Two Beakers of Choice
“Never Complain, Never Explain.”
Life is one big experiment done yearly, monthly, weekly, daily, hourly, and sometimes one minute or even second at a time. We are each a bit of a mad scientist with two beakers of choice in front of us (and sometimes more) to choose from in many of our decisions along our way.
Choice enables a dream to come true, fall flat or stay an idea.
For example, have you ever wanted a big bucket list item and you know that the universe was just messing with you to keep you engaged in the desire to just want it? Or is it that you are messing with yourself?
I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful town of Basalt here in Colorado to give a Keynote presentation on, How to Think Like and Entrepreneur a few weeks back. Now that wasn’t the bucket list item though it was a lovely business community filled with awesome people who had great energy!
During the course of the event someone mentioned that I should head to the Maroon Bells in Aspen which were glorious with the changing aspen trees and only 20 minutes away. At first suggestion I thought, nope, it’s in the opposite direction and I needed to drive the 3 ½ hours back to my office.
Then out of nowhere my Inner Child, the one I believe is in charge of the bucket list items, reminded me that the “Bells” were a bucket list item I have never completed in the 35+ years I have lived in Colorado.
You see, this was not the first time I have had this choice to see the Bells. One summer many years ago while staying in Aspen with my husband we had decided to ride up from town on our bikes. Only one problem - I was pregnant and my morning sickness got to me big time just after getting out of town (with about 6 miles to go!). We made the only choice we could to head back to the hotel without seeing the Bells.
Fast forward to present day and this was my chance! I looked at my two beakers of choice (to go or not to go) and decided to go for it. After the event I checked out of my hotel and headed towards Aspen on an amazingly beautiful Colorado Fall day. It was a beautiful car ride and I felt like I had made a great choice.
Quickly I would discover that times have changed and now you cannot ride in a car all the way up to see the Bells between the hours of 8am and 5pm. I kept seeing these signs about taking a bus up the mountain, but my excited mind kept pushing forward as my car kept going up the mountain road. That was until I got to the Ranger Station 4 miles from the Bells and the ranger told me that was as far as I could go. What?!! Didn’t she realize this was a bucket list item? After trying to explain my dream to her I realized I had a choice to make.
Yes, once again I had those two beakers to choose from. One that would make me go back down the mountain, get on a bus delaying me by at least an hour each way. The worst part from my vantage point is that I would be heading into my Colorado bucket list item on a bus! Yuck! Not the pristine vision I had in my head.
I parked my car by the Ranger Station, grabbed my camera and started walking up the road debating which beaker to choose, bucket list or no bucket list – knowing that four miles was too far to hike in the flip flops I had on.
While I could see the tip of the Bells it suddenly hit me was that I didn’t want to see this magnificent site without my sweet hubby by my side. This was our mutual bucket list item that we had been dreaming of coming back to experience together. Standing on the mountain I called my hubby and we decided to plan an official trip to Aspen together next fall. We will drive up before 8am or maybe even bike up to the Bells.
Standing in that moment, I felt so blessed to even see the tip of the Bells. It was like I had reawakened a dream and was excited for the possibilities. While it wasn’t quite attainable the way I previously envisioned, I thanked the universe for the opportunity, took a few more pics (as seen in this letter) and headed back down the mountain. I continued did enjoy a special way home through Aspen and over Independence Pass, a beautiful drive in itself.
Every day we have decisions to make. The choice can be to go it alone (which can be less noisy) or to include another human (which can make your dream a shared reality). Is everyday lollipops and fairytales? No. That’s why it’s so important to listen to these moments when they happen.
Wishing you lots of joy along your way this week in choosing what feels right for you.
To Your Success and Victories,
- Cheri
Cheri Ruskus
Business Strategist and Founder of the Victory Circles
Email: cheri@businessvictories.com
Phone: 303-652-1718
Web: victorycircles.com
