Get Off The Beaten Path

Do you ever get tired of being in a crowd? I know there are some who love a big crowd or the hustle and bustle of a busy place. That person is not me.

For example, for our annual hunting trip this fall my family decided to try something new. You see, we usually take our atv's off road to some wild place and hope we can find someplace that has not been overrun by other hunters. That task becomes harder each year.

We decided this year to back pack in to a non-motorized area. It was hard work to pack everything in and became that much harder when we harvested a big bull moose, which had to be packed out on our backs. The trip required more work, but in the end was very rewarding.

I had forgotten how nice it is to not hear anything when out in the wilds, usually I can hear the rumble of atv's around me.

I could go on about this trip but that isn't really what I wanted to write about. When we get off the beaten path, we will find that the reward for our efforts will increase.Why is it that we think we will find happiness by following the crowd? The crowd will always take us to the that place which is average or lower. I know that none of us want to be just average.

In order to rise above the crowd we need to get out of it. We need to do the things that others aren't willing to do. Are you willing to work smarter and harder than the crowd? If you are then you will find yourself at a whole new level in your life and achievement.

For many years I had thought that backpacking would be too much work, but the thing I found was that the moose were bigger and the enjoyment of the trip was greater. What do you think you will find when you leave the crowd behind?

' Tis The Season

Well friends, I did it again! I told myself that I wasn't going to do it this year,but it happened anyway. I let myself get so busy that I neglected some of the important things in my life. Work in the Summer always seems to get out of control. Not to mention the fact that in the midst of the frantic Alaskan building season we also must take time to recreate. We also try to

fill our freezer and pantry while playing.

We did pretty well, we fished a few times and this fall we hunted for moose, harvesting a very large bull. We took a family road trip into interior Alaska for a few days and I got to float a river with my son. As you already know I neglected my writing, which is important, at least to me. I don't really feel too bad about it though because I think what I did was probably more important.

I guess this brings me to my point. We need to live in the season of life that we are in. I have spent a lot of time in my life trying to fight against the seasons and at times this has really done a number on me.

For example, a couple of Summers ago I decided to study some "heavy" books. I worked at it for a while but it became so frustrating because there were so many other things to do that I never got around to studying. I then put a guilt trip on myself for not following through. It was a vicious cycle and when it spit me out I vowed never to try it again. I decided then that Summer was for Summer things. It made a big difference, at least for me.

Well, Winter is now fast approaching so I figure it's time to buckle down on a few more academic endeavors. I would invite you to do the same. Pick up a book that is going to take some hard work to get through, start writing, do some real meditation. After the frantic pace of the Summer, I am looking forward to slowing down a bit and exercising my mind, why not join me?