Ready for something different?

The past year has been a rollercoaster that will go down in the history books. Yet, now you’re ready for something fresh and different, right? It’s time to light up your soul again.

Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them.”

Let’s take a closer look.

Chris had an exciting new gig. He’s been attempting to get his photography and videography business off the ground through dedicated work for the past year—lots of effort in, contacts made, yet little in the way of contracts coming his way. Everyone wanted him to do pro bono work first.

With utter excitement, he landed a videography client nested in the heart of the Teton mountains, his favorite mountain area. The outdoor client team would be setting up a basecamp for a month, and Chris would be joining a week in. Chris was given the coordinates to find the elusive basecamp tucked in a secluded non-trafficked area far away from the tourist crowd.

Chris feverishly packed his camping gear, food, and camera equipment for a week-long expedition in the mountains. Excited and scared, all wrapped into one. This is precisely the break he was looking for. With little sleep, Chris drove eight hours from Denver to the Tetons National Park giddy with joy to finally work on a project that brought his soul alive.

Chris found the designated parking lot and trailhead that would begin this epic journey. He placed all the gear in a large back expedition backpack only to realize he could barely pick it up. Chris was no small guy standing 6 foot 2 inches. He placed the pack on the trunk of his car, then meandered his arms through the backpack loops, buckled the hip belt, and away he went. Oye!
This will be a long, strenuous, and challenging hike in.

With each step and breath, his muscles and bones cringed from the sheer weight. Chris had been pushing business sales so much; he let his regular weightlifting and cardio routine go to the wayside.

A couple of miles in, Chris was supposed to begin a bushwack off trail deeper into the mountain range. After a few hours, Chris never found the turnoff. Eventually, he dropped the backpack to canvas back over the area without the heavy pack. Thirsty and calorie-deprived, Chris never found the turnoff. He felt deep despair in a lost opportunity. He went from soul thriving to soul crushed in a matter of hours. Like the sunset, darkness wrapped him in misery. He set up his tent and slept in a small clearing for the night.

In the morning, fresh from rest, he decided to hike up a nearby mountain to see if he could locate the area on the map. He left his heavy pack and gear, only carrying water and some snacks. As he gained elevation, he saw the rock wall in the far distance. He made a note of specific landmarks and navigation points to get there.

Often we get lost in the chaos that surrounds us.

Where can you take a pause and gain greater clarity?

Where do you need to view the situation from a different perspective?

In the end, Chris made it to basecamp two days late. The outdoor crew he was supposed to film already ascended their rock climbing wall without professional camera equipment. While Chris apologized profusely, they all sipped some whiskey and laughed about Chris’s difficulty navigating the terrain.

While Chris didn’t get paid for his gig, he learned valuable lessons that he’ll never forget.

In the last year, how did you learn to navigate through the difficulties? Are you using your inner compass to identify what your real priorities are? How can you look at a situation or relationship from a different vantage point?

There may be a perspective that you didn’t even know existed! This is where greater clarity can be found.

Wishing you a joyful, loving and prosperous day!

Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer