During the Psychic Horizons’ summer break, we went to Rome for two weeks. We had done a lot of reading about Rome, what to see, how to see things, tickets to buy, transportation issues, etc. But the two weeks prior to leaving, we were extremely busy as a result of the death of a former student, as I explained in the last blog. So we didn’t really put much attention on our trip prior to leaving.
No matter what were doing, whether it’s a trip, or work, or teaching, or taking a walk, we decide we’re going to have a good time.
But we always decide that no matter what we’re doing, whether it’s a trip, or work, or teaching, or taking a walk, that we’re going to have a good time doing what we’re doing. Last year we mocked up a great trip to Barcelona, and we had a great trip, except for the flights, which went wrong in many different ways. It was upsetting, but we were able to get money returned, which we were able to apply to this trip. So all was not lost. This year we mocked up great flights in addition to great time in Rome.
Before we left, one person told us how noisy it was in Rome, that noisy mopeds were everywhere, and that we were going to have difficulty sleeping. Someone else who was from Rome told us how dirty it was, and that the new mayor didn’t really care about the city. Another person told us how hot it was going to be and that we would be miserable.
Fortunately, we were able to blow all that up and clean it out of our space. We had already decided we would have a great time no matter what. Travel is always a bit of an adventure anyway, so you just adjust. That’s what we did.
It was hot, very hot; high 90s, low 100s every day. So we adjusted. We came back to the hotel around 1 or 2 pm, took showers we really needed due to massive amounts of perspiration, read, took naps. Then around 6:30 or 7:00 pm we went out again. It was hot then, too, but cooler than in the afternoon.
Where is your attention, and is that what you want?
I always ask my students: where is your attention, and is that what you want? We could have put all our attention on how uncomfortable it was, and we definitely acknowledged the heat, but mostly we did things we wanted to do and put our attention on that. The history, the art, the religious history is amazing, we walked everywhere, ate lots of gelato and pasta and grilled calamari, drank delicious cappuccinos, and enjoyed the piazzas, fountains and fabulous Bernini statues. It’s wonderful to sit outside every day at the cafes.
It was noisy, but that wasn’t our concern. Our hotel was on a quiet piazza so we slept wonderfully. It was dirty, and we noticed it, but went on our way. It was hot, so we adjusted. That’s what you do when you decide to live your life a certain way. It can apply to everything. In this case, we applied it to our trip, and we try to apply it to our life.
Readjust your attention, put it back in the center of your head, stay present, and enjoy being happy.
Where is your attention and is that what you want? If it’s not what you want, readjust your attention, put it back into the center of your head, stay present, and enjoy being happy.
As always, thanks for supporting Psychic Horizons & the Church of Natural Grace with your sustainable giving! It truly makes a difference, both for us and for you.
Best regards,
Rev. Laura Hopper
Originally published July 2019
