As my mother used to say: "wherever you go, there you are." Simple but true. You – your spirit, your being and, yes, even your stories – are with you no matter where your physical being happens to be.

But, what happens when we forget this? And our physical being is "showing up" in places that we don't really like or in situations that are truly challenging? And we ask, "Why is this happening TO me?" Well, e>v asks you to remember that everything that happens "out there" (physical world) is a reflection of what's happening "in here" (spiritual world). So, for today: what if we all commit to putting our inner house in order and watch what happens right outside the front door... Could be pretty rockin' .... 

Or, as Esther Hicks says, "Spirit versus Material are not the choices. Everything about this physical manifestational experience is spiritual. It is all the end product of spirit. You have nothing to prove. Be the (e>v adds: "best") spiritual you and create like a physical fiend." 

Hello Evolutionistas!

Elissa here ... Last night, Gretchen and I had a great meeting with a fun, new friend named Dana. (keep an eye out for her on this site ... you'll definitely be seeing more of her!)

Over our respective cocktails and gorgonzola/pear pizzas, we shared tales of travel, thoughts on the self and our respective opinions on the idea of Aliveness. And for me, I shared how, lately, this feeling of Aliveness has been seriously escaping me as I've traveled through my everyday life.

I shared how I've been feeling -- even in the midst of a brand new year and new intentions -- in a big, deep, frustrated-at-the-world rut. How I have recently gotten so into the grind and focused on the weeds and addicted to "working hard" that even I have seemed to miss out on the bigger picture, the e>vness of life, the essence of ALIVENESS.

And I was reminded again of how this ... all of life ... is a journey that ebbs and flows, starts and stops. And I was reminded again that the entire world is a projection of myself. And, I was reminded of how feeling alive -- when you're out of practice -- doesn't just come 'naturally' all the time. And I was reminded that I might actually need to REMEMBER to stay connected to my Aliveness...

And so, to you, to the world, to the universe, I make a declaration ... a New Year's Reclamation (as Gretchen calls it) to re-own my freedom, to reclaim my possibilities, to remember my purpose. So:

Today, I choose Aliveness. Today, I choose to feel good. Today, I choose to be brave. Today, I choose to let go. Today, I choose to be free. Like a parachute cord, Aliveness is always there, just waiting for me to grab it and pull. A reliable, never-lets-you-down, old friend...Aliveness is just waiting for me to grab its hand and fly through life, leaving my stories and excuses behind, trusting that I'm going to land in the right place, more exhilarated and empowered than ever. No matter where I am today, no matter what comes my way, I choose ALIVENESS.

(and how have you been feeling lately?)

Thanks to e>volutionista Molly G. for sharing her notes from the road:

I was surprised on my trip to Europe this summer when some of my "baggage" starting popping up. I honestly wasn't expecting it to--even though the e>v guide had warned me that it might. What was great was that I felt prepared to handle it. I paid attention to what was going on around me and internally and had a greater understanding as to what was causing it to show up. I challenged myself by asking if I needed it.  When I decided that I didn't, I sent that extra baggage packing!  It was a daily exercise, but at least I had an action plan in place to handle it.
 
The prep section of the e>v guide was also helpful in that it helped me set the tone I wanted for my vacation. It got me thinking in advance about things I wanted to notice, energy I wanted to tap into, how I wanted to "be", and what I wanted to gain. I still think about a moment I had on the trip when I told myself, "You have to remember this when you are back home and settled into your routine!"  And it worked. I think about that moment every day and invite it to influence my thoughts and behaviors now that I am home. I am consciously choosing to allow that moment to affect my future and that's a powerful feeling.


How has e>v shown up in your travels?  What have you done differently as a result?  Step on in to the conversation and share your adventures in a comment or, if you'd like to be a guest poster as Molly was, shoot us your story: info@evolutionthroughvacation.com and see your evolution in print!

Come on! Sing along in your head ... this simple, wonderful, glorious little ditty......

I think I'm going to make it my song of the WEEKEND as I head to a cabin in Wisconsin, the e>v e-guide in tow.... Freedom, here I COME!!!

-Elissa



If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out
by Cat Stevens

Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
cause theres a million things to be
You know that there are

And if you want to live high, live high
And if you want to live low, live low
cause theres a million ways to go
You know that there are

Chorus:
You can do what you want
The opportunitys on
And if you can find a new way
You can do it today
You can make it all true
And you can make it undo
You see ah ah ah
Its easy ah ah ah
You only need to know

Well if you want to say yes, say yes
And if you want to say no, say no
cause theres a million ways to go
You know that there are

And if you want to be me, be me
And if you want to be you, be you
cause theres a million things to do
You know that there are

Chorus
Well, if you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
cause theres a million things to be
You know that there are
You know that there are
You know that there are
You know that there are
You know that there are

Hi all ... Elissa here. And, as clichéd as it sounds, I'm having one of those "today is the first day of the rest of your life" sort of days.

You know, suddenly things feel all fresh and new ... and your cup of tea tastes crisper ... and the sun seems shinier ... and you look around at this glorious place called earth and you just want to EXPLORE.

You just want to bust out the door and explore and meet and greet and skip through the streets yelling to people you've never met, "Come out of your holes! We're alive! Let's have an adventure!"

And so you would ... You'd all come out and we'd meet in the street and we'd all go to the train station and choose a random destination by each asking a stranger where they're going, then all the destinations go in a hat and we'd draw one and -- BAM!  -- that's our destination. Then, we'd settle in our seats and drink champagne as we watch the world whiz by for three days and we'd share stories about our lives and loves and what we believe and what we're willing to unbelieve and then... we'd arrive. And we'd go straight to the best hotel and say: we need your entire top floor because we're on an adventure. And they'd say, "Well, absolutely." and they would give us their best rooms for free because suddenly we're like this flash mob art group that's traveling the world, being followed by all major networks and newsmagazines because we were living each day as if it really was the first day of the rest of our lives....

And then ... what happens next?

Hey all!

Reading You Shall Know Our Velocity! by Dave Eggers right now--after it sat on my nightstand for 3 years.  Of course, it invited me in at just the right time. 

Here's a passage with Hand, one of the main dudes, philosophizing that struck me on the bus this morning and I just had to share:

"I want others to go out in the world with an idea, with intentions and means, and come back with a story about how their actions affected the world and how they themselves were shaped by the results.  I have a belief that such endeavors can improve the world, however recklessly, especially when these people go forward and interact, give, solve, change the situations they encounter..."

Sounds like a kindred spirit. 

How are you going out into the world? On vacation--and today?

Hello All! 

Gretchen here, recently back from a jam-packed adventure-filled jaunt to British Columbia and northern Washington state. 



All over Vancouver and Vancouver Island are these signs: No Idling. It's just one of about a jillion green initiatives they've adopted (and just one of about a jillion reasons that BC stole my heart). And whether conscious or not, we followed the 'No Idling' directive on this trip.

Here's a partial list:
Moseyed up the Vancouver Island coast with a look-see here and a look-see there; sea kayaked with orcas out of the northern outpost of Telegraph Cove; played the bull kelp didgeridoo; chowed down on Nanaimo bars; hugged some very big trees; landed some mighty fine salmon; braved 15 foot swells in a little bitty fishing boat; fell in love with the goofy harbor seals; learned about queen bees and sipped yummy honey wine at a meadery; totem-hunted; beach-combed; poked around the This -n- That Store (which was indeed full of this and that); walked the Victoria waterfront; enjoyed a, well, healthy assortment of scotch varieties in a lovely pub in that same lovely city; chatted up the locals and other explorers at every stop; and ate and ate and ate and ate. And that was just on the Island.

Like many directives, this metaphorical 'No Idling' had its benefits and its drawbacks. Without qualification, I am so grateful to have explored so much of this previously unknown territory and happened upon so many lasting-impression acquaintances. And, there is something in the depth of a place or person that is sometimes tough to embrace when the encounter is so fleeting. Here and gone. There and gone.

So, what have I brought back from this journey? Presence--in two respects.

First, having a limited amount of time with a very full itinerary, I found that the most profound and interesting times existed when I was simply in the moment (like seeing that orca spy-hop and freakin' squealing with delight or having the most amazing breakfast conversation with a fellow traveler) and not thinking at all about the next thing on the itinerary.  How many times do I miss things every day when my mind's already on what's next?

Second, having the presence to stop and choose. At home, I have the gift of time. My stay in Minneapolis isn't limited 5 days, so I can stop and notice what I really do want to spend more time doing and who I want to be spending that time with.

So, as much as I am on board with BC's green initiative, I'm thinkin' that idling has its own distinct value as well.

In my inbox this morning was the answer .... As always, it's really quite simple. On the road, in life, from the universe ....

"Too often, the only difference between HAVE and HAVE NOT depends on whether or not the initial request was followed by a thank you, yee-haa, and action, rather than a question mark, timidity, and TV. Don't ask. Give thanks. Bust a move." - The Universe

(Want to receive cool notes from the Universe? Check out one of our favorite sites: tut.com)

A lovely thought, found and brought to you by the one and only Rachel Swan:

Every time you leave home,
Another road takes you
Into a world you were never in.

New strangers on other paths await.
New places that have never seen you
Will startle a little at your entry.
Old places that know you well
Will pretend nothing
Changed since your last visit.

When you travel, you find yourself
Alone in a different way,
More attentive now
To the self you bring along,
Your more subtle eye watching
You abroad; and how what meets you
Touches that part of the heart
That lies low at home:

How you unexpectedly attune
To the timbre in some voice,
Opening in conversation
You want to take in
To where your longing
Has pressed hard enough
Inward, on some unsaid dark,
To create a crystal of insight
You could not have known
You needed
To illuminate
Your way.

When you travel,
A new silence
Goes with you,
And if you listen,
You will hear
What your heart would
Love to say.

A journey can become a sacred thing:
Make sure, before you go,
To take the time
To bless your going forth,
To free your heart of ballast
So that the compass of your soul
Might direct you toward
The territories of spirit
Where you will discover
More of your hidden life,
And the urgencies
That deserve to claim you.

May you travel in an awakened way,
Gathered wisely into your inner ground;
That you may not waste the invitations
Which wait along the way to transform you.

May you travel safely, arrive refreshed,
And live your time away to its fullest;
Return home more enriched, and free
To balance the gift of days which call you.

- John O’Donohue, from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, discovered by Rachel via this site

Hey all ... Elissa here!

Check out chapter 9 from Hugh MacLeod's upcoming book "Ignore Everybody: How To Be Creative" ... (Click through to read the first 12 chapters -- the one below being one of our favorites...) Check it out!

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

You may never reach the summit; for that you will be forgiven. But if you don't make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow-line, years later you will find yourself lying on your deathbed, and all you will feel is emptiness.

This metaphorical Mount Everest doesn't have to manifest itself as "Art". For some people, yes, it might be a novel or a painting. But Art is just one path up the mountain, one of many. With others the path may be something more prosaic. Making a million dollars, raising a family, owning the most Burger King franchises in the Tri-State area, building some crazy oversized model airplane, the list has no end.

Whatever. Let's talk about you now. Your mountain. Your private Mount Everest. Yes, that one. Exactly.

Let's say you never climb it. Do you have a problem witb that? Can you just say to yourself, "Never mind, I never really wanted it anyway" and take up stamp collecting instead?

Well, you could try. But I wouldn't believe you. I think it's not OK for you never to try to climb it. And I think you agree with me. Otherwise you wouldn't have read this far.

So it looks like you're going to have to climb the frickin' mountain. Deal with it.

My advice? You don't need my advice. You really don't. The biggest piece of advice I could give anyone would be this:

"Admit that your own private Mount Everest exists. That is half the battle."

And you've already done that. You really have. Otherwise, again, you wouldn't have read this far.

Rock on.