As you grew up, you experienced different lessons along your life-path.  You discovered a hot stove hurt when you touched it.   A candle flame caused pain when you passed your finger over it.  A rosebush thorn made your finger bleed.  A bee sting caused you terrible agony.

From those experiences, you avoided the obvious in your daily meanderings.  Marching into your teens, you discovered friendship, jealousy and betrayal.  A bully beat you up. A girlfriend undermined you in your pursuit of a boyfriend. 

In nature, you learned to run for cover during a lightning storm.  When a dog gave chase, you picked up a stick to protect yourself.  

You learned life-lessons either by your parents advising you or you learned the hard way by direct experience.

As you grew into your twenties, relationships grew more complicated, you worked a job with acerbic bosses and cantankerous fellow employees.  You discovered many different aspects to how people operate in the world.

Along the way, you picked up new understandings and created game plans on how to deal with your circumstances.

All the while, you became a better you.  But sometimes, you wondered about your choices or predicaments.

I'm reminded of the ancient king who held court each day.  He beckoned the local sage for words of wisdom. Each day for a year, the sage brought the king an overly ripe piece of fruit along with a witty statement.  When the sage left, the king tossed the fruit into a hole in a pillar where it fell to the basement, untouched. 

One day, after the sage gave the king the overly ripe fruit, he turned to exit, but noticed the king tossing the fruit into the pillar.

"What are you doing?" asked the sage.  "Did you not know I gifted you with a gem in the middle of each fruit?"

The king made an excuse before the sage exited the throne room.  Quickly, the king ordered a knave to recapture the fruit.  

The king cut it open to reveal a valuable gem. He said, "I never knew such beauty could be found inside an aged piece of fruit."

The king ordered his staff to recover the gems from all the fruits in the basement.  The gems of knowledge enlightened him, which allowed him greater understanding.  He became a better king for all the people of his realm.

The great writer Thomas Moore said that every person  faces the deadly turpitudes of living: obsessions, addictions, depression, loss of meaning, judging others, violence, anger, hate and prejudice.

It's your challenge to connect with the divine in you.  You might call it the "spiritual" within you.  Choose to identify with your higher self.  That quest creates a transformation that leads to your better well-being and  better choices.

When bad things happen to you, decode the experience to see the gem.  As you discover the synchronicity of the lesson, take advantage of it.  Synchronicity coupled with purpose equals "coincidence."  

Once you step into the "flow" of life, those synchronicities multiply because your energies coordinate with the natural vibrations of the universe.

Engage these talents: walk in the light, walk tall, walk with a song, walk strong, walk wise, walk with hope, walk with joy, walk with purpose and walk with passion.  People notice your demeanor.  You attract them to their own higher self.

Take advantage of a bitter experience, betrayal of a friend, unfair treatment by another or any of the overly ripe experiences of life.  You will find a "gem" in the rotten fruit that will enhance your life beyond all ordinary understanding.

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"Any baby boomers out there, about 80 million of you, who worked your butts off your whole lives bringing up a family, paid the bills and did what you were supposed to do? It's time for you to live your own dreams. If you love bicycling, this band of old guys knows how to have a good time. But it's more than cycling: the author encourages retirees to follow their dreams by backpacking, skiing, sailing, canoeing, painting, pottery making and just about anything that turns you on to your own life. On this journey, these cycling dudes pedal, sing, camp, joke and they laugh a lot. What did I like best about Wooldridge' tale? He showed me that I can pedal my own bike across the country. This is a hell of a great read. Buy it. Learn from it. Then, go do it yourself. He's got everything you need to know at the back of his book. It'll be the best thing you've done in your life. And, he tells you how to buy an E-bike with electric assist, so your wife and you can enjoy cycling adventures together. You truly will live, as Wooldridge said, 'On the edge of wonder.'" Herman Jackson 

"This book brings incredible energy to any reader, male or female, young or old. It's got so much wisdom and inspiration. I couldn't help but feel like I could conquer the world while reading this book. It really delves into living at what the author calls, "high vibrational frequency living." When you create adventures in your life, big or small, short term or long term, you live on that "edge of wonder" that the author speaks about. I didn't realize it until I finished the book. That's why I read it twice to cement his concepts into my mind. Great reading and compelling prose." Harold Morgan 

Newest book:  Old Men Bicycling Across America: A Journey Beyond Old Age, available on Amazon or ph. 1 888 519 5121

Living Your Spectacular Life by Frosty Wooldridge, Amazon or ph. 1 888 519 5121

FB page: How to Live A Life of Adventure: The Art of Exploring the World

Website: www.HowToLiveALifeOfAdventure.com

Email Frosty: frostyw@juno.com