There’s lots to see and do in Canada.

My wonderful summer was not without a few hiccups. I probably hit the low point on a family road trip through British Columbia. The cure came from a most unlikely place.

We had planned a 3 day canoe trip down the North Saskatchewan River on the August 3rd long weekend.  My husband (Howard) and son (Ben) and I were travelling through the interior of BC to meet up with my sister and her husband and others at a campground outside of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.

After a rest stop at a restaurant in Revelstoke, BC it was Howard’s turn to drive and I got in the back seat. I had barely kicked off my sandals before he sped out of the parking lot. A moment later he was making a left turn at an intersection and my car door, which hadn’t been latching properly since a neighbor backed into it a few months ago, swung open. I quickly grabbed the door and slammed it shut and settled into a comfortable position for a nap.

Two hundred kilometers later, at another rest stop, I discovered that one of my beautiful new and expensive Keen sandals was missing; it must have fallen out when the car door swung open. I’d bought these sandals with the covered toes especially for this canoeing trip and I had no other footwear except running shoes, which needed to stay dry for our nightly camping. We couldn’t go back, we’d gone too far already.

My Beautiful Sandal is Lost

My sandal is lost

I was upset and I wanted to blame Howard for driving off in such a rush. Howard wasn’t at all apologetic, “You can borrow my old flip-flops,” he said in a chirpy happy voice, “I brought along an extra pair.”

I snarled at him and he snarled back, “Oh, just get over it!”

The incredible hulk part of me wanted to explode! I wished he would just shut up and leave me alone. I felt terrible: guilty for not having the car door fixed before we left, angry at myself for not making sure that the door was properly latched before I shook my shoes off, and frustrated that I hadn’t noticed that the sandal was missing sooner.

With each upsetting thought I was feeling more and more distressed; somehow, some way I had to find my balance again. I closed my eyes and declared my intention to find my way back to peace. I started breathing slowly and deeply.

I soothed myself with loving words over and over, “I am where I am and it’s OK. Just relax and breathe. Everything always works out for me.”

Finally I felt my body start to relax. I asked spirit for help, “Please help me to find relief. I really want to feel good again.”

Sweet Relief

Seeking for some distraction I grabbed the Road Atlas of Canada, which was lying on seat beside me, and opened it. My eyes were immediately drawn to the name of a town, and I gasped!

Newfoundland, Canada

The name of the town was “Heart’s Desire.”  I felt tingles go down my spine. I was sure that this was a message from my wiser spirit self, “Focus on your heart’s desire. Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want.” Of course, this guidance was very helpful.

I turned my attention to my heart’s desire for this road trip: what I wanted was to enjoy this adventure with my family. I wanted to have meaningful and fun conversations with lots of laughs, to learn new things, to see beautiful scenery, and to experience new adventures.

Guidance comes through the strangest ways; many times I’ve sought inspiration by opening a book or a magazine, but never a map! The Road Atlas of Canada has 112 pages; I opened it to page 101, to a partial map of the province of Newfoundland – on the east coast – farthest from where we were. How wonderful it was to get such immediate, delightful guidance; I could feel my vibration rising as I considered the synchronicity of finding “Heart’s Desire” in the midst of the hundreds of names on that page, in the midst of the hundreds of pages in that atlas.

I looked around “Heart’s Desire” at the names of the nearby towns. To my surprise and delight, the closest town to the south of “Heart’s Desire” was “Heart’s Delight” and the closest town to the north was “Heart’s Content.”

Can you find Heart’s Desire, Heart’s Content, and Heart’s Delight?

I never thought I would get such inspiration from a map; how wonderful to know that even when I get pulled – or pushed off track, I can find my way back to joy.

Try this Mood Enhancement Yourself

The next time, you are looking to improve your mood, first set your intention to feel better, then ask for guidance, and then follow your inspiration. You may be guided to open a book or a magazine, to call someone or to write something, to scream when you are alone in your car, to punch your pillow or to meditate.

Whatever it is, if you are open to following your inspiration, you will receive guidance.

How wonderful to be reminded of the mystery of it all!

~~~~~~~~~
Similar Posts:

Easiest Speech Ever (Part 1 of 2): What If Up?
Easiest Speech Ever (Part 2 of 2): The Power of Flow
Follow Your Bliss to the Life of Your Dreams