If you’ve ever paid attention to the safety demonstration on an airplane, there is the part where they talk about what to do in case of a loss of cabin pressure. You are instructed to reach for the oxygen masks, to pull to extend the tubing, and to secure the mask over your nose and mouth. Then they give you a very important piece of advice, which is to put your own mask on first, BEFORE helping others.

That last piece of advice is important not only in case of an airline emergency. It is an important piece of advice that we can apply in our everyday lives. If we’re not taking care of and looking after ourselves, how can we expect to care for and help others?

I spent this past weekend recovering from our last college drop-off. You would think the experience of having done this a few times before would make it easier, but it doesn’t. There’s a certain emptiness when you return home after finishing the drop-off. Sure, there’s the missing physical presence around the house, but it’s a lot more than that.

When you are in the arena, in the middle of the battle, in the thick of life, it seems as though time stands still. It feels like the day will never end, that tomorrow will never come. You fret. You worry. You waste precious time.

Yet, when you elevate and look at the big picture, you see just how small those past problems were in the bigger picture of life. Instead of living in the present and enjoying the moment, our human nature is to complain and wish for things to be different, whether it’s to be somewhere else, to be with someone else, or to just be someone else. Instead of embracing who we are, where we are, who we are with, and what we are doing, we ruin the moment by chasing that which isn’t real. We rob ourselves of making memories that will last a lifetime.

I can’t take credit for the title of this post, that goes to Gretchen Rubin. But no truer words have been written. I have seen them play out in my own life. I’ve seen them play out in Lisa’s, my children’s, my mother’s, and my friend’s lives. And if there is one thing I know for certain, I know they will continue to play out in all of our lives.

I recently had the opportunity to take a once-in-a-lifetime golf trip. I got to play four incredible golf courses on the Monterey Peninsula – Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, The Links at Spanish Bay, and Poppy Hills. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help and efforts of the Southern California Golf Association, for which I am very grateful.

I wrote about the overall trip previously. This post is going to focus on my rating of the courses that I was fortunate enough to get to play.

Thanks to an SCGA Member Outing, Brad and I had the opportunity to enjoy some high quality golf on the Monterey Peninsula over the Fourth of July weekend. It was an incredible trip. The golf surpassed expectations. Even better, I got to spend some quality time with Brad both on and off the golf course.

I started meditating regularly at the beginning of 2019. It took some getting used to, but it’s become a part of my daily routine. Taking some time out to be alone with my thoughts has been peaceful, relaxing, and enlightening.

I’ve found it to be especially important given how busy and frantic day to day life has become. We are bombarded incessantly with ads. The news cycle never ends. Our devices make us constantly available. The distraction of the internet is only a click away. Our personal and professional responsibilities are always pulling at us. It makes taking time out for one’s self more important than ever.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a meditation practice but aren’t sure where to start, here are a few suggestions that helped me.