the aftermath of a sojourn

The wonderful part of having a chance to get away for just a little while is that it gives you the opportunity to dream of things that you might not normally consider.  When you are outside your usual environment, your brain seems to work differently.  You see things in a different light; experience things that are unusual.  They open up opportunities that wouldn’t normally be thought of in your day to day existence.

But what happens when you return home?

That euphoria lasts for a while.  The idealism of those dreams lingers.  Plans made seem plausible somehow still.  But after a day or two, they seem less and less likely to be plans that you will execute.  The hum drum of life carries on.  The workplace hadn’t changed during your escape, and come Monday morning, everything is just as it was when you left.  Bank accounts hadn’t magically multiplied in their figures, housework didn’t complete itself, car troubles didn’t cease to exist.

Reality creeps back in.  A little bit of depression hits.  News you don’t want to hear sits in your inbox.  Life carries on as if you never left.  Sometimes it makes you wonder if you actually left at all.  This is the difficult part of having a chance to get away for just that little bit.  All good things must come to an end.  Try to remember how it felt.  Try not to forget why you wanted to go in the first place.  Try to keep those dreams you dreamt while away alive somehow.

lessons learned from a weekend in the mountains

Living day to day isn’t much different than spending a long weekend hiking in the mountains; it’s just a matter of perspective. As I went along the trails, a few things had come to light for me.

1. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you should do today.

2. Be open minded. It gives you many more great experiences to share if you do.

3. Take your time. It’s ok to be slow; just keep moving upward.

4. Do or not do, there is no try. Thanks Yoda, it’s cliché, but at the same time holds much truth.

5. Sometimes it hurts. Keep going because it’s definitely worth it.

6. Every step forward is positive. Don’t lose momentum.

7. Savour every moment. They are all fleeting.

8. Find your happiness. There are meadows of happy little critters everywhere. Look for the one that brings you joy.

9. The accomplishment will only propel you forward. Never forget how good that first one felt.

10. The first summit is only the beginning.

Find your motivation and keep going.

stress management

Constructive use of stress energy has become a way that I manage stresses that I face.  When it happens to all come at once, it’s hard to face and can be overwhelming.  Stress from the workplace that combines with stress at home that gets complicated by stress from news of a tragic death in the family means that the stress takes on new heights.  It becomes more than one can typically manage.

I know how I react when this happens.  I can act before I have thought out my actions and speak without considering the impact of my words.  Sometimes its the irrational part of me that takes over, leading to added stress based upon my own actions.  I have learned this about myself and try to take steps to minimize it.

I have also learned that physical movement helps me deal with the stress.  Today, I took a long walk with my dog.  I talked to my soul sister; the one who knows me inside out.  I took on a new project that has been weighing on my mind and sitting on my to do list.  The physical work of manual labor takes away some stress and clears my mind to a point where I feel capable of managing it once again.  These are all therapies that help me when I feel out of control.

I’m not sure how I came to find this solution to my stress management.  I wonder what will be the solution when I finally have all my home renovations complete.  Perhaps I will need to take up a new hobby, maybe woodworking?

contentment

Being content with what you have in life is not an easy thing in the world we live in.  We are bombarded with advertisement, telling us that we need to buy this and that to make our lives better, or we need to travel here and there to get the most out of life.  What this does is rob us from being fully content with the life we currently live.  Living without that “fear of missing out” means turning off the noise of these merchants and looking at what makes you happy – not what these companies say should make you happy.

Contentment in my life comes from having affordable housing that provides the shelter my family and I need, my pets to love and cuddle, and the fulfilling relationships with those people I choose to spend my time with.  I am content with my daily walks with my dog, my bi-weekly date with one of my best friends, and the easy conversation with the man who is quickly becoming one of the most important people in my life.  There are, of course, other components to this, but these things are some of the most vital pieces that keep me happy.

Gratitude for what we have contributes to living a content life.  Appreciate all the good things that are present, and value the experience of the not so good things because it helps to truly see what blessings there are in life.  I hope to never lose sight of the truly important things that provide me with that sense of contentment that I have found.

the noise

There are times when the noise in the world is just too much to handle.  The stresses affect us all differently.  Some need to talk to others.  Some get angry.  Others cry, or crawl into their shell.  Or there can be a combination of things that happen.

Emotions are sometimes difficult to deal with.  What we feel isn’t easily explainable all the time.  Perhaps we can’t always understand it ourselves, especially when there is a perfect storm happening within us.  Eventually though, the storm passes.  The waves of emotion subside and the tears that fell like rain dry up.  The sun peeks through the clouds of despair and hope emerges once again.

Nothing lasts forever.  Everything is temporary.  Ride out the storm.  Be kind to yourself.  Be patient.  Let yourself feel what you need to feel without judgement or contempt.  Life is never easy, but it is worth it.