Vacations: Destination or State of Mind?

How is it that one word can conjure up both excitement and relief?  Vacation is defined as “an extended period of recreation, usually involving travel away from home.”  When you consider that most Americans have only one to three weeks vacation, with the remaining 49–51 weeks dedicated to our vocation and the rest of our usual life schedule, Steve Job’s advice makes a lot of sense:

Some people are so happy in their chosen vocation that they really prefer the time they spend in their field.  

 “It seems strange to say this, but it is true:  Coming back to Vegas to work is like going on vacation for me.” - Celine Dion 

I feel the same way as Celine.  Being a Reflexologist and Life Wellness Coach for the past four decades has been the ultimate calling in my life.  I get to meet people on a soul level (literally!). I also get to help them release physical blockages and unleash their untapped power and creativity.  Knowing I have the skills and knowledge, right at my fingertips, to facilitate wellness and help improve the quality of my client’s lives is beyond gratifying!

Yet I also know that many people still single out vacations as times in their lives when they have felt the best. Why do these few days completely overshadow the rest of the year? 

Expectations - We expect our vacations to be fun!  

Focus - During our vacation we focus on the relationships of those we are with.  

Appreciation - We take the time to appreciate all the little details of life that we normally overlook – like the beauty of the sun rising and setting. 

Vacations, then, are not so much a destination as a state of mind. From my work I have gleaned some powerful ideas to bring that vacation state of mind to your everyday life:

• What we expect, we create! Our thoughts, both positive or negative, attract more of the same into our lives

• What we focus on grows stronger in our lives. Listening to upbeat music, watching uplifting movies and TV shows and spending time with friends and family who are happy in their lives bring more experiences into your life that evoke similar positive feelings.

• When we express appreciation, we feel a sense of joy. Appreciation and love are the same feeling! The more we find ways to appreciate the people, places and things in our lives, the more joy we bring into our experience.

 “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucius

Discover your true calling, the vocation of your heart, so that every day feels like a vacation. In my experience with my clients and with the thousands of reflexologists I have trained, I have seen them find their path by shifting their expectations, re-focusing on having positive experiences and expressing appreciation at every opportunity.