"I'm in the middle of the woods."

3 Short Lessons For Life

This is part of what I wrote for my Newsletter yesterday:

"I'm in the middle of the woods."

And, no, I'm not saying this figuratively either.

You see, 4 years ago, I got an email saying I had won a giveaway and could redeem my free 2-night stay at a Getaway nature cabin whenever I wanted.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. "I NEVER win anything!" was my first thought. The truth is that when I initially registered for that giveaway a couple of weeks previously, I didn't even notice it was for a nature retreat.

At the moment, I never made the reservation to use the free 2-night stay because I continued to think things like "I don't have time right now", "Next week / next month will be a better time", "I don't want to spend extra money in gas or airplane tickets getting there", "I'm not sure I would even enjoy a 'nature cabin' retreat".

Fast forward 4 years after the initial date of winning this giveaway, I randomly remembered I had never redeemed my 'prize' and honestly felt super silly for all the excuses I made to myself not to use a free 'vacation' that I had won!

So, around 3 weeks ago, I searched for the original email I got from Getaway (the name of the company who was hosting the giveaway, now called Postcard Cabins), checked their website (where I noticed they have open cabin locations in Florida, just a couple of hours from where I live), and decided to contact the company in the chance I could still use the giveaway's prize.

They responded within a couple of hours, saying I could absolutely still use my free 2-night stay. They provided me with a simple form to provide my basic contact information and select my preferred dates and location. Wanting to turn a new page and not "leave it until later," I texted my boyfriend right away, asking him for his availability to get away for a weekend, and I filled out the form with our information.

The next day, after filling out the form, I received an email with the confirmed booking and all the details to get there, recommendations of what we should pack and take to have a good stay, and what was included with our cabin's reservation.

There are three (3) main lessons I took from this story and the reason why I wanted to share it with you to begin with:

1. Memento mori: "Remember, you must die". This Latin phrase is not supposed to be morbid; it's meant as a reminder of the fleeting nature of life. We often forget how fast our lives pass by. And so, we say, "Next week, next month, next year, when I have time... I will do it. I will book the vacation, I will go out with my friends, I will have time to enjoy my life and have fun." And so, our weeks, months, and years pass by and we never have time for these things because we don't 'make' the time to simply, be and enjoy the present moment.
2. Be open-minded about new experiences: Just because an activity is something you have never done before, it doesn't mean that you won't have fun, that you won't enjoy it, or that you cannot learn something from it. I don't know if I will enjoy the nature's cabin retreat yet (I will keep you posted!). Still, I want to try it and allow myself to experience something different that I would have never thought of or looked for.
3. Ask (and you may receive): If I had gone with my first thought of 'this was too long ago, I don't think I can use it now', I would have never sent the email asking if I could still redeem the getaway prize. Sometimes, we need to take a chance and ask for the things we want, even when it feels we may not get them. The worst answer you can get is a simple 'no', but you may be surprised by how many people want to actually help you and say yes to what you ask. This is a simple reminder to put out there and share more of the things you want. Whether it is from the universe, other people, or even yourself, make it a habit to be honest and ask for what you want.

What about you? What new things are you trying and allowing yourself the chance to experience?

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