Taking A State Of Mind Vacation

This past week I took some time off to spend a few days at the beach, and I learned a valuable lesson about myself.

Vacation for me means taking a vacation from my usual state of mind.  Apparently, for me, it’s a temporary break from being creative and productive as well.

You see, I often change my physical surroundings by going to a coffee shop or to one of several nearby parks so I can imagine and plan.  Thinking that this trip would give me such a change in physical surroundings, I brought my notebook with the vague intention to do some personal vision brainstorming while we were away.

Well, the intention remained so vague that it never happened!  Not once did I open that notebook to jot down any ideas.  And that is ultimately how it needed to be for me.  I truly needed this “state of mind vacation.”

The biggest thing I noticed is that this vacation vacated thoughts of future concerns from my mind.  It meant that I was living in the moment.  The only forward-focused thoughts I had were “I should probably put on some more sunscreen lotion.”  “I’d like to refresh my drink.”  “Mmm, I’m getting hungry.  Wonder when and what we should eat?”

What a different and great state of mind to be in!  I wasn’t concerned about my calendar next week.  I wasn’t thinking of the to-do list on my desk.  I wasn’t looking forward to the exciting projects I wanted to complete over the next few quarters.  Okay, I do admit that I glanced at my emails a few times, but, oddly, nothing seemed as urgent as it usually does.

We were gone between Monday and Thursday, but by our return on that Friday, my focus sharpened up pretty quickly.  So quickly, it was like I had flipped a light switch back on.  The calendar, the emails and the knowing that everything’s “back to normal” – all that was definitely turned on again.  Yet, even now there still lingers a remembrance of the contrast between how I lived in those 4 days compared to how I am now.  I remember the feeling of being in the moment.  I think that’s why “urgent” still isn’t as “urgent” as it used to be.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience these contrasting states of mind.  And one more thing I learned… I’m not waiting another 4 years to vacation again!

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Angela Loëb helps people rediscover and use their gifts so they can bring who they are to what they do. To learn more, please visit: www.insyncresources.com
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