I loved this entry so much I had to repost it on my blog :)

Why We All Need Journeys

by Jeff Goins | 23 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

I began my adult life as a traveler; in many ways, travel has made me who I am today. I think we all could learn to see our lives more as a journey than a destination. We would be better for it.

Photo credit: Moyan Brenn (Creative Commons)

For me, it started with a three-hour trip downstate to go to college. Then a semester in Spain. Then a couple summers in Texas.

After I graduated, I joined a band and traveled for a year: Canada, most of the U.S., and Taiwan (we were BIG in Asia).

Then I moved to Nashville and spent the first few months going on weekend road trips. After that, I would drive 20 minutes downtown to hang out with homeless people. Later, I would lead mission trips overseas once or twice a year.

Wherever I was, I would find a way to embark on some excursion, some mini pilgrimage. Because in the leaving, I found myself. In the going, I learned something about my identity.

Three lessons journeys teach us

1. Journeys define us. They are important markers of our lives. And they remind us that we are all travelers of some sort.
2. Journeys reveal our shortcomings. They show us we are not alone in this world. That there are other wanderers out there, in searching of truth and meaning in this great big, confusing universe.
3. Journeys teach us about life. Richard Rohr said we go on journeys so we never have to go again. I sort of agree. We spend a semester abroad, take a year to backpack Europe, or volunteer with the Peace Corps to remember thatlife is the grand adventure. Once we learn this, we never stop traveling (even if we never leave home).

A journey is what you make it

It’s a process of leaving and arriving, of losing yourself and finding it again. And if these are our only criteria, anything can be a journey — as long as you are intentional.

Every once in awhile, I have to remind myself that despite a mortgage and steady job and any other semblance of stability, I am still a wanderer. Still a journeyman in search of answers, still a pilgrim in a foreign land.

And every so often, I have to take a trip to remember this. To find. To lose. To become. Last year, it was Ireland with my wife. Before that, Puerto Rico with a good friend. In the near future, it will be somewhere else.

The lesson of all journeys is this: Life is not stable, and we’re not in control. All we can do is enjoy the ride. (Click to tweet.) So how about it?

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
—Mark Twain

Note: If this topic resonates with you, check out Seth Barnes’s new book,Kingdom Journeys. I helped him edit and publish it. Oh, and it’s FREE this week on Amazon (offer good through Sep. 29, 2012).

http://goinswriter.com/journeys/

Acupuncture for the SAD

I received an acupuncture treatment for the first time today, which is indeed when they stick needles in you. I’ve heard good things about it – granted, it’s been in my office from clients and coworkers – but I’ve been hesitant because of the needles. However, when a person needs to be healed and it comes to you at a discounted price, what can you say but, “why not?”

For the past few weeks, I’d been struggling with work and my life (again). Kind of randomly, I became suddenly disinterested in dancing and felt a confused, loss of purpose. On days when my partner had another commitment and couldn’t practice, I didn’t mind. In fact, all I wanted to do was sit at home. My room had gotten messier and I neglected doing my dishes. I simply didn’t have energy to clean up after myself. I also started losing focus at work and making mistakes I shouldn’t have been making. The other day, in fact, I sat at the desk and felt as though I had been drugged – slightly tired and unable to think about one thing for very long. It was challenging to do some of my routine tasks without making a concentrated effort to focus on them. Then back at home, the progression of this thing was continuing to disturb me. My behavior left me very confused and sad and I didn’t want to do anything – no yoga, no writing. I just wanted to become a hermit and read. I haven’t been sleeping well, either. I even started fasting for a few days and received a small thrill in doing so…seeing how far I could push myself to go without eating. Clearly, something was not right.

Then I had heard a coworker say a week ago, “I’m a very decisive person…so when I can’t make a decision, I know I need acupuncture.” It didn’t occur to me that someone might go to acupuncture for something like that, but since my mind felt cloudy too, I decided to try it.

Intake Interview

There are several types of acupuncture and the practitioner I saw – Margaret – was trained in 5 Element. It’s a system that takes the whole person into consideration when doing an intake – family history, personal history and behavioral tendencies (relationships, sleeping & eating patterns, social life), and physical concerns. This is opposed to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture. TCM is a bit more symptomatic from my understanding and resembles our western ideas of medicine: it focuses mainly on the physical. Five Element is more like mental and physical therapy…a counseling session with body/needle work. When I was talking to Margaret about my life, for instance, I began to see patterns in my behavior. After reviewing my experience in college, the move back home, and then moving to Tucson, I realized – again – that I had become depressed every year at the beginning of fall. I forget about this every year, because I always get better. However, even in warm, sunny Arizona, the seasons still affect me. I remembered then that I have seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.). I’ve never been officially diagnosed, but I think five consistent years of experience is enough evidence.

The Needle Treatment

It went better than expected. Margaret only inserted needles into my back, which was nice because I didn’t have to watch. I only felt a tiny prick a couple of times – so much better than shot – and there was only one needle that annoyed me for the whole treatment. It didn’t hurt, but I could feel it. We chatted as she inserted them and then let me lay on the cushy table for 10-15 minutes. I’ve heard that acupuncture puts you in a blissful state, but this was not my experience. I felt a sensation of drowsiness right when she inserted the first needle, but then I went back to my normal alertness a few moments later. That one darn needle also didn’t allow me to relax, unfortunately. After all was finished - the needles were out and I was fully clothed again - I did feel a little woozy. They warned me not to exercise or drive a car afterward and to drink plenty of water (to flush out the toxins – this was a detox treatment). So I made plans to bus home and stay in, which of course didn’t bother me. I also ate a good lunch J.

The best thing about my treatment was the relief from knowing that something was the matter with me – something out of my control - and that it could be managed. Honestly, when you start doing things that feel just slightly off, you can’t tell if it’s part of your personality, if you’re just being lazy, or if something truly is wrong. It’s disturbing and frustrating. The lesson here is, if you think something is wrong, it probably is. Even if whatever you’re facing is all a mental perspective, if it’s bothering you, you should talk to someone about it and investigate it. The answer may be as simple as talking to someone to relieve pressure you feel at work or within your household. But if you don’t do anything, the mind can start to shut down or function in a funny way in order to deal with the long-term stress.

I don’t know if the body work will actually do anything, but I made another appointment to go back. We’ll find out within a few weeks if I feel a difference for sure. If I don’t remember to post about it, let me know ;).

Benefit of Outcome: Yours or Theirs?

As with almost any business, there is an element of wanting to serve people and an element of earning a living. At our staff meeting this week, the therapists talked about strategies they've learned to help them do both. The one that stood out for me was, "Don't focus on your personal outcome."

In times when you need money, you feel desperate and want to convince your customer/client to come back and see you. Focusing on your personal outcome, though, of needing money will incline you to give a sales pitch...and a sales pitch is about you - your performance, your goals - not your client's. One therapist said that when he took himself out of the equation and focused on the needs of the client - giving him information about his pain and honest feedback on how frequently he needed treatment - the way he interacted with the client was different. He felt genuine...because he was. If the client didn't want to come back, then the burden was on him. Many times, though, if a client feels more like a patient than a customer, he or she will probably return. People like to feel like you have a personal investment in them and when you put information out as an informer or caregiver, they will come back.

Having Everything

Being 24 and having spent several years wanting to do and be everything, I finally discovered my personal cure for my career ADD and multiple interests at 5:00 this morning: time and trial.

I used to sit and be envious of artistic people: the photographers, painters, models, actresses, singers, dancers, etc. I wanted to create the works that they spent much of their time and energy on (training, networking, and pouring money into tools for their craft). Now, as I sit here and look at many of those same people and their success, I no longer envy them - not because I don't love their work - but because I'm finally understanding that their skills are not my skills. Sounds obvious, right? But how many times have you looked at a well-crafted piece of work (a bench, a photograph, a quilt) or an excellent performance (in sports or theatre) and truly wanted to do or make that yourself? And you believed you could. I can't tell you how many times I've done this - how many times I wanted to be an Olympic athlete or a Tony-Award winner. In some cases, I've tried various crafts and sports and they didn't last - even though they were fun. With nearly the first quarter of my life wrapping up, I'm learning to love who I am and what I have....not what I want.  I'm also discovering that my skills in the art form I practice the most will give me my greatest work...and - in one way or another - will lead me to everything I've ever wanted.

The Painted 'Hood

My neighborhood is a quirky and artsy place. Every corner has something interesting about it, whether it's metal art or a house with a giant bird cage or murals or an old church. 

Metal plant art is very popular around here.

This community has it's own organic garden. You can sign up to join at any time, and they offer information on the best time to plant which vegetables and herbs. 

 Tucson is a city of murals; people are always painting the walls and streets of the city.

 Love this. 

 More metal plant art.

 This is a mini free library I found while walking around.

 Take a book, leave a book.

 Community happenings.

 A mural of the neighborhood. I found a few of the buildings they painted on here....

 like Jim's Market (white building far right).

"We have these weekly parades where the neighbors come out..." ;)

 Jim's! I don't know if it's an actual market anymore, though. I tried to find an entrance, but I think I was venturing into someone's home... :-/

 Bottom sign = awesome.

House.

 Lizard metal art!

Cute House.

A newly-built playground area at a park near my apartment. While I enjoy monkeybars and swings, my favorite part is the rubbery ground...

 that I unashamedly jump around on for several minutes at a time.
Definitely good exercise for the day :)

At The Laundromat

It's one of my favorite places. I go in, do my laundry, and read the latest in the magazines, getting my bi-weekly fix of work-out regimes to "tone those glutes," fashion advice for "what's a budget?" spenders, and what cereal Kim Kardashian is eating now. And I read it like I've been starved.

The laundromat is a social experience, too. Students and young adults populate this place, so they have wi-fi, flat screen tvs, and vending machines for snacks (and softener...because they knew you'd forget it). Most of the time, we all sit next to each other in silence with the hum of the machines going in the background...engrossed in our iPads or Smartphones or Us Weeklies. I admit that I'll even have short, interactionless bonding moments with these strangers. We don't look at each other, but we all gather for a common purpose: we hope that the tomato sauce we spilled will come out of our clothes and we don't have to wear yesterday's shirt tomorrow. With inspiration like that, it's a wonder I don't come here for fun.

Twist More

A yoga teacher told our class this story:

"My dad is a cardiologist and not particularly into yoga, but he would come home from work and tell us kids to 'twist more.' We'd say, 'Twist more? Why?' Twisting, apparently, helps the blood move and circulate better in the body - letting more oxygen in and persuading the toxins to "move along."

Since I heard this story, I do at least one yoga twist every day for a healthy heart...and I thought it was important enough to share.

I think if you literally twist your body a few times a day, you'll help get the blood going. If you want to do some yoga, though, check out some of these poses:

http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories/seated_and_twists

Monsoon Season

Thunderstorms are commonplace nowadays -- What!? you say, Rain in the desert?! The monsoons were all I heard about from the locals when I moved here and I'm finally experiencing them first hand.

The pre-storm show gives you a nice intro. You watch the clouds build up in the distance and grow a menacing, dark blue-gray. It's full of suspense: will it hit me? Will it not?? Is the bus going to come first or will I be wishing for my galoshes? The white cumulous clouds build like tall marshmallow giants, devouring the blue sky. Behind them darkness rolls in and covers the mountains. Lightning bolts illuminate the sky every few minutes, revealing how far the storm stretches in the distance ...and how close it is to you.

Sometimes they never touch you - one part of the city might get rain while another doesn't. This can be antagonizing: you see the clouds and you know they're there...but they just mess with you. Other times, however, they don't play. They simply crash down on you with full force - with or without warning. It could be a hot sunny afternoon and you hear thunder. Did I imagine that? BOOM. Did a truck hit something? Then down comes the thick curtain of rain. Twice I was at work in the evening when the storms started, and the maintenance man gave me a ride home so I wouldn't have to stay at the office all night. The rain was so thick that I was drenched in water in less than thirty seconds - the time it took me to jump out of a truck and run inside. For a while, we had a storm every day for several days...sometimes twice a day. I spent a lot of time inside.

The funny thing is that within 2-3 hours it all dries up. You go outside and evidence of any rain is gone.

Then the post-storm show comes. When everything passes and you see the sun setting, the sky is a magnificient array of blues, reds, oranges, and yellows. Long bolts of lightning flash silently over the mountains in the distance. All the cacti, trees, and grasses turn a rich green color...so unlike the dry, light green you see in the winter. Everything looks very alive. The air is also much cooler and city comes alive again. The whole ordeal is a neat to experience - much different from the rain and tornados of the midwest.

Below is some footage of one thunderstorm: