Password to Paradise

Mistyped passwords cause problems. This week, after trying to access one of our family accounts, I just couldn’t open it. For some reason, my husband opened it on the first or second attempts. Once I finally got the password working, my family offered to celebrate my “big accomplishment” with a special dinner. They’re funny people. Maybe I should have saved time by changing the password and keeping it undercover for a few days.     

Whenever you start a new account, you need to create a fresh password—unless you commit the big security no-no by using the same code for everything. Regardless of the codes we enter, if we don’t know the right password, we’re in big trouble. Watch how they affect us:

                                     https://youtu.be/jQ7DBG3ISRY

The guy outlined several of our most frustrating password challenges. If you could create the perfect password to access joy and happiness, what would it look like?

Your Perfect Spot

Nothing raises spirits like a brief retreat from the everyday routine. A few weeks ago, I retreated to the beautiful Bahamas. We stayed at Atlantis, an amazing hotel where activities and fun were within a ten minute shuttle ride down the road. The proximity of restaurants, music, wonderful beaches with sparkling turquoise water, aquariums, snorkeling, and a water park made it feel like we had stepped into paradise. The trip still feels like a dream, and that's probably because our short stay left me no time to get nitpicky.

Once we find “paradise,” it’s interesting how soon we find fault with it. Before long, we’re ready for the next perfect place. Have you discovered the paradise? Maybe this is what you’re looking for:     

                                          http://youtu.be/peSpUDMcGR8 

Daily routines bore us. Paradise is good for two weeks and then we’re in the Bahamas muttering about too many sunny days. Some people believe a utopian society is impossible, but we can still aspire to it. What's paradise look like for you?  

The Hiker’s Journey

Are you a hiker? Our immediate family doesn’t hike, although we did walk around the block a few times last year. Earlier this week I heard comments that prove we’re not hiker-types. One child stated how hiking generally lacked a competitive element and our other child didn’t see the point because there’s no score. Sure, you could add a point system and race to the top of a mountain, but that kind of defeats the purpose.

Does the fresh air, the challenging terrain, and wildlife motivate you to tackle the trails? If I were to hike, I’d do it for the incredible views. Have a look:

                                      

                                           http://youtu.be/k0Sfitp6yKc

Sign me up! I wouldn’t mind lacing up a pair of hiking boots and trekking through the wilderness to experience  the gorgeous landscape in New Zealand. We’re so busy multi-teching (my word for multi-tasking with technology), and rushing in a dozen different directions that we can forget how to appreciate the “minor” moments. Which past, present, or future journey would you like to learn to appreciate?      

 

Pigs in Paradise

It’s unanimous! Folks from Maine to Georgia and most Midwesterners have had enough winter weather. We’re freezing here in the States, so how come temperatures rose to almost sixty degrees at the Olympics in Sochi? Apparently Sochi temperatures can hover in the fifties during this time of year. Who knew? Based on the groundhog’s forecast, winter’s sticking around for a while. Wouldn’t a warm, sunny beach feel great about now? They say it’s better in the Bahamas. Let’s see what’s going on there.

                                                   http://youtu.be/O89DvVdthDY 

Did you know pigs could swim? I guess they jumped in the ocean to escape the Caribbean heat. If you plan a trip to the Bahamas—don’t feed the pigs unless you want a few new friends. Maybe the island’s tourism department will change their slogan to something like this: It’s better in the Bahamas when you swim with the pigs!  That probably misses the essence of the Bahamian experience. The island looks like a little piece of paradise. If it’s not the perfect place for you, where’s your paradise?         

 

Large and Small Deals

Did I see what I thought I saw? Back-to-school sales! Let’s give this merchandising strategy a  name, call it “sales creep.” It’s the retail industry’s habit of scooching the traditional selling period for any holiday or special event earlier and earlier every year. Before long, stores will sponsor huge sales at the end of a school year and keep going until Independence Day. How awful to rush the summer break! What’s worse is that I’d be the first to grab all of those horrible one cent deals at those too-early back-to-school sales. What can I say? I’m a pushover for a bargain. You can never own too many folders and paper clips, can you? If you like deals, here’s one that might intrigue you:

                                         http://youtu.be/ewEfz_AEc8Y

 What a gorgeous place! I know it has the potential for a great resort, but the advertisement frightens me. Blame it on the choice of background music that makes the ad feel like a movie about murder, mystery and intrigue. Once you combine murder and paradise, the last thing I’m thinking about is a relaxing resort. For that reason, I cannot purchase the island—but that’s just me. How about you? Barring one cent back-to-school deals, what’s the best offer you’ve  heard?

Behold The Past

During this time of the year we become nostalgic about past Christmases. We fondly recall our favorite gift and reminisce over the wonderful hours spent with friends and family.

Years ago, I taught a teen class. The lesson focused on living each moment to the fullest. We talked about how older adults sometimes idealize their high school memories and behave as though the best years have passed. I wonder at what point those adults concluded that their high school years were the best ones. Was it after family responsibilities piled up? In light of a job and bill-paying, I can understand why your high school experience might very well seem like paradise.

As a child, while playing school, I wrote in red crayon on our yellow dining room wallpaper while correcting an imaginary student’s class paper. It was an accident but back then, as I stared at that red mark I remember thinking, “If only I could go back in time…” I felt the weighty truth of how some mistakes cannot be undone and how time marches forward, no turning back. Fortunately, I managed to get off with a stern warning. We can’t change the past, but our tomorrows are a different story. Check out this inspiring video about a man who has plans for the future:

Now there’s a story that might cause us to ponder the possibility of time travel. Be careful going under the sink. 

If you could travel back in time, which wonderful moment would you (re-)celebrate?