RAF Inspired: Country Roads

Country Roads
By Nicole Henry

A while back, our chief strategy officer at Butler/Till published a post on LinkedIn about the importance of finding the white space in your day, week, life; about needing to find those moments where you’re able to disconnect and reflect. I couldn’t agree more.

If you don’t know me well, you may not know that I’m a small-town-country-girl at heart. Not the kind who religiously wears her cowgirl boots, red and black flannel and says y’all in every sentence (sorry for the stereotyping), but the kind who grew up in a small town, an hour away from the closest mall. Who grew up running through the woods with her best friends, making up pretend villages, secret worlds, and playing outside until the sun went down. We seldom were parked in front of the TV and were more interested in finding the most blueberries and blackberries than in video and computer games.

That’s probably why, as an adult, I look forward to the times when I can disconnect. In an industry that is driven by texts, email, and social media, having a few hours or a day or weekend to step away from the electronics – those are some of the times that I value the most.

There are dozens of ways that I’m able to find these white spaces away from our uber-connected world. Sometimes it’s listening to classic rock, sometimes to a film score. It may be sitting outside with a good book on a summer day or curling up with a coloring book on a cold one. Nothing is more freeing, though, than a long drive. There’s something totally liberating about getting good and lost… and then finding your way home. And some of the best inspiration comes from winding down a back road in the middle of nowhere. You may discover a new lake, a family-run bakery, a well-stocked antique shop. You may hear stories from people you’ve never met and will likely never see again. You may enjoy a cup of coffee in a park and look on as a family teaches their dog how to play fetch.

No matter what I do or where I find myself on these drives, I come away with a story. I come away with a renewed sense of joy and carelessness. I feel free. And when you feel free, anything is possible. You’re mind is clear and you can imagine new possibilities – new solutions to the challenges you may be facing or new inspiration for a challenge you have yet to discover.

Find the moments that take you back to a time when you felt truly carefree and let your mind run wild.

Where do you find your inspiration – your freedom?

 

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