I am speaking in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Just 2.5 hours down the road to the coast from my house. Beats not getting on an airplane (and yes, I do give a discount for that). Kind of a routine drive, no big deal.

As I got to the hotel and walked into the lobby a minivan from Ohio pulled up and a family unloaded. I could tell they were arriving for vacation. The kids were excited to go see the beach, Dad was unloading everything, and Mom was wrangling the kids. You get the picture.

It occurred to me that they probably drove all day to get here, to the beach. I don’t know where they live in Ohio and I know there are many nice things in Ohio. But they chose to drive to NC to vacation. A few years back NC had an in state tourism campaign called – Discover the State You’re In. I think any state could have done something like that. In fact, I think any person can find value where they are.

How often do we think happiness or fulfillment will come after the next (fill in the blank – promotion, move, pay raise, etc, etc). Of course, it doesn’t happen. If you can’t find peace where you are you probably can’t find it somewhere else. (I am having trouble finding peace on the golf course so I keep reminding myself to enjoy it even if I am not scoring well.)

A short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Great Stone Face, comes to mind. I probably read it in Junior High School but I still remember it. Perhaps because we used to vacation in New Hampshire near the Old Man on the Mountain. Perhaps, too, because the story touched me a on a deeper level.

Here is the link to the story – http://www.classicreader.com/book/726/1/ which tells of a man searching his lifetime for a prophecy to be fulfilled. Of course, the prophecy is fulfilled much closer to home than he thought it might be.

There are many things to moan and bemoan today. There are far more to enjoy and cherish. Happiness is truly inside of you if you choose to find it there.

John Zabat-Kinn wrote a book on mediation (well worth reading) called Where You Go There You Are. In other words, live in the moment and live it to its fullest.

There you have it.

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