Even with the freeing energy of summer around the corner, we often let ourselves get stuck in old routines, ruts, or mindsets. We have to plan vacations down to every detail, have to worry about finding the perfect foods and have to juggle too many daily responsibilities. If we don’t go all out we won’t get great results, yet all that makes life hard. But wait! Here are some fresh insights to help shape our attitudes towards life and finding pleasure.
“Best adventures happen when everyone let’s go of expectations and sets the intention for FUN” proclaims Stacey Newman Weldon, founder of AdventureWednesdays.com. Like Weldon herself, “Adventure Wednesdays stories are fun, uplifting and authentic – all with the aim to inspire you to learn, grow and try new ways to enjoy life”. Years back, after hitting some personal lows, Weldon made the decision to change how she looked at life and learn what she truly enjoyed doing for fun. An inspiring heroine, fellow sensualist and goddess, Weldon recently sold her house, most of her worldly possessions, and is heading onward as a nomad with her sweetie. You guessed it, she is reframing all of life as a continuous new adventure!
Adventure Wednesdays’ mission is “shifting mindsets from stuck to fun by inspiring inner change.” The site guides the reader with many examples and helps each one chose their personal idea of adventure. Whether it’s traveling, festivals, playing with food or learning a skill, there are infinite suggestions and stories for getting out of monotony and into what makes you thrive. The piece of advice that truly motivated Weldon, that can be repeated weekly, daily or hourly, was:
Take yourself out on adventures. They don’t have to be major trips to exotic places. It can be just finding a new route home.”
A spirit of adventure is also implicit in the words of author Jon Gordon with this tweet: “Today, shift your perspective and realize it’s not about having to do anything. Life is not an obligation. It’s a gift. Replace ‘Have to’ with ‘Get to.’ Focus on gratitude and you’ll find yourself feeling blessed instead of stressed.”
Sensual adventures also involve matters of perspective and outlook. Whether it’s belly dancing, an explorative retreat, or shaking up a boring sex life, “adventures are about overcoming fears and having fun learning the lessons,” says Weldon. Celebrate that you get to kiss and touch your partner in the morning or get to fill your body with pleasure. Go beyond your usual habits and ways of thinking to turn boring slump days into adventure filled hump days.
One of Weldon’s favorite quotes by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson states “Life is a hellava lot more fun if you say YES rather than NO.” Repeat after me, “Yes, I get to have a wonderfully sensual summer and a fun life. And I’m going to start now, living it one tiny adventure at a time.”
Photo credit: Gordana Sermek
P.S. Vivienne is taking a summer sabbatical and will be back in the fall…
