058. Sheila Newenham, DVM 

Using exploration as a tool for personal growth

It's no accident that most of your strongest memories and milestone events occur in the first half of your life. For many people, it's the biggest period of growth and exploration. 

Once you hit adulthood, it's not uncommon to live a life filled with habits and routines, which can often make you feel like you're stuck in a rut.

How can you break out of that? How can you use new experiences to make you feel more alert, more alive? What can you do that would make you feel less judgmental, less reactive?

That's the topic in this episode of UNLEASHED (at work & home) with Sheila Newenham, veterinarian and nature photographer.

Sheila says photography helps her feel fully present. She loves exploring the world, near and far.

Here's one of Sheila's photos, taken in Katmai National Park in Alaska. She wrote, 

Wolves are notoriously wary of people. That's why this encounter is so unique. In a vast wildernness, this wolf was trotting along the opposite side of the creek as I headed back to camp at the end of the day. She seemed curious. I stopped and knelt down to make myself smaller and less imposing. She crossed the creek and warily approached. We regarded each otehr at a close distance, each trusting the other, for just a couple of minutes before she continued on into the trees. I'm still a little giddy about my close encounter with such a sentient being.

Your turn ...

Here are a few questions to get your brain buzzing:

• What would you like to explore?
• What would be different about your life if you engaged in more exploration?
• What holds you back? How can you get around that challenge?
• What's a mini-exploration you could commit to this week?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Using rules for greater exploration