THE WISOM OF SNOW TUBING

I took my boys snow tubing at a local ski hill for the first time. Now, I’m not one for skiing, roller coasters, or water parks; I like to be in control of the vehicle taking me for a ride (control issues?)! I’m far more comfortable at fast speeds when I have breaks, clutch and steering capacity.

The ski hill is an hour drive from home, so there was plenty of time for my mind to take control of my thoughts. “Maybe I’ll just watch and take pictures.” “Maybe they’ll decide it’s too scary and won’t want to go.” Before another copout thought could filter through, I chose to focus on the thought that this could be a great opportunity for practicing presence. I could practice relaxing into my fear, moving through it, and letting it go. After all, it’s conditioning that got me stuck in my fears; my mind buying into the protests from others and their insistence on feeding me horror stories about the dangers of certain activities. Didn’t let any warnings or stories about the dangers of motorcycling stop me. Why should I let anything else? You know, life is dangerous when you choose to perceive it that way! So, why not focus on perceiving it like a motorcycle ride; an adventure with possibility around every corner? (But only if you don’t think it’s dangerous.)

The sun is shining. The hawks are warming their bellies in the winter sun. My belly feels warm as I drive the last few miles, ready to embark on a new venture focused on possibility rather than dread.

I approached the unknown making my predominant thought, “This could be fun!” And that’s exactly what I experienced. We had a blast! We quickly discovered that hooking up to one another’s tubes made us go a lot faster than riding solo. Using my feet to push my boys’ tubes away from mine, while still holding onto the straps, was like giving that ride a little shot of nitrous. Faster and faster we flew gaining more power, speed, and momentum. The fear stood on the sidelines while I snapped pictures as we flew down that hill screaming and laughing our heads off.

As I move into the week ahead, I am taking with me the wisdom I gathered while tubing; fear belongs on the sidelines, make having fun your predominant thought, and when you need a little power to make things move along faster, hook up with people headed in the same direction that you are!