It's a crazy, fast paced kind of world we live in. So often our calendar app is what dictates what we can and cannot do. It can seem daunting to incorporate 'me' time into the daily grind. We're overstretched and under refreshed. I am a big believer in the correlation held between our physical and mental health. When we burn the candle at both ends we suffer in more ways than one. We tire easier, our tolerance lessens and headaches or other ailments can find their way into an already funky state.
As a counselor it is easier to give advice than to apply it to my own life. I think that can apply to most of us in the role of parent, colleague, friend, etc. It's nice and painless to verbalize what someone else needs to do conveniently avoiding the emphasis on our own stuff.
The past year or so I have made a concerted effort to apply my words to my own life. I spent the weekend at my parent's farm located in Virginia, about an hour outside of Richmond. It's a stark contrast to New Jersey. Every time I visit I realize how tightly wired I am and the struggle to train myself to relax and enjoy my surroundings. I believe that stillness is something we all need. Our brains, bodies and cell phones are always going and incessantly working even when they don't need to be.
So as I sit on the train bound for Philly I consider the preciousness of walking side by side with my nephew along the farm's property line talking, holding hands and having nothing more on the agenda then catching a fish in the pond.
Simplicity isn't something that comes naturally these days, but it's something we need every once in a while. It makes you enjoy life, breathe a little deeper and appreciate the blessings around you. I hope you will take a little time this week to give thanks for the little things that really are bigger than you might realize.
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