Tag: renewal

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Fresh

2chicksandapen

I recently spent some time on an island. To sum up the experience in one word I would say, blissful. Some may not grasp my definition thus I will share it in this blog.

Fresh air.

Sunshine.

Calmness.

Less chaos.

Soothing sounds of the ocean.

Fresh smells of land.

The few words or phases above could be expanded upon but I’m choosing to keep the post simple. Just like life on an island is, simple.

Morning bike rides amidst the car traffic. Nobody beeping at you to get out of the way. No hurried sense of rushing to get somewhere. A definite difference from my everyday. Time seems to move at a slower pace yet it’s still the same 24 hours each day. A blissful calm to my normal day in day out.

Th photo above appears to be endless yet the island is small. Can a water border translate or infer more of an endless appeal? Less cell phones ringing and chirping. Many are enjoying the sights, the sounds and the environment without being glued to technology. I always had the access I needed but the need seemed less. Sand beneath your toes by the water. Walking opportunities galore. Wildlife in abundance yet at a distance. The clearest of blue skies. Mystical sunsets. Colorful sunrises. A blissful calm in itself.

From the waitresses at the taco shop to the boat captain to the restaurant owner to the tour guide on a bike to the eco tour educator, to the Uber driver, all seemed to love their job. A genuine passion for their environment. It almost seemed crazy to interact with so many occupations that loved their job, their community, their lifestyle. Each one was unique. Each one seemed content. More so than the many I would interact with in my normal day-to-day. 

I don’t really have any scientific data to translate the why of my observations. Rather I chalk it up to island time. The island lifestyle. The don’t worry be happy mentality. Not so much about who is better than another rather let’s keep doing x so we can live the paradise lifestyle we want. Less frills. More thrills. 

If I had no cares in the world, I’d pack up and head to an island. I would have less but gain so much more. A fresh outlook is always soul refreshing for my mind. It gives me a chance to reset my horizon. Shift what seems stuck. I always relearn to appreciate what I have in front of me while mapping out where and what I really need in front of me down the road.

Breathing fresh air for extended periods of time can be healing. Getting out and experiencing nature can be calming. Experiencing new people, places and foods can be classified as growth. Try it!

Exercising the body and stimulating the mind in a relaxed environment can have exponential benefits. Both short and long-term.

A 5 day unplug from my computer (not smart phone) was exactly what the doctor ordered for me.

I feel fresh.

Renewed.

Re-energized.

Ready for what’s next. While one may feel guilty for escaping reality, the truth is stepping away is essential. This is your reminder. Breathe the fresh air more. Don’t stay stuck in a cubicle of life. Dip your toes in the sand. It will rinse off easily. Take a leap into the deep water. You can tread water longer than you think in life or in the ocean.

The more you break away, the more productive you will be for longer. The end.

balance

A Peaceful Stroll

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Today I took a quiet stroll.

Alone.

My stroll wasn’t preplanned rather it was spontaneous. Off I went. The air was cool and crisp. The shade of the trees added a drop in temperature to 8-10 degrees lower. Unexpected chill but maybe that alerted my senses more.

Hands in pockets watching the trees blow around me. Enjoying the scents in the air on this morning. My path wasn’t set. I was just shuffling along. Sometimes on pavement. Sometimes on gravel. I had the option of grass but didn’t drift that way.

On my stroll I thought about many things. I listened to many sounds. I viewed and observed all of what was around me. I genuinely felt thankful for where I am in life. For the good times as well as the bad times. Sometimes taking a back seat to your own life allows you to see your fortune. Not the fortune of money rather the fortune of life and living it. Experience.

I have experience. I can bend and flex and fit into any mix of people or settings. A skill I have worked on all my whole life. Experiences have helped me mature enough to know when I need to bend and flex. When to reframe the gloomy outlook. When to spark creativity.

My mind works in overdrive during the oddest times. Sometimes it’s in a sleep state. Sometimes on a random stroll. The beauty of a quiet mind yields results. I had a recent conversation with a teenage boy. He mentioned how long it takes him to fall asleep. I questioned why. He noted his mind takes time to wind down.

How I related in many ways. In life we all must find a balance for not only us but those closest to us. Kids especially have an always on mentality. Even more so than me. The younger generation is overactive online making it hard to flip the off switch. They are less likely to take the stroll alone I mentioned above. Therefore we should check in on those around us to see how we can help them recharge in non-traditional ways.

Sports or working out of sorts helps as the fatigue will wear one out.

A day at the beach can help. The sun. The sand. The limited reach of electronics. All add a level of fatigue.

An outing such as a hike, bowling, top golf, go-karting, kayaking, and so on. These little outings can provide a change of scenery. A lot of laughter. An escape from the planned days many are accustomed to. Adventures will let the mind settle and possibly add a dream state of what could be next.

Add mindfulness to your day or week. My Apple Watch tells me it’s a thing. Something to remind me to do daily, however I already know this. I am hopeful this post will spur thoughts or action in you or inspire you to influence another. 

Practice mindfulness.

Set a goal of peace for yourself.

Challenge yourself to do something different.

Riding your bike to work one day not driving may be just the variation you need. Not all can do this but if you can, try it. See how it goes. 

change, perspective

Packing Purging Refreshing

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Some times life throws you a curve ball. In a blink of an eye life shifts you in one direction when you thought you were on the road that drove the other direction. How could that be?

One opportunity opens as another one closes. I’m sure you heard the phrase before. Right now I’m taking the opportunity to pack up, organize my life, purge the unneeded and shift to my newest direction.

A curve ball to some. An experience of a sorts to others. You see life is what you make of it. If you see rainbows, lollipops and sunshine ahead then that’s what you will see on the horizon. If you focus on the negative you not be so lucky and only see clouds of grey most days.

Each day we make a choice to rise and grind or not. I’m always on for grinding except today when I have a rest day planned and maybe a nap.

The packing and purging of today will set me up for the success in 2022 of an office relocation. Fun times ahead.

nature

Moonlight

2chicksandapen

It was a cold and dark night after a recent storm. The darkness was pitch black. A dark only a flashlight could brighten outside. What a clear dark and chilly night to gaze at the stars.

It was a creepy night walk with the pup. The blackness after a storm. Halloween lurking. The late night howls from displaced animals after the storm added to the creepy factor. A chilly reminder of the cold nights to come in the season.

As the morning hours creep in so did the moonlight. The dark light I see. The greyish sky that you can now see off into the distance. From pitch black to grey skies around 5 am. Just an eerie reminder of what you can observe when you watch the spookiness of nature. The grey sky was a peaceful sky to me. No rain. No heavy wind. Just the chilly grey air.

As the sun rises a slight fog appears as does the shimmer from the sun poking through the last bit of night. A slight warmth but not much in the air. The fall air is crisp almost to freezing but not quite. Winter is on the horizon.

A brisk walk before bed and another early in the am. Some benefits of pet ownership or annoyance I suppose. I often escape to my day-to-day grind in the mountains. The nights are simply quiet, breathtaking and full of variety. As the nights call you to bed early the morning rises are equally surprising and breathtaking. Each one different. Each one special whether it be fog, dew or sunshine that highlights the morning. Mornings in the mountains call for early rising when most others want to sleep.

A cup of coffee, a warm blanket and my pups is a great way to start the day. Wishing you a happy and healthy week ahead.

mental health, perspective

Take A Chill

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Sometimes we all need a moment to chill out. Just relax and really not do anything. For me that was a visit to my back deck one morning.

It was not too hot out, just right before 8am. The birds were chirping away and cars were passing by in the distance. Just some slight background noise.

A brief time out from life. A break from the computer. A break from today’s masked world. A little frisbee with pup before the sun hits the deck.

As I sit here and contemplate my day, my life happenings and the world as a whole I think about peace. I am at peace with where I am, where I am going and who is on board for the ride. It’s good to take inventory of life from time to time.

We all need to make sure our co-pilots are traveling to the same destination. We need to know our cheerleaders in life are truly there working with vs. against us. We need to make sure our mindset is in tune with all of the above.

This is sometimes a reset, refresh, recharge moment for people. It sometimes needs to be done multiple times a year. It may even require one to put a wall up, exclude, or ignore the Negative Nellies of one’s inner circle who are circumventing success. That’s a lot for some to overcome.

I am in a peaceful state in life. Maybe it comes with age. Maybe it’s maturity. Maybe it’s luck. Whatever it is, I am thankful. I am thankful for the bumpy roads in life that have taken me to today. I look forward to tomorrow. I look forward to the memories, milestones, and bumpy roads.

May you explore your refreshing moments like me on my back deck. One day or two. Make the time. You are a priority.