Art Adventures At Toronto Pride
This weekend I found myself at the most unusual wedding. It was a ranch wedding complete with a huge tent in lieu of a hall and a bonfire instead of the stereotypical dance. Sitting around the fire I struck up a conversation with a successful business man. He began telling me about the lessons he’s learned on his road to success. He explained that its important to plan out steps but never get attached to any particular outcome or you may be in for a lot of frustration and disappointment.
Interestingly enough this wasn’t the first time I’ve heard this message. My recent trip to Toronto Pride was a mixture of blessings and disaster. The trip was well planned but the challenges arose one after the other. For example, my partner who had come along to help me set up my booth ended up getting sick. The day of the parade it rained long and hard leaving us to battle the water leaking through the tent. Who would have thought to ensure that the tent was waterproof prior to renting it! At first I was terribly frustrated and disappointed until I was able to shift my thinking and embrace the many blessings I received despite the fact that the trip didn’t go quite as I had planned. What stood out for me more than all of these unexpected challenges was the people we met because of them.
A woman who practices Reiki offered to help my partner with her ailments. Amazingly enough by the following morning my partner was feeling great. We met another Torontonian who, out of pure kindness, brought us towels and plastic bags to fight the water leakage. We made interesting friends and business acquaintances that we dined with almost every night. Despite the challenges, in the end it was the people who made it an incredible experience.
The trip to Toronto Pride was anything than what I had expected. I worked hard at planning and organizing the trip and it was a difficult lesson for me to realize that attaching outcomes to my work could only lead to disappointment. Since then, I have become more open to letting things unfold however they need to. It really puts the adventure back in my business.
Having the courage to step outside of your comfort zone and start along a new path can be challenging but very rewarding at the same time. Despite the challenges that I have faced and still face today, I do not regret taking the leap. If you are someone who has been wanting to change your life’s path, whether it be though a career change or otherwise, remember that the challenges that you face along the way will help you to grow and paradoxically, will often become a strength for you in the future.
On a side note, for anyone who has considered going to the Toronto Pride celebration I’d highly recommend it!
Dawn Kress
Art on the Out Side
Regina, SK
Both comments and pings are currently closed.