Stress Gets You Nowhere

I came into work this morning tired -- and everything about me was tired. My body was tired, my mind was tired and my eyes were so tired I was actually seeing colored spots of light whenever I looked at my monitor.

I lost my glasses, I have no date for a Masquerade I'm going to, I need to create anther fifty + career profiles and research career ideas in addition to new articles while updating my blog as well as working on personal errands… I told my boss I would do an interview this weekend yet I couldn’t locate a reasonably priced hotel, motel or campground after being told my original accommodations fell through and on top of all that my back was hurting. So I wasn’t surprised that I developed a sever migraine headache that lasted into the afternoon.

By 12:30 I had enough and was ready to call it quits. Instead, I went outside, sat in the sun next to the fountain for a bit, left a long message regarding this coming weekend’s frustrations to my traveling partner and babbled something about upcoming room reservations. Nonetheless, the headache refused to allow the sun to re-energize me. I massaged my temples, I rotated my neck this way and than that way. I took my hair out of the ponytail, put it up in a loose bun and put in back into a ponytail… nothing changed, so I decided to take a long walk shop gazing.

The headache persisted past each window and I had no heart to even enter any of the shops. As I was at the corner to cross back over to work I finally asked myself out loud. “What is it I can do to change anything that will reduce my stress?”

I than mentally ran over the list of what I could and could not change. I ran through what was the worst thing that could happen if I didn’t do or was late in doing each item of the list. I asked myself couldn’t this wait until XXX?

I hate admitting I can’t do or find something and so one more time I looked to see if I could find a motel reservation in the 90% rented Bay area. Still nothing. I was ready to admit defeat when my friend called and was none too happy about something personal regarding our trip. After hearing about the disappointing problem, I got my second wind and refused to admit there wasn’t one more thing I could try. So I did the second thing I do best, I networked. I emailed online acquaintances that I know either go to the Bay area frequency or live in the area. It was a long shot in the dark, but it was still one shot. That one shot hit a lead.

There is an activity lodge in the Bay area that is a cross between a hostel and a campground that not only rents rooms but also occasionally exchanges those rooms for volunteer assistance. I looked them up on the web and the property is beautiful, the atmosphere seems incredibly friendly and the rates are beyond reasonable. Too good to be true? Depends on your outlook.

While they do have their own parking, it’s a two-mile hike from the parking lot to the lodge itself. There is no electricity and guests must bring their own sleeping bags as well as food for the large family / communal kitchen accommodations.

I left a message for the two-mile hike lodge and hopefully I’ll hear back from them soon. However, even if there are no availabilities, I’m reminded that stress gets you nowhere while determination at least gets you a lead… and my migraine is gone.

No Limits!

This is pretty cool and in my opinion it's difficult to do anything truly original these days. However, Sam Benson in the UK is going to being the coolest original I've heard of in a long time. He is planning to skateboard across five European countries in 10 weeks.

Starting in July, 2007 Sam Benson will begin the journey in Barnstaple and travel along the South coast of England to Folkestone than using the Channel Tunnel to get to Calais, before skating to Paris where he will be joined by Adam Colten; a Professional Longboarder from Los Angeles, CA.

From Paris they will skate to Geneva, Switzerland, before making the journey across the Alps to reach Turin, Italy, and then back over the Alps to Marseille, France. From Marseille, they will skate across the Pyrenees into Barcelona, Spain, before they travel through Valencia and Madrid, where they will make the final leg of their journey to Santander, on the 15th of September.

The ride is to raise money and awareness for three select children’s charities. Link Community Development, which establishes nationwide education in Africa. The Lowe Syndrome Trust, which is a family run organization working to help children worldwide suffering from the incurable Lowe Syndrome; and Sailability Australia, who teach disabled children worldwide how to sail off the coast of Australia.

Sam Benson’s team includes his friends Tom Fletcher, Chris Morris and Tom Walker, whose tasks will include driving the support car, filming the event and mapping the route. Several companies worldwide are sponsoring him with equipment for the trip, ranging from Longboards and shoes, to headwear and sunglasses which allows him to concentrate on the physical training, where he has been sponsored by GB’s Gymnasium.

So that the ride can continue to raise money and awareness after the end the journey has been completed, BeatsWalkinEurope will create DVD of the journey. In addition, the DVD will have a ghost writer, Owen Platt, who is preparing to write and publish the travel adventures of the BWE team as a book. The profits from both these ventures will be donated in full to the said charities.

BeatsWalkinEurope is an affiliate of Boardfree, a program that promotes skateboarding to youngsters of all ages and encourages a ‘no-limits’ attitude to the lives of people everywhere. Founder Dave Cornthwaite inspired Sam by skating across Australia in 2006 for the same charities as Sam is skating for.

Read more and follow the trip at BeatsWalkinEurope, and how you can help. Also, you can help with donations by visiting Just Giving / BeatsWalkin

The Five Things I Learned Last Week

I’m a lot of things; why should I choose to be only a few. I thirst for a variety of things; self improvement, adventure, peaceful relations, a better world and a career that continues to grow. I laugh at what bothers me as well as my own mistakes and at the stupidity of others. I am continually amazed at how little others truly think outside themselves. Than again, I’m pleasantly surprised when someone does something out of character. The world is full of surprises; some good, some bad. You can not expect too much from the world or others. You take the happy little moments when you can and you remember that you can only be held accountable for your own actions.

In my opinion, positive energy attracts negative energy. Maybe there is a legitimate scientific reason or explanation why or maybe it’s just part of my life experienced framework. However the simplest answer for me seems to be “why should they get what I don’t”?

Some people will never care what the truth is; it’s not nearly as interesting as what they believe something to be. As to whom I am; I don’t know yet, but I can’t wait until the end of the movie to find out. I hope I’m one of the bad gurls turned good, they always have the best parts in the movie.

The Five Things I Learned Last Week

1. Expect more from yourself than you do others.
2. Laughter can be the best medicine.
3. When you lose your temper, the only one who loses is you.
4. The definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing and expecting different results.
5. Do not allow others to make you into what they believe (or want to believe) you are

Creating Good Habits For Success