I take the time to review our successes and failures, to take in the lessons learned, and then apply them to our updated life design.

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious effort.” Henry David Thoreau

I started the process of brainstorming and visualizing personal goals and objectives on large pieces of paper at a very early age. Developing this kind of a visual history of my life has become an important tool to support my understanding of how my time and energy is spent as I work towards creating what I most desire for my life.

Here is how it works:

Either by yourself or with your significant other/friend, find a couple of big pieces of paper – a paper grocery bag can work well. You may want to tape some paper together to make the surface bigger. Kristen and I use a 4’ x 14’ piece of paper when we go through this process.

Step One

In the center of the paper write/draw “Creating My Life, My Way, Today!” If you are working with another person have them do the same on a separate piece of paper.

Step Two

Randomly, write/draw words that categorize your life activities and actions. Make sure to allow plenty of space so you can add additional details around each of your categories. Here are some examples of categories that I like to use:

    • Family/Friends
    • Career/Business
    • Health/Physical
    • Finance
    • Home Environment
    • Community
    • Fun/Recreation
    • Personal Growth

Step Three

After you have developed your categories, focus your energy and attention on each category, one at a time. Write down your ideal goals and outcomes for that category in the coming year. Take your time, writing as many aspirations as you can think of. The key is not to over think your idea. Usually the first thoughts you think of are what you truly desire. Use the same process for the remaining categories.

Step Four

Compare your Life Creating Visual with your significant other or good friend. Have each person share their entire visual one at a time. Next, start looking for the areas where you can support one another in achieving each other’s goals for the coming year. Make sure to talk about the challenges and success factors to achieving the goals and outcomes. Stay realistic. Set yourself up for success instead of failure.

Step Five

When you have your Life Creating Visual completed post it in a place where you can see it every day: the wall into the bathroom, your bedroom mirror, anywhere you visit and spend time thinking. Just post it!

I know what some of you are thinking right now, “This is going to be a lot of hard work and take up a bunch of my time.” I feel the same way at times and I just don’t want to go through the hassle to do this kind of personal growth work. Guess what? I still do it, and then after all is said and done, I wonder why I even hesitated at all. Getting over the hump to create the life you want takes effort. In the end nothing could be greater than living the life you create each and every day.

“The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible.  That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Time is running out! How are you going to create the rest of your life?

Let me know what you think?

Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create for yourself.

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