The Power to Act

Archive for July, 2010

There are times when you least expect it, that you find out that all of the work that you’ve been doing is starting to pay off. I had one of those experiences on the last full day of our Berkshire vacation. We spent a fun week with our children and grand children, filled with outdoor activities circled around the pool and under umbrellas; that is until my step son came in from an early morning walk with a glint of mischief in his eyes, a discovery, and a challenge. He found the ‘Adventure Rope’s Obstacle Course,’ and it changed forever how I hold myself.

This is the second year that we’ve vacationed at Bentley Brook, nestled at the base of Jiminy Peak ski resort; that is redefining itself into a summer adventure destination. They’ve installed two mountain toboggan slides with deep vertical slopes and sharp banks to excite the roller-coaster set, and a group swing that makes a 360 degree circle. Last year I stood in line with a bunch of intrepid teenagers to experience their latest addition, a giant swing structure with tension cords hooked to a harness set over a trampoline. My goal was to go high enough so that I could do three flips; and with sheer determination and colossal effort, I did it. My flips looked like dense dark molasses slowly making its way around a spoon. I was given points for good form, but major deductions for the lack of vibrancy. Five minutes into the experience, I declared Read the rest of this entry »

I love vacations. Who doesn’t? It’s the days prior to departing that stress me out. I’m a college graduate with a master’s degree, and I still haven’t figured out the art of packing light. I was going on vacation for two weeks and, since you can only take one bag free, I chose the largest one. We were at the airport checking in our luggage when the Continental representative declared that my bag was four pounds over-weight. A correlation of Parkinson’s Law was inexplicably proven—my paraphernalia expanded to fill my suitcase.

They say that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but this old dog is fed-up carrying this old bone; it’s heavy, tasteless and I’m ready to bury it once and for all. I want to master the art of lightening-up; both figuratively and literally. This is the first time that I’ve arrived at the ticket counter to be told Read the rest of this entry »

I found a bumblebee in my bathroom this morning.  She was working hard attempting to pollinate the milky white fluted glass light fixture over the sink.  As I watched her, I was mesmerized by the repetitive action of her tong reaching again and again to the inanimate, non-existent source of nectar in front of her. I was drawn into the futility of her actions, and  knew that there was honey for me if I delved deeper into the flower. Curiosity stirred. Since we are all connected, I wondered – How was the bumblebee’s pointless mission relevant to me? How were her instinctual yet ineffective attempts to extract nectar from the light fixture mirrored in my life? How many activities do I mindlessly do with the same hopelessly unproductive results? These questions made me shudder.

The electricity produced from the exploration of the questions began to light up the bulb of my thinking with a host of fruitless patterns: playing solitaire, reading People magazine, self-doubt, procrastination, shame, ridged determination, resignation, and worst case scenario building; to name a few. The list Read the rest of this entry »