Day of Hope #142 - Sunday October 13, 2024
Goal: Relax, enjoy the beauty of Hawaii, celebrate how far I've come, and envision the life I want to create for my future.
Quote: “The future depends on what you do today.” – Mahatma Gandhi
A Day of Hope in Paradise!
Aloha! Today is my Day of Hope, and I am sitting on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii! Seriously. How amazing is that? I'm sitting under an umbrella, looking out at the beautiful ocean, listening to the waves, and enjoying the warm Hawaiian sunshine.
The water is that gorgeous seafoam-green color that almost doesn't look real. The temperature is in the low 80s. And I have absolutely nowhere I need to be. Now THIS is my kind of Day of Hope!
We came to Hawaii with my boyfriend and some very dear friends I've known for almost 30 years. There were a couple of reasons for our trip. First, our Boise State Broncos were playing football in Hawaii. And they won! Go Broncos! We were also celebrating our friends' 65th wedding anniversary. Sixty-five years! What an incredible accomplishment. I'm so grateful we were able to share this special trip with them.
We stayed at the Hale Koa military hotel, right near beautiful Waikiki Beach. And when October 13th arrived, I knew exactly how I wanted to spend my day. At the beach. All day.
Two Chairs, One Umbrella, and Eight Hours of Freedom
I rented two lounge chairs and an umbrella. One chair for sunshine. One chair for shade. Because apparently, I needed options. Ha! My plan was to spend the entire day at the beach, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Just me, myself, and I. No appointments. No sightseeing schedule. No rushing from one activity to another. Just eight glorious hours of doing whatever I wanted.
I started my morning with breakfast from the Happy Café. Eggs, bacon, and tater tots. A great way to fuel a day of doing absolutely nothing! Then I settled into my lounge chair and soaked up some sunshine. Oh, it felt wonderful.
At one point, we had a little rain shower. Nothing major. Just about five minutes of light rain. And honestly? It felt great! It cooled everything down for a few minutes before the sunshine returned. Then I moved over to my other chair in the shade. See? That's why I needed two chairs. A girl needs options when she's spending eight hours in paradise!
The Best Kind of People-Watching
One of my favorite things about spending a day at the beach is watching everything happening around me.
And Waikiki Beach certainly gives you plenty to watch. There were couples relaxing under umbrellas. Families playing in the water. Kids splashing in the waves. People floating on inner tubes. Others trying paddleboards and wave boards.
Some people were sunbathing. Others were sitting quietly in the shade. And some were perfectly happy standing in the ocean, letting the waves roll around them. People came and went throughout the day. Some stayed for an hour. Others stayed for several hours.
There were people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. And everyone seemed to be enjoying the beach in their own way. I loved that. There wasn't one right way to spend the day. Some people wanted adventure. Some wanted exercise. Some wanted to play. And some, like me, wanted to sit in a chair and do absolutely nothing. Whatever makes you happy!
I listened to the waves, watched the people, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and felt completely content. Sometimes it's wonderful to be surrounded by people without needing to interact with anyone. Just enjoying the world around you.
Reading My Own Book on the Beach
I also brought along a copy of my book, A Day of Hope. Now that it was published and getting attention, I decided I needed to reread it. I know that probably sounds funny. After all, I wrote the thing! But I had spent so much time writing, editing, and preparing it for publication that some of the details were already becoming a blur.
And now that people were reading it, talking about it, and asking me questions, I wanted to become familiar with the finished book all over again. So there I was. Sitting on Waikiki Beach. Reading my own book. And you know what? I loved it! I found myself laughing at some of the stories. And crying at others.
I remembered moments I hadn't thought about in years. I reflected on the woman I had been when I first started taking my Days of Hope in 2013. And I thought about everything that had happened since.
I was genuinely amazed by what I had written. Not because I thought I was some famous author. But because I knew how much work, courage, and determination had gone into creating that book.
And now I could sit back and enjoy it as a reader. I was proud of the stories. Proud of the message. And proud of how much my writing had grown. I had created something meaningful, and I was finally allowing myself to appreciate it.
Working From the Beach? Yes, Please!
I also spent a little time working on materials for my upcoming vision board classes. I was preparing for another January launch and had some ideas I wanted to organize.
Now, before you start thinking I was working on my Day of Hope, let me explain. I actually enjoy creating these classes. I love thinking about ways to help other women imagine their futures and create lives they are excited about.
And sitting on a beautiful beach with my notebook, listening to the waves while working on something I love? Well, that didn't feel like work at all. It felt wonderful. Which led me to another thought.
What Would Millionaire Kayla Do?
Over the past year, I had been spending more time visualizing the future I wanted to create. And one of the things I had started doing was asking myself a question. “What would millionaire Kayla do?” I know. It sounds a little funny. But stay with me.
I was trying to imagine the version of myself who had already created the successful business and financial freedom I was working toward. How would she spend her time? What decisions would she make? Would she worry about every little thing?
Would she continue doing things simply because she thought she was supposed to? Or would she be more intentional about what mattered? I wanted to start making decisions from that perspective. Not because I was already a millionaire. But because I wanted to build the habits, confidence, and mindset of the woman I hoped to become. So as I sat there on Waikiki Beach, I asked myself:
Would millionaire Kayla spend an entire day relaxing on the beach? Absolutely! Would she enjoy the sunshine, the ocean, and the peaceful surroundings? Of course! Would she bring along something creative to work on because she genuinely enjoyed it? Yep!
Would she feel guilty for taking the day to herself? Not a chance!
And that's when I realized something. I didn't have to wait until I reached some future financial milestone to enjoy parts of the life I was dreaming about. I was already doing it. Right here. Right now. On Waikiki Beach.
Maybe millionaire Kayla wasn't just someone I was hoping to become. Maybe she was someone I was already learning how to be.
Losing Track of Time
The rest of the afternoon was more of the same. Sunshine. Shade. Ocean waves. People-watching. Reading. Relaxing. And occasionally working on my vision board ideas. For lunch, I grabbed a sandwich and a yogurt parfait. Then I returned to my lounge chair. I was having such a wonderful time that I completely lost track of the hours. And I loved it.
I wasn't watching the clock. I wasn't counting down until I needed to be somewhere else. I wasn't thinking about all the things waiting for me at home. I was simply enjoying the day. Eight hours at the beach, and I wasn't bored for a single minute. That's how I knew I had planned the perfect Day of Hope.
A Beautiful Evening With Wonderful Friends
Around 5:00 p.m., I finally packed up my beach things and headed back to the hotel. After spending the day in the sunshine, I was ready for a nice shower and a little dressing up. I put on my beautiful Hawaiian wrap dress, and the four of us headed out for dinner.
We went to Roy's, a wonderful restaurant in Honolulu. The food was delicious. The atmosphere was lovely. And the company was even better. I loved spending the evening with my boyfriend and our dear friends. There is something so special about friendships that last for decades. We've shared so many memories over the years. And now we were making another one together in Hawaii.
After dinner, we enjoyed a walk along the beach before heading back to the hotel. The evening was beautiful. The ocean was peaceful. And I was completely content. My Day of Hope was officially complete. And what an incredible day it had been!
Living the Dream Before the Dream Is Finished
As I reflected on the day, I kept thinking about the woman I wanted to become. The successful business owner. The author. The speaker. The woman who could choose how she spent her time. The woman who had created a life filled with freedom, adventure, and purpose.
And I realized that I was already becoming her. I had published my book. I was building Hopes Highways. I was traveling. I was spending time with people I loved. And I was continuing to take one Day of Hope every month. I certainly hadn't accomplished every goal I had for my future. Not even close! But I was enjoying the journey. And that mattered.
Because what good would it do to spend years working toward a wonderful future if I forgot to enjoy the wonderful moments happening right now? I didn't want to wait until I had more money, more time, or more success before allowing myself to feel happy. I wanted to enjoy the life I was creating along the way.
And on this beautiful October day, sitting beside the ocean in Hawaii, I felt incredibly grateful.
Maybe the greatest luxury isn't having everything you want. Maybe it's having the freedom to enjoy what you already have.
And today? I felt like the richest woman on the beach.
My Lesson of Hope: Don't wait until you've accomplished every goal or reached some future milestone before allowing yourself to enjoy your life. Dream big, visualize the person you want to become, and take steps toward creating that future. But remember that happiness, peace, and freedom aren't things you have to save for someday. You can begin experiencing them right now. Sometimes all it takes is giving yourself permission to slow down, appreciate how far you've come, and enjoy the moment you're in. You don't have to be a millionaire to live a life that feels rich in all the ways that matter.
