Letting Go of the Plan
Just over a year ago, I had planned a trip to visit Zion National Park. One of my friends had told me that it was absolutely breathtaking. Looking at photos of it, I was excited to go.
But six days before I was going to head to Zion, I got a call from Ted, the founder of a school that trains tour guides. He invited me to come to their symposium in Tucson, Arizona to speak. Knowing little about the group, I nonetheless agreed and canceled my visit to Zion. Little did I expect that a year later, I would enjoy many incredible friendships and opportunities to see amazing places because of that one detour. I met new friends who would personally guide me through and share the beauty of places like New Orleans, Miami, Cuba, Vancouver, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Fast-forward to a year later: I found myself on a spontaneous adventure to Zion, except this time, I wasn’t alone. Instead, I had an unforgettable adventure with my dear friends Annette and Eddy and four new friends from Italy! All because of my earlier decision to release my attachment to going to park the year before. I couldn’t have imagined a more beautiful way to experience and share the majesty of Zion! We hiked through The Narrows with awe.
I’ve discovered that when we release attachment to our plan and allow the flow of joy to show up, we’re often surprised by something even better than we what we had originally expected.
Embracing detours often brings joy into our lives in magical ways.