Life is a journey! It's how we choose to experience our own personal journey that makes each of us unique.
If you are just 'jumping' in to my Pen2Pints blog, let me catch you up. It's about my personal experiences along the way of opening a microbrewery. I've blogged about my classes in the UC San Diego Brewing Program, how I got hired to sell hops and my involvement with the coolest new hop product- Hopzoil™, the only commercially available fresh distilled hop oil on the market (more on this coming in the next couple weeks), cooking with beer, and interviews with brewers and experts in the field.
I am just getting started in the craft beer scene at the age of 51. Some might call it a mid life crisis...I call it a mid life passion. For those of you who know me, this makes perfect sense.
Passion. I transform my passions into bucket lists. Some more feasible than others, but everyone of my bucket list items are doable to my ability. I've had bucket lists since high school, but didn't know they were called bucket lists. They are my subconscious and internal coach pushing, encouraging and challenging me to be the best I can. Mediocrity is not a word in my vocabulary. I have a vision board eye level at my desk that I look at everyday... "healthy, happiness, happy kids, friends, feel love, beer career, brewery owner, water and guitar." Everyday I am reminded of my vision and what drives me. I encourage my kids and those close to me to create bucket lists, and start checking off the items. Everyone's bucket list will be vastly unique. Some of my check marks on my bucket list include...traveling (solo, at the age of 17) from Iowa to Arizona State University, running a marathon, skydiving, Ironman™, jumping off a 30 foot cliff, taking guitar lessons, and without a doubt, having 4 kids, who better be reading this and creating their lists!
I believe bucket lists are the key to a happy, healthy and successful life. They challenge mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially.
June 12, 2016 I checked off a huge bucket list item. Years ago my friend's sister, Julie Wahlig, shared her story of swimming Alcatraz. "I could never do that!" I envisioned the dark, cold, choppy shark-infested water, and looked at her like she was a some alien freak. Then, as time went on and frequent mental visions of the challenge, I thought, "how cool would that be to conquer that?"
Last Sunday my dream and bucket list item of completing Escape from Alcatraz Tri was successfully tackled. I am an escapee and proud of it! (side bar...I was also the only female to win Sierra Nevada's "test your beer knowledge quiz"- I don't know what was more exciting! :-)
What does this have to do with Pen2Pints and opening up a microbrewery? Everything. It's all connected. Fear of the unknown is healthy. Checking off mentally intimidating bucket list items is empowering. I'm one step closer to achieving my brewery bucket list...and feeling pretty awesome about it!
Success, failure or mediocrity are housed in our own minds. Which one lives within yours?
Cheers!
Nick Rigler...beer for the week choice.
Of course...Racer 5 from Bear Republic Brewing Co. Makes you want to race. Nice nose with fruity notes and good balanced flavor with backend bitterness. - Love ya, -Mom