Anyone that
read last week’s blog (Washy Washy? How About Helpie Helpie???) knows I just came back from a Mediterranean
cruise. But the funny thing is, I didn’t actually talk about the trip
itself—just the cell phone debacle at the end of my journey. It was an unfortunate way to end what was
otherwise a dream vacation in every other way. It was my mom’s first time out
of the country. Watching her face light up each time we reached a new
destination was a thrill to see and continues to warm my heart every time I
think about it. (I’ll certainly never forget the look on her face as our guide
told us about the whorehouse in Pompeii!) Although it was not my first time
abroad, it was still exciting to revisit some old places as well as discover
new ones. My mom has repeatedly called it, “The trip of a lifetime,” and I have
to admit, my mom is right. (They always are, aren’t they?) It’s a vacation
where I unplugged completely from the world… I didn’t post to my blog or do any
work related to my “real life”. I felt completely in the moment and relaxed.
Y’all know how hard that is for me to do! So now the question remains… how do I
carry that peace of mind into my daily life? In other words, how do I treat my
life like it’s a vacation every day?
Since returning
home, I have been very careful not to jump back into my old routines. It’s been
made easier by the nasty virus I picked up at the tail end of my trip. I’ve
been forced to stay in bed and get more rest than I’m accustomed to. A
byproduct of my downtime is that I have somewhat remained in a vacation-state-of-mind.
And guess what? I LIKE IT. I’ve been reading more than I have in years, had
more time to reach out to friends, and I haven’t felt stressed or anxious about
what artistic pursuit I should be focusing on next. Now I’m not saying that I
want to throw in the towel on my career ambitions. I just want to find a way to
do it in a more “zen” way.
I know what
you’re all thinking. There IS no way to do that. Life isn’t a vacation. That’s
why people take vacations… to escape their lives, right? WRONG. I think it’s
sad we need to take vacations to “relax”, “unwind”, “decompress” or whatever
de-stressing word you want to use. Since coming home two weeks ago, I have been
able to fulfill my real world obligations without having all the normal anxiety
and worries that come along with it. The trick will be to add my creative life
back into the mix and not lose my mind in the process! And therein lies the
problem, but I don’t believe for a second there isn’t a solution. I’ve already
been talking to my lovely coach, Tessa Faye, and brainstorming ways to
make my life feel less burdensome. I know that much of it comes with my own
attitude. The whole “perception is reality” is so true. If I see something as
stressful, then it IS stressful. However, the reverse is also true. If I look
at a challenge as something solvable, then it will be.
Another part of the equation is
pacing. On a vacation we’re not restricted to the schedule that dictates our
real lives; you can do things in your own time. My friend recently commented it
took him moving to the Midwest to realize how rapidly he had been living his
life in NYC. Life in NYC moves so quickly that most of us feel we’ll get lost
in the shuffle if we can’t keep up. But is that really true? What about
marching to the beat of your own drum… and at your own SPEED??? I simply don’t
want to be a passenger on that high-speed-crazy-train anymore. Slowing down
might make me accomplish less, but what if it makes me accomplish MORE? Working
at a frantic pace can lead to opportunities missed or mistakes made. Slow and
steady wins the race, they say, and maybe doing a little less will give me the
mental break I need to recharge my battery and actually allow me to accomplish
MORE in the long run.
I’m not sure how this is all going
to work out, but I’m going to give it a shot and see how it goes. As Lily
Tomlin said, “For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.” I have a feeling that quote is going to become
my new mantra. And I’m totally okay with that!
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