Finding Mr/s Right!

I've been thinking about this topic for the last few months and hesitated to use it because it seems to me there are all the classic ways to meet people, and if you're single, you know what they are. But as I have given this much thought, I believe I can show you some ways to think differently about meeting someone special, after all, that is what Intentional Winning in Life, and Love is all about!


For the month of June I will be sharing my ideas for how you can meet more people, have more fun, and hopefully find someone to share your life with. This is an audience participation exercise friends, tell me your stories and share your ideas. If you meet someone special as a direct result of tuning in to Intentional Winning, let me know. I love success stories.

Love is full of Orange Roads like accepting an invitation so your friend doesn't have to go alone, or landing in a class that is not what you thought you signed up for (but ended up loving). Let's see if we can find more than our usual posts for this month, maybe four a week instead of three. This is going to be fun and I hope you will not only comment on my posts but also invite your friends to join us, too!

Wrapping Up Sailing in May!

This was fun and I hope you are thinking with a bigger sail about how you can make your sailing dreams come true! I got an e-mail from a woman who shared with me that as a young woman she loved to sail and as she got married and had kids, she didn't have time to get out as much as she would have liked. She missed it so much, she started to resent some of her responsibilities of daily life. Her husband encouraged her to go out for the day on a charter and guess what happened? She was miserable! She said she must be getting old because as much as she loves the water and sailing, she didn't enjoy it like she used to. She assured me she would go out from time to time as a passenger with her family, but she no longer has any desire to do the work sailing requires. Ultimately, she was glad she went out and realized she loves her life the way it is and doesn't miss the past like she did. I see that as a success story. When our dreams don't come true, we wonder, "What if?" Find out and either way you will feel good knowing you want to keep working to bring that dream to life or put it to bed for good. All good!

Write About Sailing

If getting on the water is not possible right now, start a "I Dream of Sailing" blog or journal. Write about what inspired you to want to sail, what were your early experiences that fueled that passion and why did you stop pursuing the dream. Were there people who were instrumental in encouraging or discouraging you? While you get all of this in writing, look up different avenues, or Orange Roads that you might like to take in the Sailing world. Keep in mind, creating a life that includes your dream can manifest in ways that have nothing to do with actually being on a boat. I would venture to guess however, that ultimately you do want to be actually sailing.

If you take the time to journal your dream and the journey thus far, you may find the inspiration that rekindling those early feelings creates is enough to fuel you to take action faster. Whatever that action may be, I know it will be worthwhile!

Sea Scouts BSA

Sea Scouting had its beginning at a camp fire in England when Lord Baden-Powell voiced the hope that older Scouts would be interested in learning about boat management and seamanship. He stressed the need for young men to prepare themselves for service on their country's ships.

Sea Scouting in America was founded in 1912. That year, Arthur A. Carey of Waltham, Massachusetts, had Sea Scouts using the schooner Pioneer and was appointed Chairman of the National Council Committee on Sea Scouting. That summer, Charles T. Longstreth organized a Sea Scout patrol on his yacht in Philadelphia. Both of these men prepared pamphlets on Sea Scouting and Carey's Cruising for Sea Scouts was the first literature related to Sea Scouting.

Now a branch of the Boy Scouts of America, the Sea Scouts allow girls to sail though some organizations are not co-ed. This is a wonderful way for a young person to work toward making a nautical dream come true, but there is something in it for the adults, too. There are opportunities to volunteer with the kids while they learn all the ins and outs of what it takes to man a sail boat. As part of the program, the kids have to plan a weekend outing determining what they will need for rations, safety gear, etc. They learn about working together and handing situations as they arise without the option of simply quitting and going home.

There are Sea bases in California, Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virgina, and Wisconsin. To learn more, visit the Sea Scouts web site.

*Photo from the Sea Scouts home page.

Work For A Sailing Organization

The 34th America's Cup will be held in San Francisco, CA in 2013. Leading up to the big event there will be lots of preparation going into getting ready. If you live in N. CA, this is an incredible opportunity to get involved with a world class organization. You will work really hard, but I bet you will learn as much or more. Not only will you get to be a part of something that could possibly be a one once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but think of the amazing people you will get to meet. That is my favorite part of volunteering, making new friends who enjoy the same things I do, and you know when you are all doing it for free, it's a real passion inside all of you. I applied to be a volunteer for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, UT. In the end, they had too many volunteers so the fact that I was not local (living in CA), they gave all the positions to those people living in UT. I would have loved to work the Olympics! I was most excited about meeting people from all over the world.


There are also paying jobs with these kinds of massive events. If you have a specific skill or talent, reach out to the management team and let them know. It may be worthwhile to contract a local professional than to travel with someone and bear all the travel expenses. If you are interested in this event, you can visit the 34th America's Cup web site and submit your resume.

Everywhere Has Somewhere to Sail

I did some homework and learned that unless you live in the middle of the desert, you have a lake near you where you can sail. Not only is there likely a place to sail within a few hours from where you live, there also may be a sailing group or club.


One group in the San Francisco area, OCSC Sailing is a San Francisco Bay Sailing School and Club. Of course, here in California we have a whole coast of water to sail on, but there are lakes and reservoirs all over the United States. Do a search and find a sailing club or association near you and find out about taking lessons, renting a boat, or joining a team. My friend Mike races on the bay with a local team. This was one of the Orange Roads Mike took to get him back in sailing swing! Not only does Mike race, but he saw his dream through of living on a sailboat. Now he is working on another phase that I will share before the end of the month!

Small Strokes

Not too far from where I live, there is a small lake that offers kayaking on an hourly basis. I love the water and though I don't long to sail, kayaking was really fun. The day we went, it was a summer evening, warm, and it was just getting dark when we returned from our tour of the lake. I can't wait to take Mason now that he is big and old enough to captain his own kayak! Finding things to do that are similar to the main idea will acclimate you to so many nuances of the general field -- in this case, boating.

I realize that one may have to make some major changes in their life to make a dream come true, and relocating could be an option. Orange Roads don't make it easier or less expensive to make your dream come true, but they are avenues. The trick is to see them as adventures and not obstacles!