Wait, what do you do?
It’s the question with a million different answers, and every single one is correct.
Greetings from the L’Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, LA, where you can hit the links or the casino, float down a lazy river, relax at the spa, discover world class shops, and find Cajun cooking to write home about.
You can also find a staff of some of the nicest people I’ve encountered on my travels, and I’m going to highlight two lovely gals who served up my 5:00 a.m. coffee each day. If I’m going to get up this early to get some work done, there’s going to be coffee, let me tell you. And, like anytime one is staying at a hotel, the first day, you’re kind of clueless and figuring things out, like I was at the 24 hour cafe called Modern Pantry.
I had left my posh crib (my hotel room) around 5 to get my coffee and breakfast so I could eat and do some work before our 7:00 a.m. golf departure. When I got to the Modern Pantry, there were two gals ready to take my order. My biggest takeaway Day 1 was that “their cappuccino machine was broken.” It was something that was communicated to me within seconds of ordering a coffee.
Noted, and I ordered my coffee with almond milk, trusting the broken machine wouldn’t be a factor.
Enter Day 2.
My conversation went something like this:
Me: Hi, yes, can I have a large coffee with a splash of almond milk?
Girl #1 (Mary): Sure, no problem.
Me: (turning into Mary) Can you steam the almond milk? ( I asked, wondering if the broken machine had anything to do with this.)
Mary: No, sorry. Our machine is broken.
Me: (to Girl #2 who looks visibly annoyed.) That’s right. You probably had to say that a million times yesterday, that your machine was broken. Right?
Girl #2 - Hailey: Yes. (First looks down, not about to commit to conversation, then looks up.) Hey, you were in here yesterday, right?
Me: Yes.
Hailey: You look like you’re somebody in Hallmark movies. You in Hallmark movies?
Me: Awe, thanks. No. I’m a golf writer.
Hailey: (Stops what she’s doing.) Wait. You write about golf. (I nod.) You actually choose to write about golf? Golf.
Me: I sure do. I write inspirational stories about golf.
Hailey: Well, I think you should look into Hallmark movies.
Which leads so nicely to What I’d Rather Be Talking About This Week:
The cool thing about having personal goals and dreams is that they belong to us and us alone.
We get to decide what to pursue and how hard we’re going to work to get there.
And even if others don’t understand our dreams, or think they’re crazy.
That’s okay, they don’t need to come along for the ride.
They’ve got their own to go after.
And that’s precisely what makes the world so interesting.
Here are my favorite baristas in Louisiana, Mary’s on the left and future golf writer 😂 Hailey is on the right.
With that, I’ve got some great things to share, so let’s get right to it.
Abbey
LISTEN
In addition to putting in the hard work, manifesting really helps. Listen to Dream Your Life: Manifest A Life You Love and “Manifesting in the 5D: Allowing the Universe to Guide You.”
Tony Hawk (remember, the skateboarder?): Harnessing Passion, Drive, & Persistence for Lifelong Learning - a great listen if you want to pursue anything for the long haul.
Sorry, not a podcast, but while we’re talking manifesting, read “We Manifest Our Own Reality… But How?”
STREAM
H&M Haul if you’re looking to update your knitwear.
Valentina tells you how to add Lux to your home this fall.
TRAVEL
It’s early, but you know how fast the holidays approach. Here are the top holiday destinations for November.
What are the best European cities to visit in 2023? Condé Nast Traveler can tell you.
I’m going to tell you a lot more about Lake Charles, Louisiana in future newsletters, but I’ll give you a taste for it here. There are so many reasons to visit this southern hot spot. The best one? The people.
CAREER
Let’s say you want to pursue your dream, but you’re not quite sure how to go about it. Or, not quite sure what “it” is. Here are 15 podcasts that might help if you’re feeling stuck in your career.
Maybe you just need a little career motivation (as in WHAT to pursue). Give these 16 podcasts a listen.
HEALTHY EATS & WELLNESS
Who likes Brussel Sprouts? 🙋🏻♀️. My sister was in Oregon recently and had great sprouts at a restaurant… here’s the recipe.
It’s fall and that means soup. Here are a bunch of delicious plant-based fall soups that are easy and delicious. And who can argue with a soup recipe from someone’s grandma? Check out this one here or this actual Italian grandma’s minestrone.
I love the recipes that Nutrition Babe and registered dietician @IlanaMuhlsteinRD posts on YouTube. Since it’s getting colder, here’s an alternative to salads.
RANDOM
Okay, so the quote below seems to be about love, but I say you could substitute “love” for life passion. Or job.
The moral - go in search of life:
ON A SERIOUS NOTE
I get it that sometimes in life we have to do things we don’t exactly want to do before we do the things we really want to do. And maybe, in the process, it might seem like we’ll never achieve those dreams.
That’s a feeling we all can relate to.
But, if we just keep plugging away, minute by minute, day by day, we get closer to realizing the path we’re supposed to be on.
Whether you’ve got your sights set on Hallmark Movie fame, encouraging people around the world to golf, or something entirely different… please don’t give up on your dreams.
You’ve got nothing to lose in pursuing them. The worst that can happen is that they lead you to something different than your original vision; something that’s even better.
Here’s to going for it. No matter what the peanut gallery thinks.
See you next week,
Abbey
