Travel Well . . .

There was this tiny little mouse who, very contentedly, tip-toed out of his hidey hole each night to grab the ever-present scraps that lay just beyond his lair. Thanks to this daily banquet, he grew into a large and sturdy mouse who attracted a Mrs. mouse. He happily shared his evening finds and, although he trimmed down a little, the two were quite satisfied with their home and their abundant food source. Then, as one might expect, Mr. and Mrs. Mouse became a very large family. Although the food was initially plentiful, and the bounty never changed, the mouths to be fed surely did. Woefully disheartened, Mr. & Mrs. Mouse decided to pack up their many, many children, leave their home with all its fond memories and happiness, and strike out into the great big world to find another home where Mr. Mouse could better provide for his family. Two days later, the owners of the bakery and cheese shop were doing some cleaning to prepare for a remodel when they noticed a tiny mouse hole next to a cutting station. They quickly repaired it and set off to redesign their store.

Had Mr. Mouse ever ventured just a little further he would have seen the splendor that lay before him. His safe and tentative nature, kept him fed ~ indeed, but it also kept him tethered to a routine which greatly hindered him and eventually his entire family. Just a few extra steps, that little bit of bravado mixed with faith, could have enlightened him to realize a plethora of food for his many children and probably generations to come. But his tunnel vision, his "this is what I've always done" mentality, his lack of hopeful adventure, forced him to leave everything he really ever needed.

How often do we find ourselves stuck in our daily grind? How often do we complain that our little worn down rut continues to produce the same results? How often do we point fingers, blame others, and make excuses about our predicaments?

How about today, you pull yourself out of your rut. You change up the daily grind with a new activity. Take a new way home, go to a new store, do something different! We cannot wait for the actions of others to filter down to somehow altering our lives. Sometimes, we have to take those few extra steps, outside of our normal hidey holes, to see what might lie beyond our regular realm. Today, I wish for you your own little bakery and cheese shop. Travel well, my friends!