Relax and have a beer

Sounds good doesn't it?  I thought so.  So much so that I ran out to the fridge to grab a bottle of Great Divide Brewing Co., DPA or Denver Pale Ale.  I've heard that phrase often but it now has a truly different for me as an individual.  There was a time not in the not so distant past that it probably meant, escape and take the edge off, but for me it goes deeper.

Why do you need a beer to relax?  What is true relaxation?

Relaxation is defined as;

  1.  The state of being free from tension and anxiety.
  2.  Recreation or rest, especially after a period of work.

I can almost hear each of you saying, "Sure, that's easy for you to say."  With that I shall quickly reply with, "the grass isn't always greener" and "everyone has stresses in their life, whether rich or poor, young or old."  I will tell you that I am finally learning how to deal with the stresses in my life and truly relax.

It was amazing to me that the first week after I'd left my previous career, I began to sleep soundly, dream vividly and breathe deeply (save for a few moments when the kids left massive quantities of toys out in the house) like I'd never done before.

It's not rocket science, we as Americans just haven't allowed ourselves the privilege.  First, I figured out what was causing me stress and I walked away from it.  I found what truly made me happy and I ran to it,  (beer was not first on that list) my family.  Then, I cut off communication, that's right, phone, text, email, Facebook, Twitter all that "stuff" that we feel that we have to be constantly doing, I shut it off!  In the end, I found myself immersed in relaxation.

It's not that difficult.  You can find it too.  So, RELAX........then have a beer!

Cheers

SQUIRREL!!!

It's interesting to me how much less my inspiration and motivation are to write when I am back in the valley.  I'm confident I've pinpointed the reason as well.  Distraction.  There is too much going on here to truly sit down and think with a clear mind.  To not only listen, but to truly hear.

Even sitting on the couch this evening with the volume off on the TV, the TV was still turned on.  Why do I feel the need to have something in the background?  Is it just a comfort zone for me?  As much as I may like the stillness and quiet of an evening in the cabin, is it just human nature to be drawn to distraction, like the trained dog inevitably gravitates to the.........SQUIRREL!  Even sitting on the couch, my wife is attempting to convince me that it's easier to write or put my thoughts together with background noise.

So here I sit, alone and in the quiet.  In fact, the only sound I can vaguely make out is the air gently moving through the register, from the furnace, in our bedroom.  So here it is, a question.  How do you truly drown out distraction?  I'm not just writing this post for my own health or because I secretly have a passion for typing.  Think about it.  How do you truly focus?  You see, it takes less work when you take the opportunity to step away.  Add kids, the phone, television, a knock at the door, the cat and it's just not that easy to drown everything out.

Just make yourself the promise that you won't quit.  Challenge yourself, discover daily, that there is a place for you free of distraction.  Maybe on a stool in the tasting room at Payette Brewing Company, with a pint of Chubby SQUIRREL!

Cheers

Life.......and Limb

It is truly my hope that this blog and these posts properly convey the daily events taking place in my life.  With that being said, in all sincerity, these posts are in no way meant to brag about my experiences but to share with each of you what else is out there in the way of opportunity.

I've learned that an opportunity can come in many different forms, sure it could be a new career path, but opportunity can be found in the much smaller, simpler, day to day events in life.  Everyday I wake up, I take the time to meet my opportunity head on, whatever it may be.  It's my personal goal to become the best version of myself that I can possibly be and to share that with you.

A quote from the movie; Coach Carter

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine as children do.  It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.  And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

In life, there are said to be no second acts, however, Life and Limb, brewed as a collaboration with Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada is proof that sometimes we get a second shot.

Don't live a small, defeated, immobile life.  You have the power at the break of each morning to grow, to impact others and to live your life.  Live a life everyday that you would be proud to read about.  

Cheers

Nothing beats the Northwest

Every time I go to Seattle I have my itinerary planned out, somewhat, well it's unintentional.  I just have those places that I love going.  Maybe its comfortable, maybe I feel like I get the best service or maybe, I'm just getting more and more set in my ways in my old age.

I can't really determine any one reason I love Seattle so much.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that it's the birthplace of Starbucks coffee, maybe it's the fresh seafood or traveling by ferry to Bainbridge Island.  It could the fantastic dining or the great shopping all within walking distance of the many great downtown hotels.  Maybe it's just the beer.

In any event, I love Seattle.  One stop that never gets overlooked on a visit, Pyramid Alehouse.  A warm summer afternoon, waiting for the first pitch of a Mariner's game or a crisp fall day just before the kickoff of the NFL season, the brewhouse is just comfortable.  Whether it's a crowded pub table with my buddies or a patio seat with my wife and kids, there's always a massive plate of nachos (possibly the best I've had anywhere) and a refreshing pitcher of Apricot Ale.

Okay, okay, fruity beer, I know.  It's funny, I'm not a fruity beer drinker, but Apricot Ale is just extremely drinkable and it's kind of like crack.  I think their website probably explains it best, Apricot Ale perfectly combines the taste and aroma of fresh apricot with the smooth finish of a traditional wheat beer. It’s refreshingly unfiltered character and fruit flavor make it an ale worth savoring.

Yes, I miss Seattle, next time your in town, enjoy a game, family, friends and quite possibly one of the most addicting beers I've had.

Cheers

Experimental

Do you remember when you got your first few "friends" to friend you on Facebook?  Do you remember the day you got to 250, 500, 1,000?  How many of the 1,000 "friends" that you have on Facebook do you actually know something about?  I'm not referring to second hand conversation, profile deep info or surface level conversation.  How many of them do you know and how many know you?

Acquaintances are many but you can count your true friends on one hand.  With that in mind, I set out on a little social media experiment, with a twist, curious of the outcome.

Social Media Experiment:

5:15 at Brewforia, I'll buy your first pint. Maybe we know each other well, maybe we don't. My attempt to make my friend list more personal. 

If a bunch of of show up I'm sure it will make for good conversation!

 In anticipation, I arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule, chose a slightly larger table and waited.  Now, there are several conceivable things that could possibly happen;

1.  Of the current friends I have on Facebook, none of them were online.
2.  Of the current friends I have on Facebook, all of them were on vacation.
3.  Of the current friends I have on Facebook, all of them live out of state.
4.  Of the current friends I have on Facebook, none of them took me seriously.
5.  Of the current friends I have on Facebook, all of them were too busy.
6.  Of the current friends I have on Facebook, none of them liker beer.
  (I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THE ABOVE AND FIND IT PURELY SACRILEGIOUS)
7.  Of the current friends I have on Facebook, none of them could make the time.

As I sat at my computer, sharing a pint of Epic Brewing Company's, 825 State Stout, with two of my closest friends, the outcome of my experiment was perfectly clear.  Less than one-half of one percent of my "friends" had responded.  Muhammad Ali may have said it best, "Friendship... is not something you learn in school.  But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

Don't live a surface level life.  A friend is someone who knows you and wants to spend time with you anyway!

Cheers

Snow Falling on Ponderosa's

Sitting here, pecking away at my laptop, I'm reminded of something my father has told me most of my life, "in quiet there is strength."  Sure, I mentioned it briefly in a recent post, but it most certainly bears revisiting.

I had the unique opportunity of a new and wonderful experience with my family, 3 miles on snowshoes.  Yes, with a 3 and 6 year old.  There are few things more silent or serene than walking through the forest with quarter-sized flakes gently falling from the sky onto a white-blanketed floor.  Even with my kiddos in tow, all sound seemed to fade to nothing but the crunch of snow under foot.

Major League Baseball's, Ray Knight said it well, "concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary."  So, that's what I did.  I concentrated on absolutely nothing.  I just took it all in.  The beautiful snow-draped branches on the Ponderosa's.  The perfect diamond pattern left in the trail from the cross-country skiers who traveled the path hours before us.  The smoke, gently curling out of the stove pipe of the yurt, Tibetan prayer flags draped across two sides, the environment so natural, so inviting.

Stepping into the yurt was as if stepping into a far away place.  The criss-cross oak frame silhouette against the canvas danced at the flicker of the candlelight.  A small wood stove spilled warmth throughout the cozy shelter, the stack of freshly chopped firewood still showing signs of a trip in from the snow.

I've begun to realize how much noise and distraction I have in my life.  It's easy to keep running.   Today, with my beautiful family, I got to embrace quiet.

Cheers

Pleasure

How often do you allow yourself pleasure?  Yes, it's a very serious question.  Stop and take a moment to think about it.  How often do you actually allow yourself to truly enjoy your life?  Most enjoyment comes as a reward for personal accomplishment, physical achievement, etc.  How often is it that you just take a weekend, a day or even an afternoon for you.

As Americans, living in the United States, it's just not what we do.  How many Americans do you know who go on Holiday?  How many Americans do you know who take a sabbatical?  How many Americans take a two and a half hour lunch and a nap mid-day?  It just doesn't happen here in the States.  We push, push, push.  We are always going, always have somewhere else to be and something to do that we're running late for and in the midst of our own self-imposed chaos, we neglect ourselves.

So what does this "pleasure" look like in my life?  Pleasure may be what we didn't work for, or what we don't deserve, but it's part of what makes us whole.  I think I've only recently begun to understand what it looks like, and even then, it's not quite something I fully grasp.  A full day, mid-week, uninterrupted, with family, friends or those closest to you.  An extended vacation in excess of two weeks either here or abroad.  A walk in the gently falling snow.

I just can't help but realize that we all have a very warped view of pleasure.  We think we have to earn it, put ourselves in the grave for it or sacrifice our families or ourselves to get it.  We think it comes in the way of physical stuff, a new car, a shopping spree at the mall or an extravagant weekend in Vegas.

This afternoon sit back, pop the cork and like a cellared bottle of Deschutes Brewery's, Abyss, slowly drink it in.  Enjoy the richness of your life today.

Cheers