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Home is the story of who we are and a collection of all that we love. Anon It’s not a place but a feeling that serves to define who we are.
After 20+ hrs in the air and a 4 hr drive I will arrive literally on the far side of the world to a cabin with no hot water or internet. The trip will be a time of memories and closure, reconnecting with friends and family, rituals of summer and new of beginnings. Most definitely worth the effort to get there.
Spontaneous –being natural and instinctive, a thing said or done without planning resulting from a natural impulse or tendency.
To celebrate Dylan's graduation we embarked on an iconic North American style road trip by getting in a car and heading west. Accompanied by a good family friend, my son, daughter and I set out to cruise our way to Graceland.
You either make a decision or circumstances make a decision on your behalf.
My first instinct in Atlanta was to buy a map. Being a strong MBTI "J" and boy scout my comfort level is knowing where I am at all times. But do you have any idea how hard it is to find one? So with only i-phones and an app we set off. We talk to locals to find 'the' things to do and where to eat. We've swum in the best watering hole in North America, walked through a cypress swamp, eaten catfish and fried green tomatoes, as well as the infamous hot chicken, learned of the losses of the civil war and of local heroes, and of course the music. Booking hotels only minutes before arriving in a new town frees us from adhering to a schedule.
Seneca says, Travel and change impart new vigour to the mind. And, So much of who we are is where we have been. William Langewiesche . My personal goal is to die with memories, not dreams.
In order to do so requires permission to Decide without thinking to know what your heart says. Fathima Gani It requires an open mind and an inherent desire to be unusually random, unplanned and spontaneous. After all, The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences. Eleanor Roosevelt
Dr. Andrew Weil wrote a book saying that spontaneous happiness is the new path to emotional well being and Dolly Parton warns us to Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
So tonight I leave you with a song from the movie Pochantas where she realises each moment is unique and can only be lived once, she wishes to achieve her dreams and instead of choosing the familiar she chooses the unknown that lies Just around the river bend . Which do you choose?
Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation. - Leo Tolstoy
A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you are taking. Earl Wilson
According to recent Gallup staff engagement polls, only 13% of employees globally are actively engaged at work. This translates into huge losses of productivity, customer service, decreased sales, increased medical bills, increased presenteeism, absenteeism etc. To make matters worse More than 50% of Americans leave their paid vacation days unused each year!
You can always make money, you can't always make memories. anon
HBR published an article recently that summarised findings of a study of how people felt on Mondays. In repeated trials random subjects were told on Friday to treat their weekend either as a vacation or as a regular weekend. Consistently the results showed those who felt they were on holiday, even without spending additional money or traveling, had higher levels of happiness on Monday morning. The others had no change. And, results from the 2014-16 Gallup Daily Poll found that people who prioritise vacations show more positive emotion, less negative emotion, and are more satisfied in life.
Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted. John Lennon
Research shows that slowing down and paying more attention to your surroundings, the activity at hand, and the people who are involved allows you to enjoy the activity more. This simple shift in mindset was sufficient for the vacationers to be more mindful of and attentive to the present moment throughout their weekend’s activities.
No matter where you go there you are. Buckaroo Banzi
I invite you to consider this weekend a holiday. Change your mind set. Slow down, listen to music and let your hair down. Sleep in, read in bed, do whatever you would do on holiday and see for yourself how you feel Monday morning. I will be at my cabin on a mountain top if you care to join me.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the things you did to.
Mark Twain
WARNING. This increased state of happiness and wellbeing come from a break in routine. It will lose its effectiveness if IT becomes routine. Therefore save the mental vacations for when you really need the break!
SOURCE: Mogilner Holmes, C. (31 January 2019) “Treat Your Weekend Like A Vacation” (Web Blog Post). Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2019/01/treat-your-weekend-like-a-vacation