Have you ever set out to accomplish something only to find yourself wondering if you are even going in the right direction? Are you like your kids. Are you saying, I’m I there yet? Some people say: “Success is a state of mind.” What is a state of mind really?

I recently read a blog regarding journals. You can read it at: www.attractingyourgoal.com. You might want to check it out. It’s a good article. I mentioned that I have six journals in the comment section. Some people have asked why so many? The reason why, I thought might make a good article.

Goals are not a destination. Is anything really in this life a destination? You’re probably wondering what is this woman talking about. Let me give you an example. Can you touch a rainbow? If you saw one, can you go over and touch it? If you are sailing or driving towards the horizon, can you ever reach it? Can you touch the horizon?

We know that you can’t touch a rainbow or the horizon. With each step, the horizon moved away from from us. Our goal and successful can work the same way. If you want to see your successes, then you must look stop and look backwards. You need to look back and see what you have accomplished. What have I really accomplished? Journals help you do that very thing. They build self-love and worth within us.

I keep six journals that cover the different aspects of my life. So I go back and see my growth. We are always evolving even if we chose to hibernate and hide from the world. If nothing else, we are getting older and we can’t stop it.

The greatest secret of a journal, it builds self-love and worth. They teach us to be a better communicator. If you keep one, you’ll learn to appreciate you. You can go back and see your growth. How you got through a dark or a joyous time. What you learned? You can see how it changed you. Journals give you an opportunity to express yourself and guess what? Someone is truly listening.

In the process, you might find yourself and learn how wonderful and unique you truly are. Have fun with your journal!

Lately, we had the manufacturers of outdoor equipment hold a show in our city. They paid for a poll that the news reported on. The poll asked teenagers across the nation what outdoor equipment they liked or were interested in the most. The outdoor equipment folks were shocked by the answers to their questions, which caused our local news to report it.

Teenagers weren’t interested in anything that had to do with outdoors. They would rather watch other people enjoy it on the Internet. This is helpful since Yellowstone just put “Old Faithful” on the Internet. You can see eruptions from your computer. Since, I’ve seen “Old Faithful” erupt in person numerous times. The mist on your face and feeling the power of the geyser really adds to the experience.

My next story is dedicated to those people who would rather enjoy the outdoors on the Internet. Since, we all know that breathing deeply releases stress from our bodies. I request you take some deep breaths now and during the story. So you can benefit from the exercise and adventure that I’m about to tell you.

This story takes place on a twenty-eight thousand acre island that sits in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. The largest salt-water lake in the world and it’s only thirty minutes from downtown Salt Lake City. Our mountains are close by, you can reach them from fifteen to thirty minutes from downtown. The time depends on where you are going.

On Antelope Island, you can bike, camp, hike or do my favorite, horseback riding. We share the island with approx. 550-700 bison or buffalo, as I like to call them. When you are on the trails, you can see coyotes, mule deer, prong horned antelope, bobcats , badgers, porcupines and jack rabbits. The animals I see the most are buffalo and jackrabbits. Winter, late fall and early spring is the best time to ride on the island. The summers are too hot and we would rather ride in the mountains where it is cool.

What I like about the island, there is no civilization on it. You feel like you are back in the old west. There is one bird species on the island that I dearly love. The meadowlark is there abundantly. In the spring, you can hear them all around you singing back and forth to each other. They are my favorite songbird.

One day, my husband and our neighbor were riding horses on the island. They were following the trails like they were requested to do. This day, the trail they were on went along the edge of the shores. The water was still and blue. Then the trail left the shores and headed up the side of a tall hill. They were reaching the top when they encountered a lone buffalo bull all by himself.

As they passed him, my husband pulled out his camera to take a picture. Before he could take it, the bull charged them. Somehow, he held onto the camera but lost his cowboy hat.  His horse, Socks,  bolted down the path with our neighbor following him. They hadn’t gone far when the bull stopped chasing them. Our neighbor had been riding on the island for ten years and he had never had a buffalo bother him. So he decided to go back for my husband’s hat.

When he reached the hat, Jay got off his horse and picked it up. The bull decided that he wanted the hat. He charged them. Jay jumped on his horse with the hat and off at a full gallop. Touchy, his horse, was fast. It became a race and the bull was gaining. Now, we understand why our ancestors wrote in their journals that it was dangerous to hunt them. They can ran fast or faster than a horse.

They have a strange shape and you wouldn’t think they could move fast because of it. It didn’t take the bull long to have his head in the tail of Jay’s horse. Before he rammed his horse, the bull just stopped.

What a memorable ride. I hope you were breathing deeply so you get the advantages of the exercise and relieve some stress. It’s great to get out and take a deep breath of fresh air. it really has a great affect on us.

The next time, you need to relax and you can’t go on a ride, hike, or walk. Close your eyes and take in a deep breath. It will relieve stress and it might help you get through the day a little healthier and easier. Have a great day!