Developing The Right Habits

Developing the right habits is essential if you want to change your situation. Doing the same things that you are currently doing will get you nowhere. You must change your mindset, which includes developing new habits. If you are having trouble developing new habits, remember this question. What matters more?

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Developing The Right Habits For You

A great story to illustrate this point comes from the late, great Kobe Bryant. He was being interviewed by a reporter who questioned him about what time he woke up. When Kobe told him he woke up at 3 AM to get to the gym at 4 AM, the reporter was stupefied. Why so early? He asked. Kobe replied because my competitor gets to the gym at 5 AM.

The reporter couldn’t believe Kobe would wake up so early. He said, don’t you like to sleep? I know I do. Kobe didn’t reply, so the reporter asked him if this was a trait with which he was born. Did his father wake up early? Kobe replied, no. Then how do you get up so early, he asked? Calmly, Kobe responded, it comes down to what matters more.

What matters more, sleep or winning? For Kobe, it was winning. He developed the habit of waking up early so he could get in more practice time than his opponents. Whatever type of person you want to become, you must develop new habits. If you desire to be a great athlete, research the habits of great athletes. Are you an artist? Then research habits of great artists. Here is a post about the habits of the wealthy.

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It Is Not Easy

Developing the right habits is difficult. You must be consistent in practicing these new habits. It takes 21 days in a row before a habit will start to form. Some days are going to be more difficult than others. When you go through these days, ask yourself, what matters more?

Changing your routine means getting out of that zone of comfort you are currently living in. For example, most successful people wake up early. Just like Kobe, they want to take advantage of every minute of the day. But sleeping is good, and your bed is oh so comfy. You are safe and warm in your bed.

You feel so good that it is simple to close your eyes and go back to sleep. At that moment, ask yourself, what matters more? Becoming the person you want to be or going back to sleep? By getting up, you have time to read, meditate, exercise, journal, etc. One decision will change your lifestyle, while the other will keep you where you’re at in life. What matters more?

The Great Irene

Look at my post about the heroic deeds of Irene Sendler. Irene risked her life during World War II by smuggling Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. For Irene, what mattered more, was the lives of innocent children over her life.

Are you happy where you are at this point in your life? If not, you must change and begin stretching your comfort zone. Get a little comfortable being uncomfortable. Begin your change by researching and developing the habits of the person you want to become. If you want to improve your relationship, develop habits of people in good relationships. Do you want to be wealthy? Research the habits of rich people. If it becomes difficult to change, remember to ask yourself, what matters more?

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@lazizli

https://unsplash.com/@prophsee

I Am Thankful For

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I am healthy. I just had my annual physical, and all my blood work came out perfect. My body is working just the way it should and maybe even a little better. I feel energetic, and my mind is sharp. It doesn’t mean I don’t always walk into the kitchen and remember why I am there. Those are just the little things that we put up with as time goes by.

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What I Am Thankful For

It took me a long time to learn to be grateful for everything I have. After spending half my life and law enforcement, it was hard to see the brighter side of life. I spent every day, for most of the day, living on the darker side of the world. I saw some of the worst parts of humanity on city streets and in the jungle. When you spend most of your time in darkness, seeing the light becomes difficult.

I am grateful that God gave me the ability to separate my two worlds. When I arrived home after work, the first thing I would do was take off my badge and gun. I became a different person. Much like the comics I read as a kid, I would take off the bat-suit and become Bruce Wayne. I would hang up my cape and be Clark Kent. At the door of my house, I would leave the title of Special Agent. I became Scott, husband and father, one person living in two different worlds.

30 Years

I didn’t talk about work with my family because I didn’t want them to be exposed to what I saw. It was my choice, my calling to be a Special Agent. I am thankful that I could serve people for 30 years. Even though I’m retired, I am still connected to the dark side. There are still people to be helped. The good news is I spend much less time there. I am positive and grateful nowadays.

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This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for also being called to create InspireChief. It has opened my eyes to living a life full of love and gratitude. I am thankful for being able to help and serve people in a different way than I did before. You should always be grateful for what is going on in your life right now. It is your choice on how you react to what is happening to you. You can choose to face it positively or through negativity.

Forward

Every day isn’t sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes life hits you square in the teeth. When it takes you to your knees, get up. Keep moving forward, don’t stay where you are. Keep moving until things get better. They will. God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.

I am thankful for the ability to keep moving forward through the good times and bad times. I want to continue to use InspireChief to help and serve people. Encouraging people to rely on faith and keep fighting brings a smile to my face. I will continue until my last breath.

Thank You!!

I am thankful for everyone who reads, comments, likes and follows InspireChief. I’m deeply humbled to be part of your community.

I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season. No matter where you are in the world, take a moment out of your day tomorrow and reflect on everything that you are thankful for. Begin to write a gratitude journal daily and see how it changes your life.

Breaking Down The Age Barrier

Today I’m going to talk about something that happened to me last weekend. The concept is a little difficult to understand. It’s the difference between living your life spiritually and living physically. The event was simply a conversation I had with a young lady. I don’t believe this connection would have happened if I was not living spiritually in the Now. Therefore, I want to talk about being in the Now and breaking down the age barrier.

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Breaking The Age Barrier

Physically, I know that I am 61 years old. I have a birth certificate that tells me that. Although, when I look in the mirror, I see myself as a young man. I don’t look over 30. That is because, in my mind, I don’t have an age. I don’t dwell on the past or spend much time on the future. I try to live in the Now and experience life as it is happening.

Every Saturday during football season, I meet up with fellow alumni to watch the game. Most of the time, the same crowd shows up and, we are in the same age group. This past Saturday, a young lady in her 20s joined us and sat next to me. We had the most engaging conversation. During this conversation, there was no difference in age between us. We were conversing on the same level.

How Do We See One Another?

I did not feel as if she viewed me as an older man and, I looked at her as no different than me. The difference in our age, as well as our gender, race, experiences, etc., were broken down; they disappeared. This happened because I was living in the Now.

Now is the moment in time that I am experiencing, right that second. I am not thinking of my past or my future. Most of our thoughts focus on the past and the future. We are not thinking about life as it’s happening. When I live in the past and the future, I think about age. How many years have passed, and how many I have left.

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https://unsplash.com/@nathananderson

Thinking Spiritually

If I would’ve been thinking physically, I would have focused on the difference in our age and not on the conversation. I would have looked upon this young woman as a child, someone who needed my knowledge, more like my daughter. Instead, by breaking down the age barrier, I viewed her only as the person she is. I was talking to a person, not someone of different age.

It has always been easy for me lately to engage in a conversation with people my age. As humans, we seek out people similar to ourselves. By only being around similar people, my focus would be on our age. We could all sit around and tell “war stories” of our past.

Living In The Now

Living in the Now and breaking down the age barrier, I can experience life through someone else’s eyes. They can talk about their experiences and share their stories. By listening as a person focusing on the Now, I gain an understanding of what others are feeling at this moment in their life.

I have followers of all ages. When I read their blogs, I learn so much about what they are going through. I can learn as much from a 17-year-old as I can from a 70-year-old. I don’t know what it is like being a teenager in another country today. By living in the Now and breaking down the age barrier, I read the articles as if we are the same age.

Keep Sharing Your Experiences

We all have something to teach one another despite our age differences. You never know who you can help with your experiences. If you feel the inspiration to write, then write. Live in the Now. Experience life as it is happening right now and embrace it. Good things or bad things may be happening. No matter what is happening, embrace the experience.

Bad times never last forever. Embrace all times and give thanks. Better times are ahead! So, when you find yourself near someone of a different age group, look at them as the same as you. Live in the Now. You might make a new friend. Always remember, age is just a number.

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@nathananderson

https://unsplash.com/@lgnwvr

Open Your Heart For Infinite Energy

Learning to open your heart for infinite energy is essential in your journey to personal improvement. You can do all the right things and not see improvement. For example, verbalizing positive affirmations and visualizing your future daily, yet you still don’t feel you are improving. Something is holding you back. It could be that your heart is closed, and you are blocking your inner energy.

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Open Your Heart For Infinite Energy

Almost everything you do externally and internally requires energy. Just like it takes physical energy to exercise, it also takes an expenditure of energy to control your thoughts. Dealing with your emotions also requires energy. Getting through the day he asserts a lot of energy. It can be exhausting.

I’m sure you have experienced times when you don’t feel like you have much energy; you are drained. If you feel low on physical energy, rest and a healthy meal can recharge you. Unfortunately, food will not supply you with energy if you are mentally and emotionally drained. Where does that energy come from? Inside you. Yogis call these energy centers chakras. We all have an infinite supply of inner energy.

Love

Have you ever been in love? Those first days of a relationship fill you with physical and emotional energy. You feel as if you could take on the world. The same thing happens when you start a new project; you don’t even think about eating or sleeping. The infinite energy that comes from within you keeps you going.

Conversely, if your relationship ends after a few months, you lose your energy. You become sad and depressed. Much of the energy you do have is spent trying to figure out what went wrong. You don’t need much and spend way too much time in bed.

Where did the energy go? It is still there inside you. You have blocked it. By closing your mind and heart, you have blocked the flow of energy inside you. Learn to open your heart for infinite energy.

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An Unlimited Supply

Have you seen those people who seem to have an unlimited supply of energy? They are happy and productive. You always see them out and about. They are positive, glass-half-full people. In contrast, we all know someone that never has any energy. They are the complainers and hardly ever have anything positive to say. If they can bring you down with them, they will. Their hearts have closed and blocked the energy flow.

My Experiences

I have experienced these different energy flows many times in my life. Have you? There have been times when my heart is open, and the energy is abundant. Then there were times when I blocked the energy and closed it off. It happens because we are programmed to open or close based on our past experiences.

If I see a sunset, hear a song, or smell a certain scent that reminds me of a happy time, my heart will open. On the other hand, if those stimuli invoked a memory of a past negative experience, my heart would close. By learning to keep your heart open and let go of your past; you can keep the energy flowing. This energy comes from within your being. It is your Chi, Shakti, or Spirit.

How To Keep An Open Heart

How do you learn to open your heart for infinite energy? It’s simple, don’t close it. Decide that you want to keep your heart open. When you feel your heart closing because of a circumstance in your life, stop, relax, and open it up again. Do not allow it to close. Recognize when you feel your heart closing and open it up.

Life Happens

Don’t allow the circumstances of your daily life to take away your inner energy. Think of life as if you’re standing in a river. Life flows all around you. Experiences happen, but they are only experiences. Like the water, they keep going, ever-changing. Life is a series of experiences that happens to us every day. They are always changing. The river water flows around you, touches you, and then it’s gone. The same water molecules don’t come back, different ones flow behind it. In life, we experience the circumstances, and then they’re gone.

Experiences only stay if we hang on to them and don’t let them go. In the times we react negatively to these experiences, our hearts become closed, and we block our energy. Decide what matters more, an open heart and infinite energy or hanging on to negativity. Keep your heart open and let all things happen. Experience them and let them go.

Cites

Singer, Michael A. The Untethered Soul: The Journey beyond Yourself. New Harbinger Publications, 2013.

https://unsplash.com/@cris024

https://unsplash.com/@burzik

Connect With The Universe

Today I want to talk about the subconscious mind and its connection with the universe. When I am talking about the universe, I mean God or infinite intelligence. This post is a continuation of Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich. Properly using your subconscious mind to connect with the universe is the 11th step in acquiring riches.

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Connect With The Universe

Your subconscious mind is the key to living the life you want to live. Controlling your subconscious mind is necessary for accomplishing goals and acquiring wealth. You can acquire happiness as well as build great relationships.

Hill states that your subconscious mind stores every impulse of thought that reaches your objective mind through your five senses. These thoughts may be called upon later through your memories. Your subconscious mind never stops working. It is there 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Infinite Intelligence

Your subconscious mind is your connection to infinite intelligence. It uses the power derived from infinite intelligence to convert your desires into their physical equivalents. It uses the most practical means to accomplish this conversion.

You cannot control your subconscious mind completely. Inadvertent thoughts do find their way into your mind. The control you have is accomplished by voluntarily thinking, speaking, and visualizing your plan or desire. It takes time to connect with the universe through your controlled thoughts. So don’t get discouraged.

Trust The Process

To connect with infinite intelligence and turn your dreams into reality is a process. You must trust the process because mastering this process takes time. Patience and persistence are your best friends.

Since your subconscious mind never stops working, you must train yourself to control your thoughts. Your subconscious mind stores your controlled thoughts, but also works inadvertently from your uncontrolled thoughts. It can bring you fear and poverty as easily as it can wealth.

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Develop a daily practice of controlling your thoughts through positive affirmations and meditation. The more you practice, the more you will begin to believe. Continued practice will turn your belief into faith.

Persistence

You must be persistent until you have reached the level of faith. Once you reach the level of faith, you will control the negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts. For example, let’s say you receive an unexpectedly large bill. Without faith your first thoughts will probably be fear, and how will you pay for it. With faith, your mind will be calm because you know that the money will come to pay it in full.

Your subconscious mind works best when your thoughts mix with feelings and emotions. It doesn’t work as well with thoughts coming from the reasoning part of your mind. As I discussed last week, sexual desire is our strongest emotion. Tapping into this emotion will increase the output of your subconscious mind.

Feel The Emotions

Hill further states, “There is evidence to support that the theory that only emotionalized thoughts have any actionable influence upon the subconscious mind.” Therefore, don’t just think about your desire. Feel the emotions that you will have after manifesting that desire. Before visualizing how your life will be, think of something that evokes an emotion in you.

Positive Or Negative

Remember that emotions can be positive or negative. Here is a list of the seven major positive and negative emotions.

Positive Emotions:

Desire

Faith

Sex

Enthusiasm

Romance

Hope

Negative Emotions:

Fear

Jealousy

Hatred

Revenge

Greed

Superstition

Anger

Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. Only one can dominate. Avoid negative emotions. Make sure that positive emotions become your dominating influence in your subconscious mind to connect with the universe.

I hope this provides you with a little insight into the subconscious mind and its connection to the universe. Don’t forget to like, comment, and follow. I appreciate each person who reads my posts and listens to my podcasts.

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The Mystery Of Sex Transmutation

In this podcast, I am continuing to talk about Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich. The 10th step toward riches, The Mystery of Sex Transmutation. I will admit that I had a difficult time understanding this chapter. I read it several times until I believe I finally understood it. It is simply a sexual energy transfer to increase creativity.

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Sex Transmutation

According to Hill, the emotion of sex has three constructive potentials. First, sex is necessary for the perpetuation of man. Second, sex has the potential to maintain a healthy mind and body. Third, sex has the potential for the transformation of mediocrity into genius. It is done through transmutation by a sexual energy transfer to increase creativity.

The mystery of sex transmutation isn’t complicated. Sex transmutation is switching the mind from thoughts of physical expression to thoughts of some other nature. It is simply a transfer of sexual energy into another form of energy. Transmuting your desire for sex into accomplishing your goals will open up your creative mind.

Directed Sexual Desire

It can be argued, that when people go astray, the main culprit is sexual desire. Hill states that men have risked life and reputation to fulfill this desire. It has cost people vast fortunes. In contrast, when harnessed and directed to another outlet, sexual energy can be used to create great literature, art, and wealth.

The desire for sex is the most powerful desire we have as humans. It makes sense to harness this power and use it to accomplish greatness. Sexual desire can develop imagination as well as increase courage. It will develop willpower and persistence. Sexual energy transfer will increase your creative ability.

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It’s Natural

Sexual desire is innate and natural. It should not be suppressed or eliminated. You should use sexual energy transfer to increase your creativity. Give this powerful desire another avenue to express your creativity. In this chapter, Hill reveals that scientific research at the time disclosed that men of greatest achievement have highly developed sexual natures. Also, these men were motivated by the influence of a woman.

How?

How can you use sexual energy transfer to increase creativity? First, continue to have a healthy sexual relationship with your loved one. Think of a particular passionate event or someone who stimulates a sexual desire in you. You will open up your creative imagination and increase your vibration, therefore connecting you with the universe.

The Law of Attraction or Assumption states that your thoughts become your reality. By thinking of the person you want to become, you are determining your reality in the future. To make this happen, you must add emotion. Since sex is our most powerful emotion, it is the key to your creative imagination. Your creative imagination is the direct link between you and infinite intelligence.

Final Thoughts

Use sexual energy transfer to increase creativity. I often say, that before a session of meditation/visualization, I think about the first time I saw my wife. This image invokes much emotion and puts me in the perfect mindset to increase my creative imagination.

I hope everyone increases their creativity, and I appreciate everyone that visits my site. Please continue to like, follow, and comment. I would love to know your thoughts on this topic of sexual energy transfer.

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What Matters More?

Developing the right habits is essential if you want to change your situation. Doing the same things that you are currently doing will get you nowhere. You must change your mindset. This includes developing new habits. If you are having trouble developing new habits, remember this question. What matters more?

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Kobe Responded, What Matters More?

A great story to illustrate this point comes from the late, great Kobe Bryant. He was being interviewed by a reporter who was questioning him about what time he wakes up. When Kobe told him he wakes up at 3 AM to get to the gym at 4 AM, the reporter was stupefied. Why so early? He asked. Kobe replied because my competitor gets to the gym at 5 AM.

The reporter couldn’t believe Kobe would wake up so early. He said, don’t you like to sleep? I know I do. Kobe didn’t reply, so the reporter asked him if this was a trait with which he was born. Did his father wake up early? Kobe replied, no. Then how do you get up so early, he asked? Calmly, Kobe responded, it comes down to what matters more.

Sleep or Winning

What matters more, sleep or winning? For Kobe, it was winning. He developed the habit of waking up early so he could get in more practice time than his opponents. Whatever type of person you want to become, you must develop new habits. If you desire to be a great athlete, research the habits of great athletes. Are you an artist? Then research habits of great artists. Here is a post about the habits of the wealthy.

Develop New Habits

Developing new habits is difficult. You must be consistent in practicing these new habits. It takes 21 days in a row before a habit will start to form. Some days are going to be more difficult than others. When you go through these days, ask yourself, what matters more?

Stretch Your Comfort Zone

Changing your routine means getting out of that zone of comfort you are currently living in. For example, most successful people wake up early. Just like Kobe, they want to take advantage of every minute of the day. But sleeping is good, and your bed is oh so comfy. You are safe and warm in your bed.

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https://unsplash.com/@iyunmai

You are feeling so good that it is simple to close your eyes and go back to sleep. At that moment, ask yourself, what matters more? Becoming the person you want to be or going back to sleep? By getting up, you have time to read, meditate, exercise, journal, etc. One decision will change your lifestyle, while the other will keep you where you’re at in life. What matters more?

Irene Sendler

Look at my post about the heroic deeds of Irene Sendler. Irene risked her life during World War II by smuggling Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. For Irene, what mattered more, was the lives of innocent children over her life.

Are you happy where you are at this point in your life? If not, you must change and begin stretching your comfort zone. Get a little comfortable being uncomfortable. Begin your change by researching and developing the habits of the person you want to become. If you want to improve your relationship, develop habits of people in good relationships. Do you want to be wealthy? Research the habits of rich people. If it becomes difficult to change, remember to ask yourself, what matters more?

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@thevoncomplex

https://unsplash.com/@iyunmai

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Colorado Trip The Last Day

Colorado Trip The Last Day. All good things have to come to an end. Even this wonderful trip that Sofia and I began a mere six days before. It felt like we had been there for weeks because we had done so much in the last six days. Today was the last day of our Colorado trip.

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The Last day Of Our Colorado Trip

Since our flight wasn’t until 6:00 PM, we had plenty of time to enjoy another day in Colorado. What was one thing that we had not done visiting the Rocky Mountain state? Visit the Rocky Mount National Park, of course! So I hopped on the old inter-web and procured us a vehicle pass and a timed entry pass.

After loading the car and saying goodbye to Wilhelmina and Paul, we headed down the long winding driveway. As soon as we turned onto the road, we were greeted by three young bucks standing in the roadway. They politely walked to the side and posed for some pictures.

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He Seemed To Enjoy The Photo Session

Over The Continental Divide

The night before, I had decided to enter the park on the west side by Grand Lake. We would traverse the mountains, cross the Continental Divide, and exit at Estes Park. The airport was only an hour and a half drive from there, so we had plenty of time. It was another scenic drive to the park entrance.

Beware The Ganja

We stopped at the Rocky Mount National Park sign for some pictures and met two lovely young ladies. They had sweet, southern accents with which they amused us with a story about a marijuana dispensary encounter the day before. It seems they purchased an herbal laced brownie and plan to enjoy it in their room. After eating a corner of the brownie, they realized it was much more powerful than they thought. They had an interesting evening until the effects wore off.

After saying goodbye, we began our drive up and over the mountains. It wasn’t long until we came around a curve and saw people standing on the side of the road. I looked over into the meadow and two moose were grazing in the distance. I found a place to pull over and Sofia ran back to snap some photos.

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A Quick Breakfast

Breathtaking

The scenery and vistas from the top of the mountain, like Sofia, are breathtaking. Once again, I realized how small we are on this vast rock spinning around the sun. Several more photos and selfies were taken as we made our way down the mountain.

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Beautiful

At the bottom, we stopped at the visitor center which has a gift shop and restaurant next door. The day was warm, so we decided to ask for a table outside. While enjoying a bowl of elk stew, I got to look at a mountain and a beautiful stream running below us. I wanted to enjoy the view one last time before heading to Denver.

Home Sweet Home

Mountains always amaze me since the highest point in South Florida is a hill made out of garbage. Before they started the landfills, the highest point was a speedbump in Coral Gables. After another uneventful for our flight, we arrived in Fort Lauderdale around midnight. After collecting our luggage, we headed outside and were greeted by a blast of heat and humidity. It may be hot and humid, but it is “home sweet home.”

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Colorado Trip Part 3

Colorado Trip Part 3. I woke on Day 3 feeling great. All the soreness from yesterday’s hike was gone. I proceeded downstairs, poured myself a cup of coffee, and went to the deck to watch the sunrise. I sat in silent meditation for several minutes. Suddenly, I heard something moving behind me again. Slowly turning around, I solved the mystery of the great beast. There it was standing on the steps staring at me, a little chipmunk.

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Part 3 Of Our Colorado Trip

The wedding was scheduled for 4 o’clock, so we needed to stay close to the B&B. Sofia takes a while to get ready. I have never figured out what takes so long because she is naturally beautiful. Yesterday, we saw a trailhead close to the B&B and decided to go for a hike. The forecast was for rain, but we were told that rain in Colorado was not like Florida rain. It just drizzles.

We drove to the Elk Meadow Trailhead and parked. The sun was out and it was a beautiful, cool day. Grabbing our water bottles, we started up the mountain. The views got better with every switchback. Unlike the St. Mary’s glacier trail, this trail was smooth. It was much easier on my knees.

Look Around

One thing that I always do is take my eyes off the trail directly in front of me. I take my time to look around and enjoy the journey. Flowers and wildlife are abundant in Colorado. We saw a large bluebird that looked like the Blue Jays back home. Only this bird was much larger and had a blackhead. We were told it was a Mountain Jay, a beautiful bird.

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Elk Meadows Trail

Decisions

We came to a point where the trail split. To the left continued up the mountain, and the right would take us down around the meadow. Since we were short on time, we chose the meadow. The hiking was easy in this past meadow, and we were making good time. Sofia turned to me and said she felt a raindrop. No big deal because Colorado rain isn’t like Florida rain. The raindrops became larger and colder. That’s when the thunder and lightning started. I began to feel that we were lied to about the Colorado rain.

We found ourselves in the middle of a meadow during a thunderstorm. This is not the place you want to be. We had no choice but to keep hiking. Soaked and cold, we eventually made our way back to the car after 2.5 hours.

A Colorado Wedding

After a much welcomed hot shower, I put on a suit for the first time in almost a year. Sofia looked ravishing in her dress. I have to say we made a sharp couple. Off we went to the wedding which, was held on Evergreen Lake at the Lake House.

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My Beautiful Wife

The ceremony was outdoors and delayed only a few minutes because of the rain. The clouds parted, the sun came out, and we watched a young couple begin their journey together as man and wife. I always enjoy the beginning of anything. It is inspiring, so full of promises. We danced, sang, laughed, and a few happy tears were shed. It was a wonderful night.

Day 4

On day 4, I woke to the most spectacular sunrise. The sun was a bright red ball in the sky. This was caused by the fires in California and the smoke drifting to Colorado. Sofia and I sat outside enjoying our coffee. We went to breakfast and met two new couples that had arrived the night before. They were very nice people, and we got along like old friends.

What A Life

Later, we had the opportunity to speak with Wilhelmina. We found out that she had lived a wonderful life. She was born in the Netherlands and raised in Australia. Wilhelmina became a dancer and choreographer and married a well-known British comedian, They had met all of the big entertainers. Even though she was 80, she looked closer to 60. She still plays golf, skis, hikes, and runs a weight loss program. She is a very inspiring woman, and I could have sat all day talking.

Mt. Evans

We told Wilhelmina that we were going to drive up to Mount Evans. Mount Evans sits between 12,000-14,000 feet above sea level. Wilhelmina told us that it could be cold up there and let us borrow heavy jackets. It was another beautiful drive through the back roads and up the mountain. We climbed above the tree line and arrived at Summit Lake.

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Summit Lake

As soon as we exited the car, we were thankful we had the jackets. The temperature was 41 degrees, and the wind was blowing. It might as well have been Antarctica to us. After stopping to talk to some Park volunteers about the mountain goats and bighorn sheep, we hiked up to the Chicago Lakes.

No Excuses

As we were hiking, we passed an elderly lady with a club foot. Seeing this lady not let anything stop her from doing something she enjoys made me realize that I make too many excuses. You should never let anything get in the way of doing something that you want to do. You can always find a way.

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Selfie By The Lake

We took some great pictures at Summit Lake, enjoyed the views then headed down the mountain. We had made plans to drive to Denver and watch some football. Denver is a nice city, and we saw a lot of neighborhoods full of young people. This is something we don’t have a lot of in Florida. It’s called God’s waiting room for a reason.

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Blake Street Tavern Denver, Colorado

My Best Friend

We made it to the Blake St., Tavern, a large Sports Bar. There was a good crowd enjoying the first day of college football season. People were happy they were able to gather together again. We watched my school play that evening, and even though the outcome wasn’t in my favor, I wouldn’t want to be there with anyone other than Sofia. She is my best friend. Every part of the trip had been wonderful. We were excited, looking forward to what we would see the next day. To be continued.

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A Trip To Colorado

You can find inspiration anywhere. All you have to do is fire up your senses and be aware when inspiration presents itself. I’m going to tell you how I found inspiration on a trip to Colorado. We saw so much in this beautiful state that I will share it in several blogs.

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Our Trip To Colorado Day 1

On the first day, we were dropped off at the Fort Lauderdale airport at Zero Dark Thirty. The purpose of this trip was to attend the wedding of Sofia’s friend’s daughter. I just wanted to get away with my beautiful wife and relax. I wasn’t intending to look for inspiration on a trip to Colorado.

After an uneventful four-hour flight, we arrived in Denver at 10:30 AM. We found our way to the rental car shuttle bus. The friendly driver helped us load our luggage, and off we went to pick out our vehicle. As we left the rental lot, I noticed an extreme lack of mountains. I always pictured Denver as a mountainous city. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Where were the Mountains? Luckily I found them after just a short drive out of the city.

Red Rocks, Colorado

We drove to Red Rocks Amphitheater, about a 30 to 40-minute drive west of the city. It is an Amphitheater cut into the side of a hill. It is surrounded by large rock formations which are colored, you guessed it, bright red. As we entered the area where the food vendors are located, there was music playing. The acoustics are phenomenal.

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$6.60 to see one of the greatest bands of all time!

We toured the museum and saw pictures of a lot of the performers who had played there. Most of the great musicians have performed at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Even the Beatles played there on their first American tour in 1964. Attending a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater was instantly put on my bucket list.

Golden, Colorado

Our next stop was the town of Golden, Colorado. It is a lovely little town to walk around and enjoy. The streets are full of bars, restaurants, and shops. Golden is the home of the Coors Beer Brewery. After stopping to eat, we walked to this photogenic bridge and creek at the edge of town. It is the perfect place to stop, take a few selfies, and realize how lucky I am to be married to Sofia.

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Golden

Evergreen, Colorado and Walkabout Ridge

We left Golden and drove to the town of Evergreen, where we were staying. Evergreen is a quaint small town that ranges from 7200 to 9000 feet in elevation. We found our B&B located on a mountain a few miles outside of town. I steered the car along a winding, long, gravel driveway. I was thinking that all Scooby-Doo cartoons and horror movies begin like this. At the end of the driveway was a beautiful two-story home with a sign in front that read Walkabout Ridge.

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Walkabout Ridge Bed & Breakfast

So Relaxing

We met the owners, Wilhelmina and Paul. They are lovely people, gave us a tour of the house, and showed us our room. Coffee was ready at 6 AM, and a continental breakfast was from 7 until 10 AM. We sat outside on the deck that evening, enjoying the view of the mountains.

While we were sitting on the deck, I particularly enjoyed soaking in the cool mountain air. What a relief from the stifling heat and humidity of South Florida this time of year. We both slept great with the windows open, enjoying the cool breezes.

Our room faced east, and in the morning, I awoke to the most beautiful pre-sunrise sky. The colorful sky gave me the inspiration I needed to get up and start our day. To be continued.

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First Light