Michael

Note: please use my photo link to see the photos mentioned in the my post below: Northern California photos.

I had a fantastic day. We traveled north from Arcata, CA to visit the Redwood National Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Patrick’s Point State Park and Trinidad, CA. We walked many miles and saw some amazing sights.

The morning started with heavy fog. So, we decided to go hike the redwoods first and then come back down to see the coast in all it’s glory. Our first stop was a surprise as we saw a herd of wild Roosevelt elk feeding in a large meadow. We were within 50 - 100 feet of the herd. It was fantastic. I had never seen wild elk before. (Photo #1)

Two short hikes were next on the agenda. Both of them turned out to be beautiful. (Photos #2 and #6) The second trail meandered through some very tall and large redwoods. We all enjoyed this almost spiritual walk. The silence penetrated to our very core. I can’t wait to go back and explore here again.

We then drove to Fern Canyon where part of Jurassic Park #2 was filmed. (Photo #3) The hike wound through cliffs of ferns. You could easily see why the movie was filmed here. It has a primeval feel to it.

We drove back down towards Trinidad, CA to stop at lovely Patrick’s Point State Park. It is an incredible place to see. Towering cliffs of rock cascading into the ocean with massive waves pounding continually. You can see whales from time to time. (Photo #4)

Our final stop for the day was Trinidad, CA. This is a lovely town on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We walked the beach for a bit and viewed the harbor from very high vantage point. (Photo #5)

Travel and exploring the world we live on are some of the happiest times I have. I don’t see an end to my desire to see and experience more of this planet. I go to sleep tonight with a huge smile on my face.

Michael

Giant Tree in Humboldt State Park

If you tell a joke in the forest, but nobody laughs, was it a joke? - Stephen Wright

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. - John Muir

I’m currently traveling with my daughter and her boyfriend on Hwy. 101 in California or more aptly named “The Redwood Highway.” We came here to walk amongst some of the tallest trees in the world based in a habitat that goes back millions of years.

The day was sunny and quite warm. The humidity level was also high. We were expecting cooler temperatures. So, the air was thick walking under the canopy.

There is something that happens to you when you walk among trees that are hundreds if not a thousand or so years old. A connection takes place and you become part of something greater, something beautiful, something pure.

The tree shown in the photo is called “Giant Tree.” It rises to a height of 363 feet which is taller than a football (American) field is long. The first branches don’t start until 200 feet up. Wow!

Ferns in Founder's Grove

Walking in a old growth redwood forest is a humbling experience in many ways. The trees make everything seem small. They have been standing in one place for hundreds of years. There are very few if any birds because of the lack of insects. This makes these forests very quiet to walk through. It can be quite surreal.

We had several other adventures along the way to Arcata, California. It was quite a therapeutic day both emotionally and spiritually.

Plus, I’m getting to spend some time with my daughter, which makes the trip even more special.

I can’t wait to see what we discover tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Michael

For the last couple of days I’ve been grumpy; mostly in the late afternoon and evening. It’s a strange thing for me as I’m not often that way. I generally make it through the day on an even keel and I stay mostly on the upper end of the happiness scale.

I predict it’s due to my change in diet. I’m doing a round of the South Beach Diet and the first week is typically challenging for me until my system gets adjusted. So the physical ups and downs translated to emotional ups and downs, impatience over little things, general frustration and the strong need to eat cups of ice cream.

Sometimes the only thing you can do is to just let things go. Don’t worry about it. Focus your mind on simple things. Take a walk. Meditate. Eat some protein instead of sugar laced foods. Get some sleep.

The important thing is not to beat yourself up about your mood and not take it out on others. It’s a temporary situation. If you focus on the bad feelings coursing through your body you run the risk of lengthening your negative mood.

So, chill out. Don’t do anything too complicated. Drink lots of water. J

I’m already feeling better just writing about it. I’m also on my way to a weeklong adventure. More about that later.

Have a great day!

Michael

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. - Nelson Henderson

I had a chat with an old friend today. We have not really been that close for a very long time but still talk every so often. Our disagreements made it difficult to carry on the friendship at a deep level, so we decided to part ways.

Periodically we have a brief conversation on the phone. Sometimes I have to really let go of my old feelings or “hurts” to carry on the conversation at a mature level. I found out today when they called again that I didn’t have to work that hard to keep my feelings at bay. I had finally released them; probably some time ago without consciously realizing it.

So, my old friend was having some challenges and difficulties in their life at the moment. I was able to stand back and give some help based on my own experience. I found that it wasn’t hard at all to stay objective and not get wrapped up into the details and drama of all their issues.

That was a freeing experience. Three important things were evident: 1) I no longer held on to the old feelings. 2) I was confident enough in my own experiences to give useful advice, and 3) I didn’t get caught up in the drama that is their life.

Hooray! Progress is a good thing.

Have a great day.

Michael

If all the pessimists of the past had been right in speaking of their society’s running out of creative possibilities, or going to ruin, civilization would indeed have ground to a halt long ago. - Sissela Bok

A positive thinker does not refuse to recognize the negative, he refuses to dwell on it. Positive thinking is a form of thought which habitually looks for the best results from the worst conditions. - Norman Vincent Peale

Sissela Bok makes an excellent point. It’s logical and obviously true. If you are one who tends towards pessimism, maybe this is an idea to help you turn around to start walking towards more optimism. You may find that it’s easier to turn towards optimism than you may realize.

If you look back at your life, did every pessimistic thought come through? When I review my past, it’s clear that many more good things happened than negative. But even if you find more negative than positive it’s okay. You can still focus on the positive aspects and not dwell on the negative.

Turning your focus onto these positive events will help adjust your attitude and expand your world of possibilities. The less we dwell on the negative aspects or events of lives, the more opportunities for happiness will come our way. Sometimes we get stuck in ourselves; i.e. habitually following a train of thought that is not conducive to feeling good. Try to recognize when this happens and make a small shift in your thinking.

Remember you can lead yourself out of misery. It only takes a conscious choice to go that way.

Michael

You are where you are right now in your life because of the choices you have made and the actions you have taken. If you want to change your life, remember that change starts with you. - Jeffrey Keller

Every single choice we make determines our future. Every thought we are thinking propels us happily forward or cripples our life experience. We can jumpstart any change we want to make by focusing on what is going on right now in the present.

Where we have the most power is NOW. Not in a little while. Definitely not in the past. Now is the pivot point in your life where literally everything can change.

Our thoughts and choices affect our perspective and attitude. Look closely at your thoughts. What story am I telling myself right now? Is it one of hope or one of pessimism? Am I complaining or enjoying what is happening around me? How can I change my story for the better?

As we work on our self-talk (our story), a dramatic shift can occur which is the fulcrum for permanent change. Start observing what you think and what you say to yourself and others. You’ll begin to notice patterns of negative thought. Begin to modify aspects of those thought patterns. It’s important to change them slowly at first. If your new story is not believable it will not help you. Change it only slightly (to the better of course) so that it is still believable. From this new vantage point, then you can move on to the next level of change.

Have a great day!

Michael

The time Erica and I picked to return to Rhode Island from Cape Cod yesterday turned out to have very heavy traffic. The line of cars was miles long.

This is a time for cultivating patience. Actually, cultivating the patience before you get stuck in traffic is a better option. The old me would get extremely frustrated about being stuck in traffic. Today I was amazingly calm. I feel like progress has been made.

Many of us have numerous issues when driving a car. We get frustrated easily. We can get incredibly angry at other drivers or the situation we find ourselves in.

I wonder sometimes if we use other drivers as the focus of our frustration and anger because it’s safer and easier than confronting the real issues that we may be reacting to. Are we all too intent on getting somewhere than enjoying the journey? Do we really have to speed to the next event in our lives or can we learn to enjoy the moments that connect all those many events?

I still have a lot of work to make the times that I drive more relaxing. Slowly but surely I’m improving. Every week I get closer to my goal. You will find that as you become less frustrated and angry when driving you will be in less situations that you can get frustrated at.

Try distracting yourself. Listen to some good music. Have a positive conversation with a friend. Glance at the beautiful scenery around you. Listen to an audio book that you enjoy.

Just remember that these ideas are ways to distract yourself from frustration and anger not to distract you from a safe driving experience.

Have a great day!

Michael

We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be. - May Sarton

How many years did it take me to learn this? Quite a long time. I think this lesson ranks right up there with fear of speaking in public. Most people are uncomfortable being themselves. They sit in a fear of rejection, fear of being judged or fear of being laughed at.

I find that most of us secretly enjoying watching others being completely who they are. We long to be like them; not caring about what others think and fulfilling their desires completely without guilt or shame.

We are born to be who we are. Sounds strange stating it like that, but many of us don’t live our lives that way. We pretend to be something else and then get angry at ourselves when we don’t act the way we should. A few make it a habit to blame others or circumstances that are “beyond their control.”

It is vitally important to be who we are or we don’t completely fulfill our destiny. We aren’t as happy as we could be. We won’t have the experiences that help us grow in our own individual ways. We don’t meet those special people who can truly help us make significant changes.

Like I’ve stated in previous posts, when you start to tackle something big like this, make sure you start small, get some successes under your belt and then work on the more difficult aspects. This will generate hope and a feeling that you can really do it.

Have a great day!

Michael

Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life. - Christiane Northrup

One of the great teachings of all time can be found in this quote. When we focus our attention by feeling grateful or appreciative of people, things and etc. more of the same happens in our life. It seems to be a strange thing, but I’ve personally witnessed this innumerable times in my own life.

The opposite of this “law” is true also. Don’t you know people that seem to be ungrateful or complain all the time? Don’t you notice how many “bad” or negative things happen in their life? I’ve seen this many times with a variety of people.

Feeling appreciation is a wonderful way of breaking out of a negative thought cycle. When you look at something or someone in your life that is bothering you, take some time and try to find things that you can be appreciative of about these very people or things.

You will find that eventually, if you continue this practice that the bothersome people or things will drift away and be replaced by something that is matching what you have been appreciating. At first you may be skeptical. Try it out over a period of time and see how it works.

Like I said I’ve been doing this for years and I’m always fascinating by how things change for the better when I do this on a regular basis.

Have a great day!

Michael

Will and I could hardly wait for the morning to come to get at something that interested us. That’s happiness. - Orville Wright

Some of the things that make me happy:

1. Walking on the beach.
2. Watching a sunset.
3. Taking photographs.
4. Spending time with friends.
5. Eating a great dinner full of my favorite foods.
6. Playing games.
7. Going on a road trip.
8. Watching dogs run around.
9. Reading a good book.
10. Playing the guitar.
11. Taking time for myself.
12. Hiking.
13. Traveling just about anywhere.
14. Watching lightening during a big thunderstorm.
15. Finding adventure anywhere I can.
16. Strawberries.
17. Coffee.
18. Coconut ice cream.
19. Fall color in New Hampshire.
20. A dry sense of humor.

What makes you happy?

Michael