1. Do not wait until the morning you are leaving to pack up 6 people (and a dog!). It will take longer than the HOUR you’ve mysteriously allotted.
What is this weird rush I get from waiting until the absolute last possible minute to do things like this? After the fact, it's very clear to me how much stress and frantic racing around the house I could save just by doing even a few things ahead of time.
I feel more calm and centered with even just a little advanced planning.
Going to repeat this to myself when the urge to scroll instagram/watch random youtube videos about applying makeup after age 50 (I'm 42 so maybe that counts as advanced planning?)/do every insignificant thing except the thing I need to do comes up.
2. Warm Florida rain feels so good on your skin. Frizzy hair, Do. Not. Care.
Well, to be clear, I often care very much about frizzy hair and do my best to avoid it.
Maybe that’s why it was so liberating to walk out of this blazing hot yoga class, point my face up to the sky and enjoy the feel of the rain, instead of always hiding from it.
*What is your 'frizz'? What are you willing to actively let go of/let in, in order to give yourself a random act of kindness?
3. "If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain" - Dolly Parton
I was on my morning walk with my little pup, Coco; considering future plans, and feeling doubtful I could make them work. My brain said, "There's no way you can do it. You're not qualified/smart/focused enough to make it happen, so just forget it."
Then I saw the rainbow in the pic below.
It was huge and bright and completely beautiful.
I stopped to soak it in and call my husband Dave to make him take the kids out to see it.
As it faded, and I walked on, the podcast I was listening to (here) started talking about an "arching bridge" (like a rainbow!) and asked, "Where are you now and where do you want to go? She said to consider the arching bridge like a ladder, where the rungs are the obstacles to your 'there'.
When you know your 'there' and your obstacles, then you can create strategies to overcome them.
I felt like the universe was speaking directly to me, and I was for once, receptive enough to hear it.
We don't need to get caught up in the 'bigness' of the goal, we just need to do the next thing. Climb the next rung of the ladder. Not all the rungs at once.
My thoughts switched from, "I can't pull this off", to "I can handle this next obstacle".
I'm much more focused and determined when I'm thinking the second thought, and my brain goes to work figuring out the steps to get to Point B.
The problem is, most of us have no idea what Point B looks like.
Once you know, then the work falls into place.
PS! If you're one of the MANY who are still searching for 'there', try the Miracle Question and get some clarity. It's WELL worth the time.
4. There are few things better than ordering a hot fudge sundae…. and then actually enjoying it.
How often do you ‘food splurge’ and the whole time, you’re thinking, "I shouldn’t be eating this, I can’t even imagine how many calories are in this, I’m going to have to run 63 miles to make up for this one…."
What if instead... you ate the thing (the brownies, the ice cream, the pasta, the tacos, the bagel, the whatever) and then GASP! actually enjoyed it instead of worrying about calories and rules?
What might change?
Enjoying food without guilt is an important step toward creating a healthier relationship with food and your body.
Pic below of how I felt on the inside eating that sundae. Because, as you moms out there know, there is not a single piece of photographic evidence that I was even on this trip.
5. In the latest installment of sentences I never thought would come out of my mouth… “KIDS! GET OFF THE REFRIGERATOR!!”
Since when are there computers on.... refrigerators?
The house we rented had a fridge computer fully equipped with internet, youtube, white board, the weather, etc…. Is this actually necessary?
The kids wanted to play on it constantly.
It was the sentence I repeated most often for sure. Well, aside from the usual....
Brush your teeth, pick your clothes up off the floor, put on sunblock, did you put on sunblock, you have to put on sunblock, yes sunblock, get away from your brother, stop drowning your sister, did anyone take the dog out...
PS! These crazy youtube riddle videos scared the life out of my two youngest, so bedtime was a blast ;)
6. The love between grandparents and grandkids is real magic.
Natural allies, best friends and partners in crime.
How extraordinary to have someone in your life who loves you like that.
Genuine. All in. No strings.
Love in it's purest form.
7. You don’t always need to be getting things done, accomplishing, or checking things off your to do list.
Sometimes it's ok to take a break and just enjoy where you are in the world.
I know... It's tough for me too.
I went to Florida with BIG plans and a 15 item To Do List.
After Day 1, it became clear this wasn't going to be that type of vacation.
And so, I let it be and took a break from needing to check off all my To Do List items.
No agenda. Go with the flow. Present.
* Read great books.
* Actually sat on the couch during the DAYTIME - why do I not have a recliner in my house?
* Played - like really played - in the pool
* Attended amazing yoga classes - For me this was the real game changer, a daily group practice was exactly what I needed.
* Listened to inspiring podcasts.
* Snuck into the nearby gated community for beautiful morning walks.
* Enthusiastically participated in family Jenga and Spades tournaments.
* Played barefoot tennis... in a dress
* Chatted with random people everywhere I went - dogs are the best conversation starters!
* Hit up All. The. Playgrounds.
* Did not do a single thing on my To Do List
* And importantly, did not get eaten by an alligator
Where in your life can you take a break from all the doing, and work on the being?
8. We have so much to learn from older generations.
Thank you to the older woman who rode by me on her bike, tassels flying, singing her heart out, with a big smile on her beautiful face.
She stopped me in my power walking/podcast listening/walking the dog/making plans for the future tracks.
It reminded me of the famous photo below of people clamoring to take a picture as Pope Francis went by. Check out the woman front and center.
Imagine just being fully present for a moment like this, rather than trying to capture it to enjoy in that fictional 'later' we're all rushing to get to....
This bike-riding 85 year-old songbird was her.
Living her life. Enjoying it fully.
Present. Alive. Free.
9. It’s good to shake things up every once in a while.
I thrive on routine and love the ones I have created in my life over the years.
But even routines need a good zhush every now and again.
The change of pace and new environment were exactly what I needed to energize my fitness routine, get a new perspective and step outside my comfort zone.
PS! You don't need to get on plane to experience a change of pace:
* Try a new class
* Call up an old friend
* Call up a new friend and invite them out
* Eat a different lunch than the one you have had everyday for 100 years
* Drive home a different way
* Watch a news channel that has opposing views to yours
* Put on clothes that are not designed to be worn in a yoga class
10. It’s great to be away, but I always love to come home.
As much as I love going away, trying new things, and getting a change of scenery - especially when it includes a 60 degree temp increase - I really, really love that feeling of walking through the door.... and knowing I'm home.
I realize home in this context is a physical place, and I can be at home anywhere really.... BUT, I love my bed, and the shower pressure, and the familiar sounds, and the way the light comes in through the kitchen window, and all the people in it.
The leaving has a way of making the returning that much sweeter.
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I'll leave you with these words of wisdom straight out of Stuart, Fl (printed on a dish towel of all places):
Do what you love, and the money will follow.
Drank wine, ate pizza, took a 3 hour nap.
Now I wait.
Have a great week friends!
Comment below with lessons learned on your travels below!
AND, stay tuned for the FREE Week of Well-Being daily e-course coming next week!
