How Old Cars Can Drive You to a More Positive Personal Place

An important part of the personal work in the wellness coaching realm includes development of Mind/Body Optimizing Practices that work for each individual’s needs and interests. What does that mean? I’ve often heard people ask;”Is that the “out there” kind of thinking?” The short answer is no. It is actually a simple but effective process that promotes a regular activity of personal enjoyment that helps you connect with yourself and enhance your wellness. “Out there”? Is listening to music out there? Is going to a gym out there? Is walking your dog out there? Is reading a book or magazine out there? I suspect that you will agree that these activities are a few examples of ways that we find enjoyment in our lives. Can they help you reach your goals of better health? The answer is a resounding yes!

Of course each person will have their own unique set of interests that will help connect them within themselves. Yoga, meditation, massage therapy, acupuncture, mountain climbing, skiing, comedy, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, crossword puzzles, snowshoeing, traveling, singing, bungie jumping, photography…the list is endless and as diverse as each person’s unique personality. The common denominator is that these activities provide a genuine source of enjoyment.

Here’s one that you may not have thought of – going to car shows. Recently on television there was a significant vehicle auction that aired live for a number of days in a row…and my husband and I were riveted to this vintage vehicle auction. Since I do know how to meditate, I can honestly say that it was very easy to lose myself in the auction, take a little get away from the reality of life and feel very relaxed as we watched this auction unfold live on television. We were mesmerized by the year of the vehicle, how many were made, what size of engine, the color, information about some of the owners, what it would feel like to maybe own one of these beauties, and an ongoing discussion about the final auction price of the vehicles.

We are not hard core television viewers; however we both enjoyed this unusual opportunity to take ourselves out of the winter darkness of January and into a bright world of car dreams for many hours during the unique TV collector car auction. We both thoroughly enjoyed our opportunity to watch this famous auction on TV and have now added a personal mutual goal to attend a future Scottsdale Arizona auction. It is now on our bucket list!

The golden opportunity to attend car shows around our wonderful province will happen again in the spring. Many animals hibernate during the winter, and so do the vehicles of “car people”. Of course it is usually “car guys”, but there are also a significant number of women in the old car hobby that keep their precious vehicle in comfortable wraps during the often lengthy Alberta winters. Car shows have a universal appeal to people of both genders and every age group, so everybody fits under the “car guy” label!

Alberta is a veritable goldmine for car shows and you can find a long list of the 2012 summer car show season at this www.mystarcollectorcar.com website. Jim and Jerry Sutherland are identical twin brothers who have combined their passion for old cars with an entertaining look at the personal relationship between owners and their cherished vehicles. The website also includes some amazing photos from the many car shows that they attend every summer, as well as daily auto pieces that celebrate the old car hobby.

All of this car talk brings me to my final point: I would like to recommend the car hobby as a very positive activity choice when the car show season is back in the spring. You don’t even have to run out and buy an old car- just take in one of the shows because it might just be a great Mind/Body tool for you. You will immerse yourself in a friendly and upbeat atmosphere while you enjoy the “happy factor” from each proud owner, so try it…you might really like it and it could help improve your health as a byproduct of this positive experience. Take it from a female “car guy”, it is a fun world!