When Manifesting Doesn't Work
Hello! A little late again! It’s been a couple of years since we’ve had a pup in the house, and I’ve been reminded just how little one can accomplish in a day!
For today’s post, I wanted to share a bit about our recent excursion into the interior of Algonquin. As you may recall, Hannah and I headed up there a couple of weeks ago, hoping to catch a glimpse of a moose in the wild. We had booked the 6 a.m. water taxi and were elated to wake up to a clear sky—aside from summer haze.
The water taxi dropped us off at a small island where we unloaded our gear and launched our kayaks. I was in heaven!
The views were absolutely breathtaking, and the sounds of frogs and birds made for the perfect natural melody.
We took our time paddling the creek, eyes peeled for a moose. After a couple of hours, we found a spot to pull over and enjoy a breakfast break. Once again, the scenery was simply stunning.
Back on the water, we crossed paths with a couple of canoers and eagerly asked if they’d spotted any wildlife—unfortunately, they hadn’t.
We continued on, but I could feel a wave of disappointment creeping in. We had only booked one day, so this was our only chance for a sighting on this trip. I tried hard to keep a positive mindset, but those feelings of letdown were definitely there.
A little further down the creek, we met another pair of canoers. They hadn’t seen any wildlife either. They carried on, and we decided to take another short break. Hannah was happily photographing dragonflies, and I took in the peaceful scene of lily pads and what I think were highlands in the background. Still, I felt that same twinge of disappointment, mixed now with some frustration as the temperatures rose and we approached the end of the creek.
So I turned to one of my favourite mindfulness tools:
One thing I could touch – the water: cool and refreshing
One thing I could hear – the frogs: one of my all-time favourite sounds
One thing I could see – the landscape: pure beauty
One thing I could smell – the fresh air
One thing I could taste – a sip of my still-warm coffee
And just like that, I felt better.
Was I still a bit disappointed not to see a moose? Yes. But I didn’t let that feeling take over and spoil our adventure. Instead, I focused on the beauty in the smaller moments—the dragonflies, the frogs, the landscape.
I know I’ve mentioned this tool before, but I wanted to share just how helpful it is when put into practice.
This is one of my favourite scenes from our paddle, I love the water lilies mixed with some yellow flowers and the tree covered hills in the background. I would love to hear your take on this scene
...and stay tuned for next week’s post: “When Manifesting Doesn’t Work – Part II.”
