Hey There Explorers!
I don’t know about you, but I have a big problem. I am absolutely guilty of working myself to the bone. You see, my partner-in-crime and I started an awesome website business 3 years ago where we help emerging entrepreneurs navigate the great-wide-world of the web. And for the past 3 years we have given it our all.
If you have ever started a business from scratch you know what I am talking about. A 60-hour week is common. Forgetting to eat lunch is typical. Responding to client request at all hours is what you’ve got to do to get your business off the ground. But I have found that if you do this for too long, you start to lose yourself. You forget about the rest of your life, because work has become the sole focus.
At least that’s what’s happened to me.
Exploration is Something I Crave
Whether it’s scuba diving the Caribbean, hiking national parks, or paddleboarding rivers, I love being outside and I love trying new things. But I found myself paralyzed from exhaustion and from consistently silencing my desire to explore. All I wanted to do on my day off was sleep. I couldn’t make a decision about what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go because I stopped giving myself permission to think about me.
The Turning Point
The turning point for me was a recent trip to San Diego to visit Grant’s awesome family. They live minutes away from the beach in a beautiful town where it’s just the norm for people to be outside and active. Surfers, sailors, paddleboarders, runners, bikers, scuba divers, hikers and swimmers were everywhere. I felt like I belonged. Not necessarily in San Diego (although we really wouldn’t mind living there), but surrounded by people doing what my heart desired.
One evening during the trip I took the paddleboard down to the bay to have a few moments alone with my thoughts. I paddled from one side of the bay to the other, then stopped in the middle on the way back to watch the sunset. And it was magnificent! The colors were all you would hope to see in a west-coast sunset. I sat there floating in the middle of the water in total peace. I finally gave myself permission to have a moment of connection. Connecting with the water, connecting with the sky and connecting with the Divine. Tears rolled down my face. I never used to be a crier. But as I’ve gotten older, I can’t help but cry when something deeply touches my soul. That moment was everything I needed.
Aaaand Spark Explore Was Born!
After that trip, I decided to start saying yes to the explorer I had been ignoring for so long. I had been dreaming about owning my own SUP board for about 4 years, so the week after we got back I bought a beautiful new board. Her name is Diana and we’re basically best friends 🙂
I am saying “yes” to exploration in my own life and my desire for Spark Explore is to encourage you to do the same!