Summer is a perfect time to enjoy a great book. In fact, summer
reading lists can be found in many of the popular magazines and bookstores. The
summer months and reading seem to go together.
This summer when you reach for a book, imagine that you're
reading your own story—a book that is full of adventure, humor, challenges and
successes. A plot that brings you to the edge of your seat, makes you laugh out
loud, and leaves you feeling happy and eager to read the next volume in the
sequel.
This summer aim to do something that is worth writing about. Be bold with your plot. Where's the humor? The
adventure? The lessons and the successes? When you view decisions from this perspective, you'll make
choices that create a more interesting life.
If something is outside your comfort zone, then suppose it's
happening to another person—imagine you're reading about the experience in a
book. For example, if you're leery about going camping without an
air-conditioned RV, then imagine reading about someone's experience with
sleeping under the stars. This is the
perspective I brought to a camping experience with my husband.
Dave enjoys camping in his family's 1957 Sears and Roebuck
canvas tent. I prefer 4- and 5-star hotels. For his birthday I booked
reservations at a campsite along the water. As soon as we arrived I saw a
snake in the water. (Dave promised me that a water snake never leaves the
water.) In the middle of the night I walked to the bathroom, but on the way
back to the campsite my phone battery went dead, meaning that I also had no
flashlight. (The plot thickens…) I got lost trying to find our campsite. I
ended up walking through brush up to my waist with no idea of where I was (and
sure that the snake sleeps in tall grass at night!) Eventually a park ranger
found me and showed me the way back to my campsite.
I can't say that I enjoyed this experience but if I were
reading about it in a book, this story is more riveting than, "She slept comfortably
through the night in her posh hotel room." Dave and I still laugh about my
adventure. It's a birthday we'll never forget. This summer I've agreed to camp
out again for his birthday. You can be sure that I'll bring a flashlight with a
long battery life, still, hopefully there'll be another incident that is worth
writing about.
As you create your retirement lifestyle, don't play life too
safe. Who wants to read a boring book?
"Either write something worth reading or do something
worth writing." Benjamin Franklin
Copyright 2015 Patrice Jenkins All Rights Reserved
