First Time Excitement!!

Sometimes as adults we forget what the innocence of a child feels like, and as adults we often let our so called experiences dictate our actions. Why is that? Are Children just fearless, and most adults are frozen from action due to fear? And yet a bigger question is what happened along the way for us to (as adults) to become so fearful?

As we were enjoying our family vacation, there were so many things that we did, that were considered to be firsts for the kids. But the one that really struck me was the first time my children rode a roller coaster. When we asked them if this was something that they wanted to try, they were both eagerly excited about the adventure. The roller coaster that they chose for their first ride was the “Manhattan Express”, the coaster that encompasses the New York New York Casino in Las Vegas. We stood across the street and watched it go up, then down around, and upside down. Despite visual nerves, when asked if they were sure the immediate answer was yes! Off we set, through the casino floor, we arrived at the entrance point to the coaster…there is a height requirement. Neither of the kids are tall enough to ride. The look of disappointment was heart breaking. As a result it became a family mission to find and ride a roller coaster before the end of our trip.

As we searched for a roller coaster you could see the fear grow in 1 child while the excitement grew in the other. As time pasted, my son became more and more Leary of the idea of riding a roller coster, and needed reassurance of their safety. Other the other side of the room was my daughter, who was becoming more and more annoyed at the fact that we had not found one for her to ride yet. She needed reassurance that it was a priority, and before we flew home she would ride a roller coaster.

We had a plan. We were going to spend a few days in San Diego to visit the zoo, and Legoland. No roller casters at the zoo, but Legoland had a few. Great. Off we went. The Zoo was amazing, beautiful and majestic, in both the animals, and atmosphere. But the excitement was growing for the following day that became known as “coaster day”.

In the morning, as we were planning out the day, we realized that Legoland had just switched to their winter hours, and the park was closed. The look of disappointment was overwhelming from both kids. The “ride a coaster” had taken on a purpose, so once again we hit the Internet to find a place to send the day, and of course ride a roller coaster. After all we were in San Diego the options are limitless. In the end and after much debate, we all settled on Sea World. It had 2 different coasters, and dolphins, who could ask for any more right.

We get to Sea World, Park, and enter the park. We wonder around a little, see the sharks, turtles, sea lions, and then it starts…”you promised”, “when are we going on a roller coster”. These statements repeated, until finally we find the gate to the main roller coaster…CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE. What are the odds. But there is a second coaster, so off we go in search of the last chance roller coaster. We find it, and wouldn’t ya know it, it is water one!! Normally I’m pretty into the rush of riding roller coasters, the only ones I do not enjoy are the WET ones. Awesome!!

A promise is a promise. My Daughter is running at full speeds to the entrance, my son you can tell is forcing himself to move in a forward motion. He is visibly nervous, and trying to talk himself into it. But he is not willing NOT to go. Although visibly nerves are getting the better of him, determination and curiosity is winning.

See their excitement, I have no choice but to suck it up, and ride the coster with them. My daughter wants to sit up front. (Knowing what I Know, there is no Way I am sitting up there-we’ll let that be Daddy job). My son chooses to sit at the very back (yep! That one has me all over it-I’ll go with him). We all assume our spots. We climb, wet get wet, we drop, we climb again, we get a little more wet, and drop a final time. As we are floating to the exit of the ride, my son turns to me and says “it wasn’t that bad, except for getting wet and the dropping parts. I didn’t like that”. I could help but laugh. I pear forward, to see my daughter giggling uncontrollably, and chattering daddy’s ear off. As the the ride comes to a stop, my son and I jump off, wet, cold and more annoyed then anything, my daughter looks around, sees there is no one else in line, and asks to go again. And so off they went to ride the coaster again. I am sure that if it was warmer out, she would have risen the coaster a dozen more times. Next time we will find a non water coaster, and we can ride it until time runs out.

Looking back on this day, it made me think of firsts. What is so exciting about them, what is so scary about them, and why as we get older do we stop looking for firsts to try? Why is it that as we grow older Fear always seems to gain the advantage, why do we allow it to stop is from having more firsts. Firsts are often the beginning of a new journey or a new path for which we can follow. Why is secure, predictable, and boring always seem to take precedence over new, exciting, and unknown?

Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is startled, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance.
Robert Collier quotes (American motivational author, 1885-1950)

Sleepless Nights

You know the times when you are beyond tired, but you cannot sleep. Your thoughts are moving 100 Miles an hour, but your body is screaming SLEEP!! But as much as you want to you just cannot fall into a deep slumber. Sometimes (honestly most times) it is due to stress, but there is the odd time when you have one of those days where something gets you thinking. It could be as simple as a song on the radio, or a news story. But today for me, it was a simple telephone conversation with a friend I had not seen in over a year. We started talking about a potential business opportunity, but we soon digressed into the mundane of the everyday. Which lead to a discussion centred around our own struggles, our own fears, and our own expectations. The catch is that although we live on opposites sides of the country, we share a very distinct similarity. We are both in search our ultimate passion. We are both for lack of a better term, lost.

It is reassuring to now that I am not losing the last of my marbles, and that no matter how I feel I am never alone in my thoughts, worries, or fears. We had one of those conversations that kept replaying over and over in my head, and each offered more questions then answers. Which made me think of one of favourite quotes from one of my favourite childhood authors.

sometimes the questions are complicated, the answers are easy. Dr. Seuss

Why?

Why is that we lose sight of the answers, and get focused and bogged down with the questions? It feels that we are always in search of the perfect questions to find the perfect answers. And if the answer makes us feel uncomfortable we rephrase the question, and are no longer satisfied with the answer. Confusing. No wonder there are those that feel lost. No wonder we feel we are constantly in search of “our true calling”.

Do not worry, and have no fear, we are not alone. If we can find a way to simply the questions, the answers will become more clear. If we work as a team, support each other in finding our paths, we can find the inner strengths needed to make the change to help each other grow stronger, and change the world, one “lost dream” at a time.

Moment of Awe

Friday night in our house is also game night. Usually the kids pick a typical run of the mill game, like Sorry, or Monopoly Jr. But this past week we broke put the “Cash Flow for Kids” game. We have been playing this game off and on for the last few years, but with limited success. I think in part due their ages, and basic reading and Math skills. However, it was amazing how they were able to pick the idea up so quickly and so confidently. It only took one full time around the board for my son to officially emote him self from the rat race. It was almost too easy for him. The lack of fear shown by both of them was amazing. They had zero worries of running out of money, failing o even losing. What happens to us as adults to have cost us this fearlessness. Why are we so hard on our selves, expecting perfection at all costs, why can’t we simply play the game as children??

Life would be so much simpler if we could just through caution to the wind, and just go with the flow. What happens to us as we mature into adulthood that makes us so insecure in our decision making abilities. I encourage you all to play more like children. In games and in life. What is the worse thing that can happen? We will never know unless we try!