♥Long drawn out morning coffee ♥Jeans and t-shirts ♥Ugg boots, not stilettos ♥Dinner cooked at lunch time ♥Daytime TV (I know,
probably won’t happen, but it could) ♥Writing all day ♥Afternoon naps ♥Midweek
laughs with my bestie (I can’t wait to sit on her deck in the sunshine and
whittle away the hours chatting) ♥Breakfast sitting down, not eaten on the run ♥Dog walks, shop runs ♥Afternoon tea in the sun ♥Phone chats ♥ I might even get
through my email for once! ♥Reading, oh I can’t wait to lay on the lounge with a
good book, during the day, midweek (this is so novel I can’t even imagine what
this will feel like) ♥No rushing ♥No peak hour traffic ♥No watching the time
every five minutes for the first two hours of my day ♥Phone on silent. House
silent. Head silent. ♥
Three weeks and
counting. My life as I have known it for 23 years will change and my heart and
soul cannot wait. I can't stop smiling, thinking of the freedom that will
prevail. I have loved my career and feel incredibly blessed for the
opportunities I have been presented with (truly blessed), but I am ready.
At one point, when I first started to realise I no longer loved working full time, I had
planned to retire when I hit 50. FIFTY YEARS OLD! That is nine years away, how
would I have lasted another nine years of full time, five days a week work? Impossible.
I have been ready for this for a long time. I am so glad I listened to my
authentic self.
Sometimes
the questions are complicated and the answers are simple. ~Dr Seuss
How
much do we overthink things? I am a tragic over-thinker by nature. I, well
actually my head, likes to dissect things and toss them around a bit and
consider all possible scenarios and outcomes. In some situations this is great,
I don’t get stuck on one idea and can inspire myself to see things in different
ways. In other situations, not so much.
Sometimes
when questions arise it is best to answer them off the cuff. Difficult
decisions are often based on so many ‘what-ifs’ that we can tend to overload
the decision down with unrealistic possibilities. I have started to respond to
questions and my own choice options with whatever first comes to mind. I
realise that not digging too deep but rather answering with what first comes up
is in fact my authentic self responding. When we start to dig and delve for the
‘right’ response the what-ifs come to fruition guided by our false self, our safe side reminding us we need to be responsible. Of course we do, our
false self will always remind us of that. But if we listen to our intuition, to our instincts, we tend to dig less for conscious reasoning.
Understandably
decisions often have responsibilities attached, there are things we must
consider, however a lot of smaller decisions can rely purely on what we feel is
best. The authentic self will always tell you what you truly want to do, what
your heart wants. When we allow our false self to step in, we fill ourselves
with self-doubt and fear and we tend to make decisions based on what we feel we are expected
to do. I don’t want to live my life based on what is expected of me, I would
rather live my life how I want to live it. That won’t always please others or
live up to the image they have carved out of and for me, but that’s okay. I can
live with that.
I
am all for keeping things simple, it is the mantra that I aspire to live by and
I often need to remind myself that things do not need to be so complicated. I just need to stop complicating them.
Well here we are, in the second part of 2012. How
fast do the days go by?! Only eight months ago I was planning to pursue
my dream of working part time so I could focus on writing, and I now have
merely 4-6 weeks of work left. I am so very excited. So excited.
I look back at the first half of 2012 with
extreme pride, sadness, joy, relief and happiness, so much has happened that I
am baffled at the velocity at which time flies by. I feel like I blinked and
here we are. That inspires me, the fact that time eludes us and passes by so quickly. It inspires me to make the most of every day. It
inspires me to grab life by the lapels and push fear aside to do what it is
that brings most joy into my life. I have also undergone some serious life
changes and although change is good it hasn’t always been easy. Taking each day as it
presents itself with as much positivity as I can muster is how I get by,
tomorrow is a new day and I don’t want to waste today worrying about that which
I cannot change.
The day I decided to pursue my dream I wrote this post. “A year from now you will wish you had started today.” Even six months on
from the start of the year I am seriously chuffed I acted when I did. I would
be disappointed in myself if I reached December 2012 and I was still sitting in
the same spot, thinking about my
dream. Life is long, and I want to ensure mine is full of passion and dreams
that come to fruition, I don’t want to wake up every day and plod through life
feeling uninspired and find myself settling. I want excitement and fire in my belly, and
the only one responsible for that is me. It all starts at me.
Fittingly I started my first writing course this week. I am completing my first assessment today on the first day of the other half of this year, and the rest of my life.
If you are putting your dreams into action, what
was it that inspired you to leap?
"Even
if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit
there." ~Will Rogers
I am so inspired. That fire in the belly I wrote
about here is roaring with gusto and life. The spark has been ignited like never before and is
burning bright. I can see the path ahead of me, clear as day. I don’t know where it leads to but I do know it will be full of excitement and inspiration. I don’t
know how I know, I just do.
No more than a week ago I got the great news that
I could reduce my full time day job down to part time, very part time as in two
days a week. The spare days I would usually be working will be spent pursuing my love of writing. I have to admit I am not rolling in money, nor am I probably even
going to be able to cover my living expenses on time at the start, but somehow
I am not afraid. I am nervous with excitement, but not afraid. I was more
afraid of not taking the leap and slowly dying inside living as is expected rather than how I truly want to. A wise friend told me
that when we follow our authentic self and do what our heart truly desires, the
money will follow. I liked that statement, I trust it. Strangely I am not
afraid.
In less than a week I have booked myself into a
writing course that commences in less than two weeks. I sat staring at the screen about
to register myself and for a split second my false self threw in the thought
of “but, it’s so soon, will you have time?” I immediately clicked on the 'register' button. My false self has no place here in the land of my dreams. No place. I
also have a photography course booked with a very dear friend of mine. We will
spend the day out and about with photographers, learning and being inspired. I like where this
is heading.
So if you wake up one day and your false self
taunts you saying you cannot follow your dreams, tell it to rack off. Of course you
can. I am. And I have no back up plan, no secret savings account to fall back
on, no rich daddy to throw money my way when things get tight. But I do have
the fire in my belly. And I can assure you, that fire makes me feel more alive
than security ever did.
I have been talking for a while about putting my dream into motion. I made the conscious decision to act on my dream 7 months ago, as I wrote here. I couldn’t share too much earlier on about how I would achieve my dream as the bulk of how it would eventuate was relying on my full time job. I don’t blog about my job, I keep my personal and work life very separate, and my blog is about me on a personal level. I rarely talk about my day once I leave the office let alone write about it. However to share my joyous news I am going to partially break my own no-talking-about-work pact.
To give you an insight, I co-own a small business. I also work there full time. I have worked full time since I left high school, some ten years ago. Ok, over two decades ago (I’m 41, yeah whatever). 23 years to be exact, 23 years of full time employment. I am exhausted. I’m done. I am sociable by nature so I love going in to spend the day with my colleagues and staff, but I have reached a point where I simply want to be home more. I want to not have to spend five mornings a week rushing around preparing for my day in the office. I don't want to ride that treadmill anymore, jumping on as the alarm goes off and jumping off at bedtime every weeknight. I didn’t take maternity leave or have a year at home after my son was born, I went back to work weeks after his birth. I have missed assemblies and school excursions. I haven’t had the opportunity to pick my child up from school every day. I haven’t had the opportunity to be able to cook dinner before 6pm on weekdays. I haven’t had the opportunity to come home after the school run and enjoy my morning coffee or make my bed at a leisurely pace rather than flinging the doona over as I am trying to find something to wear. I’ve missed all that. My choice, but it hasn’t been easy.
Enter my blog. I started my blog on a whim July last year and it has been the catalyst for me realising my love of writing. I came to the realisation last year that the one thing I want to do every day is write. I want to focus on myself, my home and my child. I want to focus on spending my day pleasing my soul. I am not a ‘carer’ by nature (you know, those kinds of people who just love to mother others and love to go out of their way to make sure others are happy?) and yet I have wound up in roles whereby the majority of my responsibility was caring for others and ensuring others' needs were met. Now it’s my turn.
Today I received the best news I could have imagined. My request to change my full time management role to a part-time business role, two days a week, was granted. I cannot tell you how happy my heart is. I can’t even start to imagine what this means for me and my dream. I will have three days (maybe two, I might give myself an extra day off) to concentrate on my writing. I can take photos and get stuck into my love of food photography. I might even do that graphic design course I have been dreaming of. And I can attend school assembly if I want and pick my child up from school. I can shower at noon if I like. I probably will.
I felt terribly scared of this move when I first started to think about it. What if I don’t get enough work, what if I can’t pay my mortgage? I will, somehow I will. All I know is that if I continued on doing what my heart was no longer passionate about I would slowly die inside. And my creative soul wasn’t letting me get away with that.
I am a dreamer, always have been. I used to
whittle away hours daydreaming as a kid. Eden (my favourite blogger of all time
y’all!) from over at Edenland recently wrote "I don't like the physical world .. I much prefer the world inside us." I love how her words make
sense. I wouldn’t have been able to articulate that very feeling, but Eden did.
Perfectly. I hibernate inside my own head a lot of the time, the real world is
too negative a place for me at times. And too real.
Most recently I have put my dreaming to good use.
I woke up one day about 7 months ago (16 November 2011 to be exact - I penned the date down) and
realised the dreams I have need traction. The dreams I have will remain only as
dreams unless I do something about it. The dreams I have are in fact attainable
and the only thing stopping me, is me. So I grabbed a pen and paper, and simply wrote down my dreams. Just like that. I wrote them as they fell out of
my head, in dot point form, without pause. No frills. No pretty doodling to
make it look fancy, just blue ink on white paper. My dreams in words. I wrote two things I want
to do, a list of what I need to do to get there, and some driving words.
I looked back at my dreams scrawled on paper today and realised I have
done exactly what I set out to do. Fast forward seven months and every choice I
have made has been with my dreams in mind. I have made a seriously, SERIOUSLY
scary career altering decision that will change everything that gives me
financial security and financial freedom. It will change my life as I have
known it for the past 23 years, the time that I have worked full time. It will
freak the shit out of me the day I leap without wings, thinking about it makes
the pit of my stomach bubble with excitement, nervous excitement. But they’re
my dreams and I want them to materialise into reality. So as terrifying as the
thought is, I need to leap.
I often talk of chasing dreams. It has been the
essence of my thought process for years now, wanting to wake up in the morning
and feel excitement at what my ‘working’ day has in store. Real, gut churning excitement. Wanting to do
what my heart truly desires – write.
And then I get an email advising a magazine
article I submitted recently will be published next month.
If you are at first
lonely, be patient. If you've not been alone much, or if when you were, you
weren't okay with it, then just wait. You'll find it's fine to be alone once
you're embracing it.
We could start with
the acceptable places, the bathroom, the coffee shop, the library. Where you
can stall and read the paper, where you can get your caffeine fix and sit and
stay there. Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books. You're not
supposed to talk much anyway so it's safe there.
There's also the
gym. If you're shy you can hang out with yourself in mirrors, you could put
headphones in.
And there's public
transportation, because we all gotta go places.
And there's prayer
and meditation. No one will think less if you're hanging with your breath, seeking peace and salvation.
Start simple. Things
you may have previously avoided based on your avoid being alone principals.
The lunch counter.
Where you will be surrounded by chow-downers. Employees that only have an hour
and their spouses work across town and so they - like you - will be alone.
Resist the urge to
hang out with your cell phone.
When you are
comfortable with eat, lunch and run, take yourself out for dinner. A restaurant
with linen and silverware. You're no less intriguing a person when you're
eating solo dessert to cleaning the whipped cream from the dish with your
finger. In fact, some people at full tables will wish they were where you were.
Go to the movies, where it is dark and soothing. Alone in your seat amidst a fleeting
community. And then, take yourself out dancing to a club where no one
knows you. Stand on the outside of the floor until the lights convince you more
and more and the music shows you. Dance like no one's watching...because,
they're probably not. And, if they are, assume it is with best of human
intentions. The way bodies move genuinely to beats is, after all, gorgeous and
affecting. Dance until you're sweating, and beads of perspiration remind you of
life's best things, down your back like a brook of blessings.
Go to the woods
alone, and the trees and squirrels will watch for you. Go to an unfamiliar
city, roam the streets, there’re always statues to talk to and benches made for
sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute and these
moments can be so uplifting and the conversations you get in by sitting alone
on benches might've never happened had you not been there by yourself.
Society is afraid of
alonedom, like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements, like people must
have problems if, after a while, nobody is dating them. But lonely is a freedom
that breaths easy and weightless and lonely is healing if you make it.
You could stand,
swathed by groups and mobs or hold hands with your partner, look both further
and farther in the endless quest for company. But no one's in your head, and by
the time you translate your thoughts some essence of them may be lost or
perhaps it is just kept.
Perhaps in the
interest of loving oneself, perhaps all those sappy slogans from preschool over
to high school's groaning were tokens for holding the lonely at bay. Cos if
you're happy in your head then solitude is blessed and alone is okay.
It's okay if no one
believes like you. All experience is unique, no one has the same synapses,
can't think like you, for this be relieved, keeps things interesting, life’s
magic things in reach.
And it doesn't mean
you aren't connected, that community’s not present, just take the perspective
you get from being one person in one head and feel the effects of it. Take
silence and respect it. If you have an art that needs a practice, stop
neglecting it. If your family doesn't get you, or a religious sect is not meant
for you, don't obsess about it.
You could be in an
instant surrounded if you need it.
I have always been a deep thinker. It is my both
my downfall and my strong point. In earlier days I would overthink simple
scenarios and create havoc in my head. As I have grown older (and wiser) I have
learned to let go of the insignificant drama, so now my deep thinking trait
works in my favour. I am one of those people that needs to dissect situations
in my head to fully understand them with logic and less emotion. They start off
emotionally charged then over the dissection process I wind up seeing situations
with logic and sensible awareness. I hate the emotional level at the onset but I always love the outcome. Clear head.
I have never been one to wallow. If
something isn’t working, I change it. I have some huge changes ahead of me, I
know they’re coming as I am the one putting them in place. I am afraid, I am
excited, I am cautious but eager. They are changes that will take me totally
out of my comfort zone, and every so often when I stop to consider it I feel my
stomach flip. The fear is what drives me, the not knowing and the idea that I
will be balancing the tightrope we call life without a harness or a net to
catch me. It’s okay, I want to take that risk. I am ready. And I know these
choices will not suit others, but that’s okay too, they are not anyone else’s
choices to make. This is after all my life.
I have always considered myself a doer. I
procrastinate and I dissect a lot in my head, all the time. I think way too
much, I have to admit. But one thing I don’t do is plod. If shit isn’t
happening, I change it. It is as complex and as simple as that. Too often I
hear people whining about their situations, yet see them take no action. That
pisses me off. Don’t like your life, do something about it. I know my choices
won’t please everyone, heck they might not please a single soul, but I can live
with that. As long as my child is warm at night and loved like no other I am
happy. I will forfeit riches and comfort in the form of the old treadmill we
climb upon each morning when we head out to fulfill our duties every day for
true, dead set happiness. In a heartbeat. The day I stop following my heart and
setting out to wake up with true passion in my soul will be the day I die
inside. I don’t want to die inside. I am a doer. I have too much passion and
drive to die inside.
It’s a grand old life we lead, surrounded with so many opportunities to succeed. We are presented with a new sunrise every single morning, a new day to handle whichever way we choose. We have food, a roof over our head, family, love, support, life. We can laugh, sing, skip to whatever rhythm our heart desires. We have choices.
Some days when I feel blue I try to focus on this. I imagine what life would be like without a full pantry and fridge, a comfy, warm bed, a family that no matter what happens, loves me unconditionally. I can’t imagine it, as I have never lived it. From as young as I can remember I have felt love and life. I thank my lucky stars for the life I have been granted, I know I am fortunate. Does it mean I don’t suffer grief, loss, sadness, pain, anger, hurt and sometimes self-doubt and self-loathing? No it doesn’t. I too suffer all of this despite the beautifully positive life I lead. But I make that choice to lead my life the best I can with the best that I have. I know I am lucky. Very lucky. I know my opportunities are abundant and my choices are plentiful. For that I am very grateful, and humble.
Life is what you make it. I choose to make mine positive, happy, fun loving and adventurous. I don’t make too many plans as I love to wake up and decide what I feel like doing on the day. I enjoy the small moments. I take in the small moments. I smile as often as I can, sometimes to myself. I laugh a lot. I enjoy quiet moments. I refuse to be reduced by negativity around me and avoid it whatever it takes. It may make me seem complacent to some, but that is my choice. I choose positivity. I choose happiness.
Last weekend I sent off my second ever magazine article submission. It was scary, but good-scary. I didn’t exactly doubt myself but for a moment I did wonder if I was dreaming. Then I realised of course I am, but isn’t that what gives us butterflies in the pit of our stomach and keeps that burning flame going? If I submitted articles to magazines I didn’t admire, I wouldn’t exactly be going after my dream. Besides, I like to dream.
Two weeks ago I was very excited to receive an email advising my first ever magazine article submission will feature in the next edition (due out end of this month). I was ECSTATIC! I had been feeling unwell for about a week (I don’t do sniffly and unwell) and at a moment of feeling ‘ugh’ comes this email. I literally screamed out with joy and my son was staring at me clearly wondering ‘What on earth got into her?’ All feelings of unwell-ness dissipated for a few moments. The smile stayed for a week (it may still be lingering).
This was my first ever magazine article written and submitted. I seriously, hand on my heart, was not expecting it to be published. When I saw the email in my inbox I thought ‘Ok, here comes the thanks-but-no-thanks’, not because I doubted my article was readable and perhaps even likeable, but because I thought it'd be pretty tinny to get published at my first attempt. So aside from the fact I took the first step to putting my dreams into action without too high an expectation, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover I did it. I actually did it.
I love seeing people realise their dreams. And what I love most is seeing people wholeheartedly, with sheer determination chase those dreams. That so inspires me. People that chase their deepest dreams, despite the fear, self-doubt and boundaries. Just inspiring.
Admittedly I have nothing much to lose by submitting an article. I love to write, I enjoy the effort it takes, and I love to read and re-read something I have written, tweaking it and editing it, moving words around until I am completely happy with it. I sometimes edit blog posts 4, 5, 10 times. I love the entire process. So the preparation for writing an article is half the fun for me. If the biggest downside of submitting an article is being told ‘thanks, but no thanks’ then that’s okay by me. I don’t think I would even be too disappointed at this stage, I admit I am a newbie to the whole article submission thing. But I have been writing my entire life, so if my words don’t appeal to one person, they might the next. I don’t take offence to that.
So when you next think of something that burns your heart with sheer passion and fills your life with joy, and you can see yourself doing that very thing for the rest of your days, go for it. There are no real boundaries but you. Whether you can do it depends solely on YOU. Stop wondering and just go for it. I decided late last year I was going to write a magazine article a month, and now mid February I have written three articles (and have submitted two of them). If I had dreamt about doing it but never took those first steps I would have looked back come December to see nothing but a distant, relinquished dream wasted away over the year. But now having taken those first steps, even if not one article got submitted I would still at least look back and know I acted.
And that there is the start of one’s dreams. Action.
I am a big believer that we choose to be happy. Happiness doesn’t happen to us, it is a choice. We choose how we respond to life’s events and circumstances, so just like we choose to be angry, we choose to be happy. Happiness is not handed to us and it isn’t something we find, it is the way we choose to live. I truly believe you can be as happy as you choose to be.
I am happy by nature, I always have been. I can recall days where I have tried to make an active choice to be grumpy and I don’t last five minutes. Grumpy is not becoming, happy is. I sat down today and thought of ways I set out to actively be happy, I thought I would share them with you.
Be positive. Having a negative mindset only breeds negativity. When you look at situations with a negative outlook you will only see the negative aspects. Try looking at all situations positively and you will feel positive about them. Of course some situations just aren’t positive, but we still have the choice to try to view them positively.
Surround yourself with like-minded people. I struggle being around negative people, I really do. I don’t mind people venting (heck it wouldn’t be healthy if we didn’t all vent now and again) but folks that view the world with a negative outlook just bum me out. I choose to be around positive peeps, they inspire me so much more.
Be kind. Whenever I think of times I haven’t been my kindest I don’t look back at them with joy. Kindness feels so much better than being unkind. Think about how the meanie in kids’ movies is always a grumpy, nasty character, the happy character is always painted as the kind one. Makes sense.
Train your mind. Just as I choose to wake up and enjoy mornings (and I am a born night owl) I also choose to love life. I don’t always love every aspect of life but I choose to be accepting and tolerant of things I cannot change. Happiness is a choice just as is anger and sadness. Choose to feel happy and you will eventually convince yourself that you are actually happy. I have had days where I have felt like being unhappy for valid reasons, and that’s okay. But I realise being unhappy takes a lot more energy than being happy. And doesn’t feel half as good!
Only share the good. Whenever I find myself submerged in gossip or negative talk about others I walk away feeling ‘blegh’. If however I spend time discussing awesome qualities or events I feel great. Once I started to choose to avoid gossip where possible (actually is it always possible) I noticed I started to talk negatively less. Make a conscious effort to speak nicely about others, you will soon instill a natural filter and find talking in a positive manner comes naturally.
Strive for happiness. Rather than seeking happiness in material things, a location or relationships, cultivate a happy state of mind. Happiness isn’t something that happens, it is something we are individually responsible for. I am happy, why? Because I choose to be. And it is that easy. Ask yourself what you can do right now to be happier. And then work on that a little every day.
Reflect. I love to reflect on how far I have come in all areas of my life. In my early 20s I didn’t strive to get married and have kids. I love to reflect now on how much my life has changed and how grateful I am for my family. Reflecting on small positive things every day eventually teaches you to appreciate the small things. Heck I find joy in a bunch of flowers on my dining room table! Yes, I am grateful for flora.
Indulge in your happy place. The beach is my happy place. I can’t believe not everyone loves the beach, it is just so lovable! It is in many ways the essence of who I am. I am my most happiest on a sunny, warm afternoon, on the beach with my boys. When I was younger I would dream about escaping the grind and spending my days on the beach, but I never did it. Now I do. I spend every day I possibly can in summer lazing on the beach, it nourishes my soul. And then in winter I daydream about it to get me through the cold. In dark moments I have imagined myself sitting on the beach, picturing the ocean and imagining the sound of the waves and the smell of the salty air. Even the thought of the beach helps to improve my state of mind.
Do more of what brings you joy. In my pursuit of a fulfilled existence I have discovered joy can be found in the smallest of moments. Afternoon tea by myself with my favourite vintage coffee set. Sunday afternoon on the lounge surrounded my inspirational reading material. Sitting on the loungeroom floor with my son and just chatting. A day at the beach. I don’t waste time thinking about what I could be doing, I just do it. I am not talking about jumping on a plane and hiring a yacht in Lake Como (although, a lifetime spent in a bikini on a boat sure would be nice) I am talking about something right in front of you, right this very moment.
Be healthy. I feel my best when I feel healthy. A good sleep with an early bedtime and healthy, nutritious meals. Healthy body, healthy soul.
Be grateful. Sure I would love to not work and spend more time at home, but the fact of the matter is at this stage it is not possible. I am however grateful for my weekends, and I spend them wisely. I am also grateful for the opportunities working has brought me, I know I wouldn’t have had the same opportunities if I wasn’t working. Our lives aren’t always ideal and won’t always go to plan, but appreciating and being grateful for what we have can sure help create a happy mindset.
Act how you want to feel. Act grumpy, guess what, you will feel grumpy. Act happy, feel happy. Sounds easy doesn’t it? It is.
Yesterday was the last day of school summer holidays so I decided to take the day off and spend it with my son. To say school holidays are stressful is an understatement. Trying to find childcare for the duration of the holidays when both of us work is, well, stressful. Fortunately I was able to take two weeks off which we thoroughly enjoyed, but the remainder of the holidays is filled with work for me. Pooey.
So on Monday I decided to end the summer holidays on a high and take Tuesday off. I gave my son the option of how we would spend our day. Of course he chose the beach. We slept in, we lazed around all morning, I packed his school bag (and I didn’t cover books because I am a rebel!), we pondered what we would have for lunch and then mid afternoon we made our way to the beach. You may know we spend a lot of time at the beach, we go there every weekend weather permitting, and during leave every day if possible. But yesterday when we walked onto the beach we noticed how quiet it was for a change. There weren’t as many kids as usual and the water was as calm as can be. We snorkeled and marveled at what we could see below the water. We talked about just how wonderful the water was, much calmer than most days. We lay on the sand and enjoyed the sounds, we chatted and relaxed. I daydreamed that if I was a SAHM I would spend an hour a day there on the sand, reading or just relaxing. I so would.
Keeping with our theme of ‘the best way to spend the last day of the holidays’ my son decided on fish and chips for dinner. We perched ourselves up on the grass bank and enjoyed our dinner, watching guys play volleyball and enjoying the beauty of the ocean and sky and the slowly approaching sunset. On our way to the car we decided to get gelato, and when we got to the car my son proclaimed it to be ‘the most relaxing we have ever done in one day’. I agreed.
Several years ago I would not have considered taking a day off work ‘just because’. I would have probably felt guilty being at home doing nothing instead of at work. I would not have totally relaxed and would have spent my day checking my phone and possibly even my work email. Now however I am different. I give myself permission to relax, I give myself permission to switch off. And every so often I do something crazy like take a day off to spend it doing nothing with my son.
