I’m a big fan of the book, The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks. He asks the reader three questions:
- Are you willing to increase the amount of time every day that you feel good inside?
- Are you willing to increase the amount of time that your whole life goes well?
- Are you willing to feel good and have your life go well all the time?
Jet lagged, I woke up at 3:30 am. The still, small voice inside of me said, “You want to go to dark sky parks. Do it today.”
A dark sky park is an area that restricts artificial light pollution and promotes astronomy. (Check out www.darksky.org for more information.)
I googled dark sky parks and found Mt. Pinos in the Los Padres National Forest (CA). At 8,300 ft elevation, it is the tallest mountain in the San Emigdio mountain range. The view from the summit of Mt. Pinos encompasses the Central Valley, the southernmost part of Sierra, Nevada, and Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.
Another website showed a high probability of a clear night, plus it was a new moon and that’s all I needed to know to go.
My inner critic tried to stifle my giddiness of going on this adventure. “You’ll be too tired. It’s a long drive. This is LA you know. Traffic is terrible. You have work to do.”
The three questions came to mind. “Yes,” I said out loud. “I’m willing to increase the amount of time every day that I feel good inside.”
Despite the lack of sleep and my inner critic, I went.
I met a group of astronomers who took me on a four-mile hike to the peak. They shared their stories, warm clothes, and telescopes with me.
They spoke a scientific language but the images I viewed through their lenses were understandable. I saw the Milky Way, Jupiter and the M51 galaxy.
I got home after midnight, exhausted, filled with deep contentment and joy.
What activity makes you feel good inside?
DO THIS: To apply this lesson, go to my book, Savvy Woman in 5 Minutes a Day – Make Time for a Life That Matters and read:
January 13– Listen to Your Still, Small Voice
June 4– Be Practical. Go Out and Play