The road from Tucsan, Arizona to Novato, California is long but so breathtakingly beautiful. A lot of that drive takes place on or near US Route 101, a road I found to be particularly loaded with inspiration. So, in an effort to give pause to the many things I learned along the way, here are 101 observations, lessons, experiences & thoughts that I gleaned on my journey from the East to the West.
1)
Desert
Storms are simply indescribable.
2)
Juxtaposition
is the 8th wonder of the world.
3)
Even
if you only bloom for a day, it’s worth waiting for your whole life.
4)
Beauty
is everywhere. Find it in everything and everyone – including yourself.
5)
The
desert is a place of survival – any human could stand to learn a thing or two
from the things that survive.
6)
Find
a passion and pursue it wholeheartedly – inspired by a 12 year old tiny dancer.
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| Photo by Stephanie Koehler |
7)
Good
people forgive accidents, really good people forgive accidentally dumping Dr.
Pepper all over their entire house.
8)
Each
of us has something to offer one another.
9)
Read
the newspaper, but question everything you read.
10) Drink coffee, for
the love of God, drink coffee – and drink coffee with others.
11) Initiate inquisitive
small talk over coffee – you may find it to be more awakening than the caffeine
it’s loaded with.
12) Breathe deeply in
the presence of good air. You need more oxygen than you think.
13) Be flexible.
14) Appreciate your
body. Treat it well. Push your limits, but accept your limitations.
16) Eat at In and Out
burger at least once in your life… more if possible.
17) Seek out Whole Foods
and eat better than you usually do when you’re able.
18) Screw the box of
chocolates: Life is like a bag of onions, so are people. You can’t see what’s
inside unless you peel away the layers.
19) Don’t be afraid of
peeling said layers, especially your own.
20) Wear your seatbelt.
Life is a bumpy ride with lots of blind turns.
21) Sometimes good
people let you down, but sometimes, good people are actually great people.
22) Appreciate the times
in your life when you find yourself in really good company. “The world will give you
that once in awhile, a brief timeout; the boxing bell rings and you go to your
corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat-up life.” –The Secret Life of
Bees
23) Buy a map – figure
out how to use it.
24) Play in the sand,
even if you aren’t dressed appropriately.
25) Take time to smell
the flowers – especially lavender.
26) Shoot out of the
sunroof – you really do miss 100% of the shots you never take.
27) Always, always,
always say thank you. Showing gratitude is so important.
28) Cursive is a lost
art form, embrace it.
29) Observe with your
ears.
30) Learn with your
eyes.
31) Listen with your
heart.
32) Work with your hands
– help with them too.
33) Love with your soul.
34) Live fearlessly – no
regrets.
35) Respect large bodies
of water.
36) Cross bridges, but
always look both ways…
37) Stop for
pedestrians, they’re going somewhere too.
38) Pull up your pants,
you don’t want to be put on someone’s team. ;)
39) Do one thing every
day that scares you.
40) Greet new places
with enthusiasm and release any expectations upon arrival.
41) Turn off your screens
at least once a day – while you’re sleeping doesn’t count.
42) Be where you are
when you’re there. Be present.
43) Thou shall not
lament for where you are not.
44) Sometimes you have
to disengage to engage – let it go & let it be.
45) Tides come and go – let
them wash away what they came for.
46) Don’t apologize for
re-charging your batteries.
47) In order to be good
to others you must first be good to yourself.
48) Listen to new music
and embrace it.
49) At new restaurants,
find something on the menu that looks vaguely familiar then take a risk.
50) Give pause to
tragedy other than your own. It breaks and binds us all.
51) Tell stories, but
more importantly, listen to them.
52) Preserve the
relationships you have with good people – they will be your pillars.
53) Take a lesson from
the Redwoods. They grow in a circle. Stick together.
54) Don’t criticize
others, empathize. You have no idea what you would have done in their shoes, so
don’t be a fool by trying to fool yourself.
55) Be kind to animals.
56) Focus on the things
that matter, forget the things that don’t.
57) Always be prepared.
You never know who you’re going to run into…
58) If you have the
ability to make someone else’s life easier, do it. Why wouldn’t you?
59) Support local
businesses.
60) Appreciate genuinely
good food.
61) Eat food where it
comes from whenever you can.
62) Take pictures. Lots
of them. You can’t get the moment back, but you can look back fondly.
63) Read the signs.
64) Break stereotypes.
65) Always carry cash.
66) Work hard, play
hard, party harder.
67) Hand-write letters.
It’s becoming such a rarity.
68) You get what you pay
for.
69) Take red eyes home –
they’re worth the time.
70) Carpe Diem – all
day, every day.
71) Learn from previous
generations every chance you get.
72) You don’t need as
much of anything as you think you do.
73) Center yourself.
Finding a balance is more important than you think.
74) Everyone needs
something to believe in.
75) Look for inspiration
in unexpected places.
76) Always travel with
your pillow.
77) When you feel like
your head is in the clouds walk barefoot – its always good to know whether or
not you’re feet are on the ground.
78) Good news is best
received when totally unexpected.
79) Home is wherever you
find it.
80) Drink water…
seriously.
81) Secret Beauty Tip: Blow-dry
your eyelash curler – it’s better than any mascara.
82) Time is precious.
Respect everyone’s – including your own.
83) Chai tea is the
secret nectar of Gods.
84) Famous people are
people too.
85) Over appreciate the
people in your life who are constantly underappreciated.
86) The healing process
is exactly what it sounds like – a process.
87) Nothing about life
is black and white – see it in color.
88) Some music needs
air, roll down the windows.
89) No matter what the
occasion, the view is always better from the high road.
90) Yoga by the ocean is
an unparalleled peace.
91) There is nothing wrong
with being a wanderer, just be aware of the general direction in which you are
headed.
92) Sometimes, you just
have to look at things… and when you do, look closely.
93) Stop, turn around,
and look at just how far you’ve come.
94) Carry what you
believe in with you wherever you go.
95) Always stop at flea
markets… its an opportunity to dig for buried treasure.
96) Let your hair down –
its okay to stop caring what you look like.
97) Go the scenic route
at least once – it’s not always about crossing the finish line first.
98) Have faith in
something.
99) There is never a
testimony without a test – don’t lose sight of the light that is always at the
end of the tunnel.
100) When bad rains down on good people, be
an arc, not an anchor… the last thing anyone needs is someone else bringing
them down.
101) Wander along the path less traveled by,
it really does make all the difference.
