365 Days of Living the Dale Carnegie Principles
Day 58. Sunday, May 22, 2011
My art conference ended at noon and I had three hours to spend before having to go to the airport. The instructor in my class suggested I go to Newport Beach which surprisingly was just twenty minutes away!
Finally, my status as The Smiling Daffodil is paying off...ha
The hotel arranged a ride for me and I was off on a new adventure. I wasn’t dressed for the beach—I had sneakers, jeans and one of my better dress shirts. Before the driver dropped me off I mentioned my concern about getting back to the hotel. He assured me there were plenty of taxis available and he gave me his business card.
So we parted ways and I decided to do my best to live in the moment. I saw plenty of restaurants and shops to occupy my time. But then I got distracted by the beach….
I stripped my feet of my sneakers and socks. I rolled up my jeans above my ankles. I approached the beach with a look of wonder and excitement.
As I approached the shore, I plopped my white purse and my tote of art supplies on the sand. I figured if anything gets dirty surely it could be wiped clean. Besides, I have other purses….
I got my feet wet and it wasn’t long before I was stalking the birds along the shore. They were just too amazing not to photograph. I was so engrossed with photographing the birds that no one around me existed. I was oblivious to everything but the birds. That’s when the waves came crashing… and now my jeans were wet up to my knees. Instead of getting concerned about being a wet mess—I decided to accept the inevitable. My knees, legs and toes will be dusted in sand, I will be wet and my purse and art supplies may end up sandy… but I will have my fun day at the beach.
One man's seaweed is another woman's art
I examined and photographed seaweed, seashells, rocks, the waves crashing against the rocks, beach sand, sand castles… everything.
At the appropriate time I was able to flag down a taxi without difficulty. It turned out “Marty” the cab driver doesn’t normally work until 6 pm but he felt compelled to begin his shift earlier that day. I explained that he was the answer to my prayers. He smiled and said— “well, you know, I do have a bible near my night stand….”
Marty dropped me off at the hotel promptly at 3 pm—just in time for the hotel shuttle to take me to the airport. As I sat in the shuttle I reflected on the day. I didn’t spend my day worrying about how I’d spend 3 hours. I didn’t worry about transportation. I didn’t worry about getting all dirty at the beach. Instead I lived happily in the moment—being grateful for every moment of that afternoon.
The Dale Carnegie principles I used are from How to Stop Worrying and Start Living:
Don’t fuss about trifles.
Cooperate with the inevitable.
Count your blessings—not your troubles.
I counted my blessings—I had free time to spend and I was able to spend it in a 
rather unexpected way… on a beach. I didn’t worry about how I’d return to the hotel. I didn’t worry about getting my jeans all wet. I lived in the moment and had one of the best “traveling work days” in a long time.
The lesson I hope to convey is that much of the stress, discontent and unhappiness surrounding a day can be self-inflicted. You will discover how much a relief it can be to just live in the moment instead of worrying. Count each blessing—no matter how small—and don’t waste a moment on petty worries like getting your jeans all wet from the ocean! Instead—see it as blessing! Wow—instead of being in Texas at this very moment, I’m on a beach in California with my feet covered in sand. Does life get any better than this?
Housekeeping / Notes
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