Lost luggage? Crappy traffic?

These simple experiences can bring out a myriad of responses in many different peeps. These instances bring out  "The Reaction."

Many people say, it's "human nature" or it's my "natural" response.

And I say: Ptttthhhhhhttt.

Outside of running from lions or fighting off an attacking grizzly, we've learned the majority of our "natural" responses at a young age. Parents, society, TV -- all sorts of sources have influenced our behavior and communication style. This, of course, is not ground-breaking news. How to dismantle these patterns, however, is a bit more chat-worthy.

A big challenge I'm often confronted with is my love affair with reactionary living and my addiction to auto-responses.

Sheesh, when someone else is crabby how I love to take it personally and pout.When I'm running late how I love to blame the idiot driver in front of me... And now? When I stop to look around? I realize: I'm tired of living this way. I'm bored with my huffy reactions and want to slip into something a bit more comfortable. But how? We all make choices on how we communicate and engage with the world ... and it's hard to see a higher road when we're deep in the rut we've been walking through our whole lives ... so, one idea I'm going to try?

Stop and look at that very rut  -- the one I might be knee-deep in at the very moment I react. Is my reaction a way of protecting myself? Something based in fear? In insecurity? How has it served me in the past and what newer, lighter, more beneficial option could serve me from now on?

These questions are easy to ask ... not always easy to answer. But I'm going to try.

An easy idea to talk about. But, to put it in action?

We talk to lots of people how Evolution Through Vacation opens up ideas and attitudes in a new way. Options that may have been stuck behind stories, outdated habits or an iron door of judgment. These folks tell us that e>v offers new perspectives to outdated habits -- new ways of being that replace rigid patterns that no longer serve. I love to hear these stories and am inspired to look at my own life through the same lens.

We're all learning as we move through this life and it's exciting when we embark on new journeys. Perhaps today's journey is about going through the day in an open and fluid manner ... allowing faith to enter in and magic to occur. ... releasing the need to be "right" and welcoming an easier, lighter answer to appear ... ditching the need for control and inviting in possibility ... truly evolving in each and every moment.

Of course, you can download the e-Guide for more experiments to help you do this :) ... or, you could just take today a little slower, a little more relaxed, a little more deliberate in the motive of openness and possibility. Today, you could just go with the flow if only to see where it leads you.

Where does the time go? I have made a commitment to write this blog and I thought it was just yesterday that I posted. Turns out it was more like 10 yesterdays ago ... What the??? It reminds me of a discussion Gretchen and I have been having lately about showing up in this world. And the gorgeous responsibility inherent within.

When we talk about "showing up" we talk about being present, engaged, enlivened and excited with the current events around us. Diving into relationships, commitments and activities wholeheartedly. Living in the moment, for the moment.

Sometimes it's quite easy to be this engaged -- even lost in the moment. Other times, however, we find ourselves slinking away, hiding, ignoring -- moving away from life instead of lunging toward it. One idea I ponder when this happens is where fear is showing up ... If I'm backing away from life, dodging things, it helps me to stop and think what I'm possibly fearful of in the situation. This  helps me focus on the deeper challenge and then puts me in a place to choose a course of action.

For example, I've recently been thinking about networking and my place in that realm. In the past, I have not really engaged in networking/meeting people/following up/creating new relationships -- finding "helpers" as Gretchen and I now call it. It was simply easier to blend in with the crowd, or have a brief encounter of small talk with new people, and then go back with my current tribe. This, however, hasn't been helping me expand my horizons or make new pals. So, I asked myself what I was fearful of ... Answers quickly showed up: What if they don't like me; making a commitment if they do; now being 'responsible' to uphold these relationships; I don't really have the time to do this ... (Wait, is that true? What am I fearful of when I use 'time' as an excuse? Why am I fearful of upholding new relationships? And on and on...) As I dig deeper, I find more answers and am able to see new perspectives and -- most importantly -- take action on this as opposed to allowing it to clutter up my consciousness any longer.

So, what do you think? Where in your life do you show up? What events, people, things make you excited to do so? And what events, people, things make you cringe? What do you do to step back into the flow?

Do you ever read the "DailyOm"? It's cool, meditative and often gets us thinking in new, unfettered ways as we begin our days .... Today's idea was a concept of "Tearing Down to Build Up" -- or how complaining is a way of removing what's bad from our lives and allowing space for the good to  enter. Many of us, however, get stuck in the 'tearing down' part a bit too long -- which never allows for the solution to enter. Or, as DailyOm says:

"Complaining is a person’s way of acknowledging that they are not happy with the way things are. In a metaphorical way, when we complain or criticize, we are tearing down an undesirable structure in order to make room for something new. But if all we do is tear down, never bothering to summon the creative energy required to create something new, we are not fulfilling the process. In fact, we are at risk for becoming a stagnant and destructive force in our own lives and in the lives of the people we love. ... Another issue with complaining is that we sometimes tend to focus on other people, whom we can’t change, as a way of deflecting attention from the one person we can change—ourselves. So transforming complaining into something useful is a twofold process that begins with turning our critical eye to look at things we can actually do something about, and then taking positive action."

This reminds me of everything from harping at the airline workers when our luggage is lost to blaming our mothers for not living up to our expectations (quite a range, but I think you get where I'm coming from) ... Whether on actual vacation or living the vacation called our lives, we have the chance right now to, yes, tear down ... and then, we have the beautiful choice to build something new. Every. Single. Moment.

I'm going to get out the Legos right now ..... and build something purty ......

-elissa

Have you seen this?

Scientists are claiming by not eating for 14-16 hours, you can squash jet leg like a mofo. Cool!

Gotta try it, dontcha think?

Technorati Profile ... we're claiming ourselves! (Thanks, Technorati!)

Check it out: it's e>v in the Star Tribune!

Read the article, comment here (or there!), join the discussion!

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts ... comments ... inspiration ... insight ... and more!

Check it out! e>v is on the home page of Ode Magazine! You can read our full post on their cool Exchange site here.  (You may have to register, but it's completely worth it. Ode has oodles of goodness for you to read and learn ... "For Intelligent Optimists" -- that's Ode and they're super cool.) Rock on!

Where it all started: 16 months ago we would meet for the Thursday night pub quiz and work on Evolution Through Vacation in between sips of Guinness and Magners.

And now, we've launched ... and it's time to celebrate!

Join us Thursday July 17, 2008 for the coolest pub quiz around––and a liminal party like none other!


WHERE:
Keegan's Irish Pub, 16 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413, 612•252•0880


WHEN:
Thursday July 17, 2008
6:00 p.m. CST – ???


WHAT:
The e>v launch, celebration and all-around-good-time hang out!


RSVP:
Leave a note in the comment section below so we'll have an idea of how many beers to buy .... You dig?


Hope to see you there!

- Gretchen + Elissa