May 2020

Ever get frustrated when you want to make a change and then can’t stick with it? Then, you beat yourself up? This may sound all too familiar. The first thing most people will say to you is, “You need more discipline.” Yet, have you ever seen someone exercise daily and never lose weight? It happens. Even in our fast changing times, its easy to get stuck in a rut. It’s your time to think and act differently. “The moment one definitely commits oneself then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred…unforeseen incidents, meetings, and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe It’s time to do activities with a different frame of mind. In reality, its not about discipline. It’s not about that at all. It doesn’t matter how many times you write something down on your to do list if you don’t do it. Why you want to change has to come from your heart. You have to be so passionate about your dreams and desires. It must wake you up with excitement every day. If all you do is bring dread to something you’re already bringing that bad attitude which makes you not want to do something. Instead, bring that feeling that you want to have once you’ve completed that change. What will it feel like when you start to see the results? Your attitude comes from your heart. If you bring joy to an activity and go all in, you’re going to have way better outcomes. It’s not about discipline. It’s about your real commitment to your dreams. What commitment level do you have for your dreams and desires? What’s one thing you can do to increase your commitment level? Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International P.S. Exciting new courses and changes are forthcoming. Stay tuned for fun, new announcements.

Before embarking on a long drive for the holidays, I got a slow leak in my rear differential fixed. Excitement ensued when I picked up the vehicle and loaded it up for my journey to the mountains for 10 days of climbing, skiing, and hot springs and yeah, a little work, too. Two hours into the journey, I hit a deep rut in the road on a very steep mountain descent. My SUV swayed left, then, right, then, left. While feeling like a doll flopping in the wind, I did all I could to brace myself, hold the steering wheel tight and keep the vehicle going straight. The vehicle stabilized and I landed on all 4 tires. WTF, just happened? I was aware that jeeps have a roll-over effect. Yet, my SUV was heavy, weighed down with tons of gear. I felt as if the car was about to flip for no reason. Shortly thereafter I noticed the steering wheel was not straight even though I was going straight which had me perplexed. The remaining four hours of the drive was uneventful. The next morning I was excited that a massive snow dumped overnight and it was time to ski in Telluride, about an hour away. As I started the drive, the roads were covered in snow. I kept my distance from other vehicles, speed was slow, yet I noticed that the car seems to slightly fishtail. I made it safely and enjoyed a fun, kick-but sore quads type of day. The drive back to my rental was more of the same. Now, I was getting concerned. Luckily, a maintenance lady at my tiny house rental recommended a local mechanic. Sitting in the passenger seat, the mechanic took my car on a test drive. At 20mph, the vehicle was fine. He turned on to a major road at 40mph the back fishtailed so bad, he turned his head, looked me directly in the eye and said, “This vehicle is dangerous to drive. You’re lucky you’re not dead!” With the holidays, most rental cars were out. I could only find a Jeep rental. For the next 10 days, I was in awe how easily this vehicle handled the road. The features from Bluetooth music from my phone to easily taking calls to a super sound system rocked my world. Very different from my nine year old SUV. I thought to myself, I could easily own one of these Jeeps. Was it time for a new vehicle? Fast forward three weeks. I found myself on an impromptu trip to take care of a family member who was diagnosed with cancer and in the hospital. Again, I found myself renting a car. No little cars were available for rent. The rental company upgraded me to a Land Rover SUV. All I could think to myself was “Fancy.” The two hour drive from the airport to the house was smooth sailing. Upon dropping off the vehicle after taking care of my family, all I could think about was the universe telling me it is time to upgrade my vehicle and that I deserve better. Fast forward four months, my car was totaled after getting rear-ended. Where in your life is the universe telling you it is time to upgrade yet you’re not seeing the sign? Having car issues was no fun nor was getting in an accident that totaled my car. Yet, keeping a calm attitude that I was safe, no one else was hurt and that I was due for an upgrade made it worth the while.  Sometimes we go through a muddy road to see a smooth path on the other side. Look past the frustrations and see the universe signs before your eyes. Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

The current level of uncertainty is beyond what you can control. You wake up every morning now cringing your muscles with what’s next? Your mind races with, can this possibly get any worse? When will life return to some sense of normalcy? Suddenly you’re faced with tasks and decisions you never dreamt of. Society tells you to be prepared and plan for everything. Yet, how could anyone be prepared for this? The current level of uncertainty is out of control. You love everything to be in control, know exactly when things will happen so you can adjust accordingly. There’s one missing aspect to all of this. —MAKE IT FUN—- What fun is a board game if you knew exactly who was going to win? What fun is tasting a new recipe if it tastes exactly what the old ones taste like? What fun is a relationship with the same old monotonous discussions and activities? It’s kind of boring, right? Why are you surfing the web? You’re bored of the same old things. You’re looking for that excitement again. A friend recently shared what her kids were up to with all the stay at home orders. Her kids wanted to create a pool. And, this family had no pool. The young kids scoured through the garage and house seeing what they could find. Turns out the kids found a wheel borrow and took a garden hose and filled it up with water. This little pool was quite small yet entertained the kids all afternoon. The kids turned this into a game! They figured out how to have fun despite being stuck in the confines of the house. Fun is about the energy you  bring to an activity. It’s an attitude. It’s even joy. It’s all about learning to play again. Too often as adults, you lose your fun, playful child self. It’s about getting curious about what sparks your world. Bring the playful kid in you back. Growing up doesn’t mean you leave the fun behind. What fun activities can you engage in? How can you turn your current circumstances into a fun game? After all, laughter builds your immune system for free. Wishing you nourishing thoughts, peace of mind, and a calm heart! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International

On a cold, wintery day, I took the day off to study for my finals. It was no small task to take on an online masters degree program, commute an hour to and from work, and work ten plus hours a day. Discipline was my middle name. December finals were fast approaching and I couldn’t find the time needed for additional studying. I couldn’t catch a break. Then, one sliver came through. In between waiting for study data, I found one day to get some studying done and asked for the day off. While studying notes at home, my boss calls me at 11:00am. In a sense of wonderment, why was she calling me on my day off. How dare she? What the heck? I slowly reached for the phone hoping this would be a short conversation. She informed me there was an all-hands meeting and the company announced consolidation of our ten offices in nine states. There would be layoffs at the end of the following year and relocation. She said we’ll know more in two weeks when they give us our severance package and retention bonus package. Well, that’s reassuring, I thought to myself. What am I supposed to do now? My main focus was my finals, not job security. At some point in your adult life, you will be let go from your company. The first time this occurs becomes an experience you’ll never forget. Yet, when this happened at the age of 25, I had no clue what would happen or how to handle it. I kept on with my daily living. The next day, I went to work and the water cooler gossip had every speculation possible. We thought, everyone would relocate to our office as we are centrally located. Or, would your job be eliminated all together? The vast majority of the 120 employees at my location began job searching immediately. Yet, I was perplexed why. We were given both a severance package based on years with the company and a massive bonus to stay with the company until the complete relocation occurs. The package alone was worth at least 50% of my yearly salary. Fast forward nine months, over half the employees gave up their severance and retention bonus package for job security. The other 99% decided to relocate to another state where the office was being moved to or found a new job to start as soon as this job ended. Then there was me. I continued my master’s degree while working and commuting and wanted nothing but a long vacation. Instead of finding a new job, I booked an airline ticket to spend five weeks in Australia and New Zealand. The funny thing is I had never traveled alone before let alone for that long. Those five weeks abroad turned into one of the best adventures of my life. It was only the beginning of more adventures like this to come. I had no regrets bunkering down for nine plus months of uncertainty to then be rewarded for all the experiences I had in Australia and New Zealand. To this day, I still have friends that I met on that adventure. With every obstacle you face, turn it into a fun playful game. This attitude will create a positive ripple effect around you. It’s time to play and get your creative juices flowing. Yup, getting laid off sucks. Yet, the adventure turned into priceless moments and experiences I will never forget. So, maybe you can’t travel far right now, yet there’s other opportunities. Read about a topic you’ve never heard of. Learn a new language. What other ways can you expand yourself and have fun while doing it? Did you know a billionaire in the tech world picked up and read a Latin hair magazine while traveling? In the process, he learned how to better interact with their Latin American customers and surged their profits 100x fold. Now’s a perfect opportunity to learn something new. Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day! Lora Polowczuk Chief Energy Officer © Priority Retreats International