Seeking An Adventure

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”   

               Jawaharlal Nehru (Indian Prime Minister 1889-1964)

Week 43

I mentioned last week that my calendar is quickly filling up for this summer, and much of what I’ll be up to, will take me out of my regular routine.  I must say that I am really enjoying my regular routine.  I get up early and write in my journal, include my blessings, make a list for the day, do my daily devotional, read the Bible and then go for my long walk.  It allows me to get in a number of my small steps and it seems a perfect way to begin my day.  I’ve grown quite attached to my routine.  In fact when I made the decision to have one of my small steps be to get out of my comfort zone, I found it to be a real challenge.

So I’m left with the conundrum of how to get in my small steps each day this summer, while also being open to an adventure that might take me on another path.  Last week I referred to a book I’m reading called the “Artist’s way’.  One of the exercises Julia Cameron requires for her readers to commit to is a weekly artist’s date.   She describes the artist’s date as follows” An artist date is a block of time; perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist.  In its most primary form, the artist date is an excursion, a play date that you pre-plan and defend against all interlopers.”  In other words she says we need to go on this date solo.

I’ve given some thought to adopting this opportunity to ‘nurture my creative spirit’ but I’m feeling that with my busy summer schedule, I will be up against a roadblock because I won’t want to leave my current adventure with my children, grandchildren, sisters and/or husband.  So instead, I’ve decided that whenever possible I will seek out the wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure and invite them to come along.  When I’m on my own for the week, I’ll then set aside time to venture out on the artist’s date alone.

I don’t have a clear idea about what I will find when I seek an adventure with my eyes wide open, but I expect that it will enrich my days and stir my creative juices.

Small step: Go on an artist’s date (solo), or group adventure date, each week