I Found My Happy Place
Towards the end of 2015, I made my first vision board. I cut the pieces I was attracted to during my shift at Lululemon (an awesome company I look up to as I build my little empire). I didn't have a chance to put it together there, so I took everything home. In about an hour and a half, my words and pictures fit together like a beautiful puzzle. I was happy and my heart was content.Slowly but surely, the words and pictures magically manifested itself into my life. Not all of it, but everything was slowly coming to fruition. When I was cutting out pictures, I cut out a picture that had a lot of candles just clustered together. I don't know why I liked it, but I just did, so I found a way to make it work. About a week later, I bought 2 candle holders from a friend's art show and I started lighting them for no reason at all. I didn't realize what was happening until I saw the cluster of candles on my board. That was the first time I understood how real this vision board thing was.One of the words that I cut out says: "Going to your Happy Place." I really didn't know what that meant at that time, but I loved that idea. I liked the thought that when the going gets tough, you'll always have a "Happy Place" to go to. I thought a Happy Place was a space that you made in your home. I thought it was sitting in front of the television indulging in primetime entertainment. I thought it was the space under my down comforter that always kept me warm. I thought it was coming home to my parent's house to a warm home-cooked meal. I thought it was Huntington Beach, California... or simply just being in California. Misery followed me towards the end of 2017 and no matter where I went to, what I thought was my "Happy Place", I couldn't find happiness. It's kind of a scary thought. If you can't find happiness in those simple creature comforts of life... then WHERE THE HECK IS IT?!Then the universe had me digging through my old stuff at my Mom & Dad's house. I don't know why, but I had this gut feeling to just look for my college diploma. I honestly thought my parents threw it away during their house renovation because I never again saw the red-tubing I knew it was in. As I rummaged around in my old room, not only did I find it, but I found other things such as:
- My time capsule I made in 2000 that instructed me to open on 1/24/2010... my 30th birthday.
- My 2 albums filled with college memories pre-digital cameras.
- A few basketball cards that might bring in a tiny fortune.
- Photos and memorabilia from my old surfing / skating days.
- Small, but thoughtful gifts from our beloved friends in California.
- and sooooo much more STUFF.
The following few days, all I kept thinking about was surfing. I was reminded of the days when I would stress over school, boys, or the latest drama and I would turn to my best friend at the time (Robert August), and we would take out all my troubles into the sea. For some reason, the ocean always managed to wash away my troubles.Then it hit me like a 10 foot wave crashing on top of me because I couldn't paddle out of the way in time. SURFING WAS MY HAPPY PLACE! I MEAN JUST LOOK AT THIS VISION BOARD!!! Surfing is so close to those words!!
As the years continued, I was always saddened a little bit because I had surfing pictures on my vision board, but nothing ever really came out of it. What I've learned from the past week is that when you tell the universe what you want, just be patient and it will come. Well it came to me a few days ago. Surfing was my Happy Place! That was the only place in the world where I felt like I had nothing to bring me down (except drowning of course). Even if I was just a noob and couldn't catch a wave that day, just being in the ocean and being able to paddle out and sit on top of the water seemed to be enough for me. There's something magical about being out there with nature and all its glory. It was always a dream for me to learn how to surf when I first saw it on television as a kid. So growing up when I finally had that opportunity, it literally felt like a dream come true.I don't go out enough, actually I don't go out at all anymore. I seemed to have thought that since I was "growing up", I don't have time to do those things and I'm probably too old to have that kind of fun anyway. When in reality, I need it more now then I ever did before. Anyone down for a surf trip?What about you? Can you remember back to a time when you felt so happy that no matter what was going on, it didn't seem to matter anymore? The next time you find yourself smiling and you for some reason can't stop.... ask yourself... could this be my "Happy Place"?