Estimated Reading Time 7 Minutes

Hey You! Thanks for tuning in to The Vibrant Life Podcast. I’m psyched to have you here with me today. I’ve got a few announcements to kick things off and they are all super exciting. So bear with me and then we’ll dive into another great episode.

The biggest news is that my family and I have started a new luxury greeting card business called CLEOVELLA. Woohoo! It’s been a lot of work the last couple of months to get things going and we’re finally open for business right in time for the holidays.

There are a couple of awesome things you should know about CLEOVELLA.

First, we named the company after both of my grandmothers Cleo Eyre and Vella Romrell. Our company honors the difference they’ve made in the world. And we want to continue to make a difference with this endeavor.

Secondly, we’re big believers in giving back, so we’ve partnered with One Tree Planted and we will plant one tree for every card sold. We’re honored to help with reforestation as part of our business model.

All of our cards are laser engraved on premium wood and you get a full sensory experience when you send a loved one one of our cards. We send the cards in high-quality envelopes with a fancy wax seal on the back, and you can even add a fragrance to the card. Can you imagine sending a memory that not only looks amazing but smells great too?

And as listeners of the podcast, I have something special just for you, my friends. Get 15% off your order when you use the promo code:

VIBRANT15

I’ve put some links in the show notes if that makes things easier but you can just head over to the site and take a look. I know it’s my company, Peeps, but seriously these cards are awesome. Check out the site at cleovella.com.

The next thing I want to mention is that I have revised the Vibrant Life Goal Planner For 2022. You can use an un-dated version like before, or you can also purchase a dated planner for each quarter of the year. I’ve also updated it with some more great quotes, and I’ve tweaked the pages a little to be more productive.

I’m actually pretty proud of myself, peeps. I created the planner to help in my own personal development journey and there is some really great stuff to help you live your best life. You can learn more by visiting my website at emilyromrell.com/vibrantlifegoalplanner. It’s all one word after the slash.

I’m also planning on getting some videos done to help you get the most out of the goal planner, so stay tuned for those.

I’m really working on upping my game with the Vibrant Life coming into the new year. I’ve got some fun stuff coming.

My goal with the podcast, the planner, and everything else, is to build a safe place and tools for everyone to create a life they love, myself as much as the next person.

You know, I often think of the movie Little Women with Wynonna Ryder where she tells the professor that she’s hopelessly flawed. I am also hopelessly flawed, but I’m getting better all the time and I’m inviting you to go on on The Vibrant Life Journey right along with me.

Alrighty, friends, let’s dive into our topic today which is Take A Hike. I’m kind of a goofball and I love puns. So I’m not telling you to leave or to get outta here. Like Chris from Parks and Rec and I’m inviting you to spend some time outside.

I don’t know if y’all realize this, but most times my subjects on the podcast are on things that I am working on or that are weak spots in my personal life. I’ve been dealing with some medical issues lately and it’s taken a toll on my habit of taking walks outside. I want to get back into that because I know from experience that getting outside and walking is one of the absolute best things you can do for your health physically, mentally, and spiritually. And I know Fall has fell and the weather is getting much colder, but don’t let that stop you. This is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year to spend time outdoors. Honestly, every season is beautiful in its own way.

Also, back to the point that we’re all a work in progress. When I woke up this morning I really had the goal to go out for a walk but I’ve had a bit of a rough day and it didn’t happen. But I did make a point to spend some time outside. I don’t currently have a backyard but my parents live close and they have a great yard. So as I was putting my notes together for this podcast, I decided to build a little fire in our fire pit and enjoy the crisp Autumn air as the sunset. It was fabulous. I’ll count that as a win.

There is a lot of power to be found in a walk outside however. I’m not always that observant. But I find when I go outdoors I notice the little things that make life wonderful. I love seeing the birds. I love watching people go about their lives. Everyone is so interesting. I love watching kids play in the park. And guys, I LOVE trees. And whether it’s fall like now and the leaves are teaching us how beautiful it is to let things go, or whether it’s snowy and the trees are glistening in the moonlight, or Summer the shadow of leaves dances on the sidewalk, I feel like every tree is a friend and they make me happy.

One of my favorite writers of all time is C.S. Lewis and he used to walk all over the English countryside. It was his way of mulling things over in his brain and working things out. He usually did these walks alone but I’ve heard that every once and a while a friend might join him too. One of my dream vacations is to actually go and do a walk from village to village like he used to do. If you’ve read his Space Trilogy, you will remember that story begins with the main character, Ransom, in the middle of a similar walk. Long walks are wonderful way to meditate and level up your thinking. Not to mention that they help to burn those calories.

There’s a saying that I love and I’m not sure where it originated but it says, “All paths are made by walking.” I don’t know if you saw this plot twist coming but this time I’m going to take the phrase figuratively, haha. You can’t forge a new trail in your life if you don’t take any action, right? It’s putting one step in front of the other that makes the difference. And if you focus on the journey rather than the destination when you look back once in a while, it might surprise you just how far you’ve come.

And I didn’t mean to put this quote in here, but when I’m talking about making a difference and walking, then I have to mention the famous Robert Frost poem, right? Maybe other people could pass that up but not me baby. Most people are only familar with the last verse but I’ll read the whole thing for ya:

The Road Not Taken 

BY ROBERT FROST

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

This is one of the greatest poems of all time for a reason. And I know everyone puts the attention on taking the road less traveled part, which is significant. But in the beginning the traveler is stuck. They stood and looked down each path for quite a while mired in indecision. I think the first success came by choosing to move forward and take the next few steps along any path. I mean, even if the traveler took the road that was grassy and fair they would still be much farther along in the journey, right? But I do think magic happens when you are brave enough to forge your own path that is less traveled by.

Even the great Dolly Parton said, “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”

And it’s okay to start small. Do you think marathoners or really hard core hikers just suddenly decided to take on the challenge and achieved success with a snap of their fingers? Of course not. People train for months and sometimes years to be successful at things like that.

Have you guys heard of the program couch to 5k? You can download an app for it on your phone which is great. But the idea is you can go from a total couch potato to running a 5k in 8 weeks by taking small simple steps. You start just doing 20 minutes a day for three days a week alternating between walking and jogging and it gets slightly harder as the weeks progress.

That’s a great way to move forward with anything, right? Determine what the next best step is to take and then take the next best step after that. Pretty soon, your be running strong and on your way to success. I think it’s critical though not to worry too much about how fast your getting to where you want to go, or to focus on how much farther you have to go. Keep your attention on the moment and just doing your very best. And tust that if you are doing your best, that things will work out.

So you can probably guess the challenge this week. Spend some time outside! And if you can spend that time walking. If you feel stuck in some area of your life, determine what the next step is and then go. Don’t sit around wondering which path is better. One of the great things about being human is that we can always change our minds and change directions if we need to, but the important thing it to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Take a hike, my friends. And…Live The Vibrant Life.