Find your best self before the wedding ceremony and read marriage, relationship, and wellness tips from Denver wedding officiant, Michael Moody.
Colorado Elopement: Elk Falls Lookout & Pond (Staunton State Park) | Denver Wedding Officiant
Summary
Plan a Colorado elopement at Staunton State Park’s Elk Falls Lookout and Elk Falls Pond near Denver. A Denver wedding officiant shares route tips, distance, parking, and the best seasons for hiking elopements. Find scenic ceremony spots with mountain views and rock platforms—even within the first miles. Book your Colorado elopement wedding for unforgettable photos.
Key Topics
Denver wedding officiant; Colorado elopement wedding; Staunton State Park elopement; Elk Falls Lookout; Elk Falls Pond; hiking elopement near Denver; Front Range elopement; scenic ceremony locations Colorado; Colorado ordained minister; mountain wedding backdrop; Evergreen/Conifer elopement; wedding ceremony hikes
Introduction
Living in Denver offers many perks, including beautiful hiking trails in state parks within 60 minutes for a Colorado elopement wedding. Here’s the first of a series of Staunton State Park hikes that I’ve recently recommended to my wedding couples in Colorado as options for a wedding ceremony elopement. I’ve included a review from a past visit and my notes.
Staunton State Park offers impeccable views from its trail for a beautiful elopement wedding in Colorado.
Time of Year: Late July.
Weather: 60 degrees and sunny at 8:49 am, 71 degrees and cloudy at 12:56 pm.
Cover: Sparse trees on the Scout Line trail and more exposed on Marmot Passage and Chimney Rock Trails. Completely exposed around Elk Falls Pond.
Time: 8:49 am - 12:56 pm.
Distance: 10.9 Miles total (Scout Line to Marmot Passage to Elk Falls Pond to Chimney Rock to Elk Falls Overlook. Return: Lion's Back to Elk Falls Pond again. Marmot Passage to Scout Line to the parking lot).
Traffic: Light to moderate (a mix of bikers and hikers on Marmot Passage to Elk Falls Pond).
Parking: Lazy V parking lot (2 miles passed the visitor center). 60% full at the beginning and end of the hike.
Equipment: Hiking boots.
Terrain: A well-marked dirt and rock path that connects to many routes. The accent on Scout Line and the first part of Marmot Passage had more rocky terrain overall.
Experience: Absolutely love Staunton State Park! All of the staff are friendly, and the trails and picnic areas are well-maintained. The ascent on Scout Line Trail and the first part of Marmot Passage Trail offered incredible sweeping views of the surrounding mountains (all within 2 miles of the hike). Most of the hike was scenic, and I saw a deer just 15 feet off the trail. The pond is charming, and the Elk Falls Overlook provides beautiful 270-degree views. I passed the Elk Falls Trail on the way up and chose Lion's Back on the way down to the pond to save time. Although this route is out-and-back, you can create a loop with their extensive trail system. Can't wait to bring other hikers! Note: I bypassed a few miles by starting my hike from the Lazy V lot.
Cost: A state park day or annual pass must be purchased for access to the trail.
Difficulty: Easy, but the initial hike up may require a cardio baseline.
Colorado Wedding Officiant Notes: I loved this trail and can’t wait to return! Although the 11-mile trek might be a haul for wedding couples with less endurance, you’ll be plenty satisfied hiking within the first 2.5 miles with plenty of stunning views right off the bat. Many areas offer rock platforms large enough for additional guests as well. No doubt, there are many options on this trail for a Colorado Wedding Elopement. You may also take other trails for photos or a wedding ceremony at Elk Falls Pond or Elk Falls Lookout. Being so close to the Front Range of Colorado, the winter season will offer a snow-covered option without as many road closures. It also serves as a cooler option than the Front Range during the summer. Fall would be a wonderful, dry option, while the early spring may be muddy depending on the snowmelt.
Staunton State Park offers endless options for elopement ceremonies. A state park pass Is required, though.
The sweeping panoramic views is a perfect backdrop for a wedding elopement in Colorado.
You don’t need to hike 11 miles for a Colorado elopement wedding ceremony in this state park. You’ll find the perfect location in the first 2.5 miles (even in the first .5 mile).
The terrain aren’t ideal for high heels but they aren’t bad for a bride in hiking boots!
The interesting rock formations in Staunton State Park offer an interesting backdrop for your elopement ceremony.
Although it might be a bit of a hike up, the Elk Falls Overlook offers a 270-degree view from a rock platform (perfect for a ceremony with Colorado ordained minister).
A perfect location for an elopement ceremony. Only a 25 minute hike up to this point.
About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant
Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of the “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver and other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.
Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, Golden, and more.
If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!
Wedding Planning Tips
Colorado Elopement Hikes near Denver: North Table Mountain West Loop (Golden)
Introduction
Living in Denver, Colorado, offers many perks, including beautiful hiking trails for an elopement within 18-30 minutes. Here’s the first of a series of Golden hikes that I’ve recently recommended to my wedding couples in Colorado as options for a wedding ceremony elopement. I’ve included a review from a past visit and my notes.
North Table Mountain is the high plains of the high plains in Golden, Colorado
Date: February 5th.
Weather: 33 degrees and sunny at 9:14 am.
Cover: Completely exposed (more ideal for winter and early spring because of the sun).
Time: 9:14 am - 11:47 am.
Distance: 6 Miles total (West trailhead parking lot to Lichen Peak to the east side of the mountain and looping north and then west back to the lot).
Traffic: Low (normally high).
Parking: Several spots are available.
Equipment: Hiking boots and microspikes.
Terrain: Definitely a quick climb up from the lot, but flat once you reach the peak. Faced 12-20 mph winds on my back until I reached the east side and began looping north/northwest. At that point, I was walking against a not-so-kind wall of wind. Beautiful views of neighboring mountains and Golden. It’s a well-marked snow-covered path, but I could see it being muddy during the late spring.
Difficulty: Easy, but the initial walk up may require a cardio baseline.
Colorado Wedding Officiant Notes: While my visit was in the winter, the trail provided a snow-dusted landscape that framed every step. Considering that the mountain is shaped like a table, wedding couples have endless options for a scenic backdrop of the mountains in the west or Golden and Denver in the east. Wind is certainly a factor at times and should be part of the consideration for the elopement. Late winter and early spring will provide hard ground without mud, but may require microspikes for traction in snow. Late spring and summer will offer a dry path and quite a bit of sun exposure. An early morning hike is recommended for cooler temperatures. The fall is a perfect season with moderate temperatures and stunning views of changing leaves.
When it isn’t windy, the rock cliff and the views of Golden can provide a perfect backdrop for an elopement wedding in Colorado.
The west side of Table Mountain provides a private perspective between the mountain and its sisters across the road.
About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant
Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver as well as other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.
Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, Golden, and more.
If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!
Wedding Planning Tips
#35 - Designing Your New Work Life | Dave Evans
Introduction
Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we examine the mental and emotional narratives and processes that steer the social stream of consciousness….Truly a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior. Each episode is a glimpse into the trends and patterns of human behavior and the underlying influences that navigate us into different directions. Whether we primarily focus on nutrition or the unconscious, guests share insights, thought-provoking lessons, the nuances of creativity, and the elements of being….us.
Today, I'd like to introduce you to Dave Evans, the Co-Director of the Stanford Life Design Lab and a co-founder of Electronic Arts, one of the world's largest interactive entertainment companies. He also led the design of Apple's first mouse and laser printer and has a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford.
Recently, Dave and his colleague, Bill Burnett, coauthored the #1 New York Times bestseller Designing Your New Work Life....and it served as the foundation of our conversation. It's a job-changing, outlook-changing, life-changing book that shows us how to transform our new, uncharted work lives and create a meaningful dream job. With new insights on making our way through disruption- large and small, personal or global-the book helps us navigate during these times of fear and anxiety about the unknown and through our post-COVID work lives and beyond.
Specifically, we discuss their Disruption Design with a focus on curiosity, reframing, radical collaboration, awareness, bias to action, and storytelling. We also learn how to make possibilities available even when our lives have been disrupted, examine the tools to enjoy the moment, and begin to prototype our future.
___________________________
To learn more about Dave Evans and his new book, visit https://designingyour.life.
The Elements of Being Podcast with Michael Moody featuring Dave Evans
In this episode, we specifically discussed:
-How to redesign our professional lives with unknown disruptions in mind when we've already invested in a specific path.
-How to break the chain of working endlessly without satisfaction and "doing whatever it takes" modeled by our parents and society.
-How to approach the dilemma of serving life of purpose for less pay or settling for a higher wage at a less satisfying job.
-Design thinking and the benefit of applying this mode of thinking to our professional lives.
-The importance of curiosity in our professional lives.
-Prototyping new positions and experiences while serving a current position.
-How we can reframe our current position to change our work experience or career trajectory.
-A distinction between reframing and renaming our work experiences.
-The benefits of radical collaboration.
-The foundation of great storytelling.
-The best exit strategies.
About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant
Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver as well as other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.
Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, Golden, and more.
If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!
Wedding Planning Tips
Boulder Elopement on Green Mountain Loop via Chautauqua | Denver Wedding Officiant
Summary
Plan a Colorado elopement wedding just 35 minutes from Denver on the Green Mountain Loop via Chautauqua in Boulder. A Denver wedding officiant guides this rewarding route with sweeping views. Get details on distance, elevation, parking, and seasons. Book your Boulder elopement for a stress-free ceremony with unforgettable mountain backdrops.
Key Topics
Denver wedding officiant; Colorado elopement wedding; Boulder elopement; Boulder wedding officiant; Green Mountain Loop via Chautauqua; Chautauqua Trail elopement; elopement hikes near Denver; Gregory Canyon wedding photos; microspikes winter hiking; front range elopement; Colorado ordained minister; scenic elopement locations Boulder
Introduction
Now that cooler weather is upon us, an elopement ceremony in nearby Boulder is always a safer bet for mild temperatures and interesting terrain. Definitely my new favorite front-range trail with sweeping views east, north, and west! Don’t plan to host your wedding ceremony elopement here? Maybe decide after these photos. You can easily have a Colorado elopement wedding within 35 minutes of Denver. I’ve included a review from a past visit and my notes.
The Green Mountain Loop in Boulder offers a few options for an elopement wedding in Colorado.
Time of Year: Late-October.
Weather: 38 degrees and sunny at 8:57 am, wind: 4 mph (non-factor).
Cover: 65% dispersed cover.
Time: 8:57 am - 12:31 pm.
Distance: 7.3 miles total (left on the loop at Amphitheater Trail).
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes.
Route: Chautauqua Trail to 6th Street Connector Trail to Meadow Trail to Amphitheater Trail to Saddle Rock Trail to EM Green Man Trail to Green Mountain West Ridge Trail to Ranger Trail to Gregory Canyon Trail.....and then back to Meadow Trail to 6th Street Connector Trail to Meadow Trail to Chautauqua Trail. In other words, follow the All-Trails map (except Ski Jump Trail-closed).
Traffic: Light.
Parking: 50% full (parking now free until Memorial Day Weekend, tons of parking for the many trail connectors).
Equipment: Hiking boots.
Terrain: A well-marked rocky trail with a 2600-foot climb over the first 3.7 miles. Primarily a dirt path for the first 1 mile down from the peak of Green Mountain, before a rocky dirt trail starts again within the canyon. The Meadow Trail on the front and back ends is mostly a dirt trail, too.
Experience: I think this is the most rewarding front-range hike so far. While everyone jumps on Boulder's Royal Arch and Flatirons trails, this neighboring trek offers interesting terrain with incredible east, north, and west views up the steep incline to the top of Green Mountain. You can see over 20 other peaks as well as the high plains at 8100 feet. On the way back, you're also rewarded with a rocky stroll through Gregory Canyon. I clocked 3.5 hours for 7.3 miles. Expect to add time to your hike for the climb and soak in the views.
Cost: Free.
Difficulty: Hard Level 1 (cardio and muscular endurance necessary for the consistent grade up the first half and steady footing on the way down; moderate distance overall at 7.3 miles; no significant scrambles; 1 ladder climb because of a mudslide).
Colorado Ordained Minister Notes: Like the neighboring Royal Arch hike, my wedding officiant clients will need good cardio and muscular endurance to manage the 2600-foot climb within the first 3 miles. For such hikes, I move at a pace that doesn’t overstep my physical boundaries, and I certainly take breaks when necessary. The work is worth the wedding elopement with a view! You can cut off a couple of miles by parking at the Gregory Canyon Trailhead, too. I won’t judge. :)
When to Visit: Although the trail is close to Denver, the winter season will offer a snow-covered option, depending on the week and the sun exposure on parts of the trail. Microspikes will help you conquer the terrain. The mix of shade and sun exposure makes a morning summer hike bearable (although it will warm up quickly by noon). Early fall is a wonderful, dry option, while the early spring may be a bit muddy depending on the snowmelt (the sun may dry most of the trail by mid-afternoon).
Although my recent hike was over 7 miles, you can easily host your Colorado elopement wedding ceremony within a few short miles.
My wedding couples will be able to name over 20 peaks in the distance with this handy tool on Green Mountain in Boulder.
This is view is only 35 minutes from Denver. Simply amazing.
The terrain aren’t ideal for high heels but they aren’t bad for a bride in hiking boots!
This part of the Gregory Canyon is a nice option for an elopement ceremony too!
We have a skyline in Denver…..and Boulder gives us the majestic rock formations swimming in the forest of trees.
The high plains of Colorado coming to life with new color!
Sometimes the hidden parts of a trail often provide majestic backdrops for a Colorado wedding ceremony too.
The varying terrain of Boulder offers multiple backdrops for an elopement ceremony on one trail!
About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant
Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver as well as other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.
Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, Golden, and more.
If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!
Wedding Planning Tips
Redefine Yourself for Marriage: Mindful Preparation with a Denver Wedding Officiant
Summary
Discover how the Redefine Yourself approach—awareness, acceptance, and adaptation—supports meaningful, intentional wedding ceremony planning with a trusted Denver wedding officiant. This mindful framework helps Colorado couples move beyond logistics to align vows, values, and relationship readiness for a ceremony that truly reflects their story. From premarital guidance and personalized vows to calm, confident wedding ceremony planning in Colorado, you’ll learn practical strategies to remove obstacles and deepen connection. Work with a compassionate Colorado wedding officiant who blends mindset tools with ceremony craft to make your day feel authentic, joyful, and unforgettable.
Key Topics
Denver wedding officiant
Colorado wedding officiant
mindful marriage preparation
premarital guidance Denver
wedding ceremony planning Colorado
intentional wedding ceremony
Redefine Yourself approach
awareness acceptance adaptation
relationship readiness before marriage
personalized vows and readings
modern non-religious wedding ceremony
spiritual but not religious ceremony Denver
Denver wedding officiant offering premarital guidance
How to prepare for marriage in Colorado
mindset and marriage preparation, Denver, CO
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Couples coaching with a wedding officiant in Denver
Introduction
Think about your life for a moment. Do you think it is a struggle? Are you generally unhappy? Is something or someone missing? Do you feel out of place?
Whether or not you answered yes to these questions, you are probably reading this article because you are searching for something meaningful in your life, or for a solution to change how you feel or behave.
The Redefine Yourself approach will catalyze this change. During this transformation process, the primary focus of physical and personal change isn’t just nutrition and exercise. It’s a targeted focus on awareness, acceptance, and adaptive strategies. Each word is individually significant, but most powerful as a sequence.
As you integrate the Redefine Yourself approach into your life, you will refine your perspective and understand why you:
Do what you do.
Can’t reach your goals.
Find yourself in the same destructive position repeatedly.
Date the same type of person with or without the same hair color, and allow the relationship to last six months to twenty years too long.
Complain about everything in your life to your friends, who then end up complaining about your complaining, and so forth.
Can’t reach your best physical, emotional, and mental self.
Live an unhappy and unfulfilled life.
Change starts with the mind for my Denver personal training clients. / Photo: Tara Winstead
Beginning Your Journey
Redefine Yourself will help you understand and redefine the very essence of YOU. It is the answer to your perpetual failure to achieve the happiness and success that you desire. You’ll uncover your shocking inner self that has undermined your efforts everywhere from the gym to the workplace.
By the end, you’ll incorporate the simple approach that will not only reshape your life but also positively impact the people around you. Most importantly, you will remove the invisible obstructions that hold you back from achieving personal success!
Redefine Yourself will become the “in-your-pocket” resource for daily change. It exemplifies a new generation of health and fitness books that emphasize the mental and emotional “you” in pursuit of personal and professional success.
You’ll utilize the following three-step process when confronting your inner influences and adapting new strategies:
1. Awareness
You are a detective collecting the truth of a moment, observing yourself and every movement, sight, touch, scent, and sound of the world. You are gathering evidence for the truth without judgment. Redefine Yourself will help you examine the most common mental and environmental factors that influence your happiness. This list includes self-talk, surroundings, emotional restraint, fears, insecurities, perceived control, decision-making processes, and belief in your abilities.
You’ll probably realize that one could write a separate book about each of these influences. In fact, you’ll easily find them in a bookstore or online, already written. But for the purpose of introducing you to yourself, I’ve only touched lightly on what you need to think about when examining yourself. We’ll call it a light stroke of awareness. At this point, you are just naming what you observe about yourself. While you may not fully confront the reasons you’re dealing with these challenges, the Redefine Yourself approach will help you accept them and adopt successful strategies to overcome them.
Perhaps you already think that you are fully aware in your daily life. How do you know this? Is this truth based on assumptions or objective evidence? Have you separated yourself from your mental judgment and just absorbed the world?
Most people answer no to these questions. You might do this occasionally, but not often enough. Instead, you usually take a leap of faith without stopping first. You jump, again and again, not knowing where you will land.
You live a forever-looking-forward existence. You pick up bits and pieces around you, but never stop the train of life. “Not enough time,” you say. However, you make time for things that aren’t important to you. “I already know,” you say, but have never stopped to look and be certain.
Redefine Yourself isn’t the start of a gentle persuasion to do something. It is a knock on the head to make you realize that you’re not doing something that you think you’re doing.
You probably aren’t aware as much as you need to be. I know that you’ve made millions of decisions in your life and have survived thus far. How well have you lived up to this point, however? Could you have lived better if you had just halted before reacting? Could you have prevented a disaster by looking in both directions first?
I once wrongly accused my girlfriend of being selfish while she was holding a gift. Have you done something similar? I felt hopeless about my direction in life and my inability to change it, but I didn’t check to see that the truth was in front of me. Have you, as well?
Redefining yourself means becoming and staying aware. When you dedicate yourself to remaining aware before making a decision, judgment or movement, you are committing to a higher state of living. You are committing to seeing both the real perfections and imperfections of the world.
There is beauty in this awareness. Recently, my girlfriend and I went to a good friend’s wedding in Milwaukee. It started with an exchange of rings in the pews of the historic St. Josaphat Basilica and ended in the Pfister Hotel's seventh-floor banquet room in downtown Milwaukee.
The highlight of the evening was the genuine love that I noticed during the father-of-the-bride’s speech. It was unbelievable! I was soaking in the aura of happiness that started in the cathedral eight hours earlier. The guests sincerely loved the couple, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. I captured something special in that single moment. I always wonder how many of these moments—good and bad—I have missed while distracted by my selfish intentions or by my work.
I was not meant to change or add to this wedding moment. It already took motion without me in the picture. I was just a bystander.
There are many more moments, however, which require me to take action. I can make a change to help someone in need or remove myself from a situation.
Often, it doesn’t matter what leads to a moment. It only matters what you do with it. It requires a fair observation and assessment. This awareness will help you realize the real need to redefine yourself.
2. Acceptance
When you accept the mental and environmental factors that influence you, you accept your situation, surroundings, and feelings at that moment. Then you begin using appropriate adaptive strategies to promote positive change. You are putting aside your emotional investment and other subconscious influences to start over and redefine yourself.
Although your focus is on your mindset and the environment during a period of awareness, you mustn’t dwell on the imperfections of you, your situation, or your surroundings. Additionally, you mustn’t fixate on imperfect pieces of life that are unchangeable at the moment. Before adapting new strategies to redefine yourself, you must accept these things in their current state.
Acceptance isn’t easy and is a common reason people choose to be less aware of themselves and the world. It took me a while to understand why people don’t stop and “open their eyes.” When I did, it made sense: people don’t want to. “Ignorance is bliss! The real world stinks!” The world is imperfect, and this is hard to accept. Instead, they construct a rose-colored reality to mask the blight and scathing.
If this is so effective, why are so many people still unhappy? It seems that our instinctive selves always recognize the truth despite our best efforts to ignore it. Our subconscious taps us on the shoulder but doesn’t push us over. It just reminds us that it’s there and tells us what we should do (even though we don’t always do it).
It’s our gut barking, and many people are scared to face it. They’re afraid to identify imperfections in themselves and their environment, and new challenges.
Frederick Douglass, a former slave and leader in the abolitionist movement, echoes this in his narratives:
“…I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out. In moments of agony, I envied my fellow slaves for their stupidity. I often wished myself a beast.”
What an unbelievable quote! Even a man of vigor and ambition like Frederick Douglass questioned his own awareness because of the great truths he faced.
You may not share the terrible circumstances that Mr. Douglass did as a slave. You’re fortunate for this. Nevertheless, there may be an unpleasant reality that might show itself, now or later, when you “open your eyes.” To make it worse, you may not know how to handle it or what to do with this new information. You’re afraid to recognize that you chose the wrong career, but you depend on it financially. You’re scared to accept that you chose the wrong spouse, but you’ve already raised two kids with him or her.
No matter what action you eventually pursue, you can accept your current situation. You can accept that knowledge is power even though you can’t always change it.
What’s the point of being aware if you can’t always change it then? It helps you understand the world. It enables you to understand yourself. It helps you understand the subtle influences on your behavior, choices, and personality. It enables you to recognize what you need to do to be happy.
You’re not always given an answer, a path, or the next step when you become aware. Realizing how much you have gained or how isolated you’ve become because of your job won’t be rectified as soon as you notice it.
It’s worth knowing, though, that achieving a greater purpose means living a better, happier life. You can’t redefine your life without knowing its current shape and accepting it.
Moving forward or redefining yourself can’t happen unless you learn to accept how a situation is at a given moment. Otherwise, the insight you gain into practical decisions and problem-solving is fruitless.
I struggled with this for a while. I realized that I wouldn’t let go of my emotional investment in my personal and professional lives. I wouldn’t accept that my marriage wasn’t working. I didn’t accept that the website design I worked on for two months wasn’t right.
Now is the time to trust your instincts, your gut, and your perspective. Put aside your emotional investment and don’t be afraid to start over. ACCEPT it and move on. When you don’t accept it, tell yourself again and again and again that you should.
3. Adaptation
Once you’re aware of the challenges you face and you choose to accept them, you are ready to handle your current and unforeseen obstructions to happiness. You will be prepared to adapt your lifestyle and use adaptive strategies across multiple facets of your life. The specific solution may be different depending on the situation, but the foundation of your approach won’t change. You are just modifying the approach based on new conditions, needs, or wants.
You will also integrate new strategies to practice mindfulness, solve problems, accumulate wisdom through error, create new habits, clarify your purpose, self-police your life, define your boundaries, set goals to steer positive behavior, and engage in conversations with others.
Please keep in mind that adaptation means taking action. You are not a bystander in this process. Here are several examples:
Is your friend is a selfish jerk? Accept All-About-Me Julie as she is and ignore her selfish tendencies, discuss how her actions make you feel, or begin dismantling your friendship.
Do you think the president stinks? Accept that the president (insert Republican, Democrat, or Independent here) is the leader of the United States and ignore his political decisions, get involved with politics, or make a grassroots effort for change.
These examples are another way of saying, “Quit complaining and do something.” Complaining is primarily an emotional output, the result of boredom or simple conversation lacking any substantial or functional value. On the other hand, adaptation isn’t complaining about what you found and sharing how horrible it is for anyone who is or isn’t interested in listening. When you develop an evidence-based strategy and choose the best possible decision, you are effectively adapting your life.
About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant
Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of the “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver and other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.
Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Golden, Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, and more.
If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!