Happy Friday you wonderful humans.
[Commonfolk Coffee, Progress St, Mornington]
’ I need a holiday ‘
I’ve always disliked this phrase. A somewhat public declaration of overwhelm. A reminder that somewhere something little is broken, or at the very least not working as it should. If you say you need a holiday, then maybe you need to reassess your day to day, your expectations and your mindset. I don’t like this phrase, but this time last week for me, it was true, I needed a holiday.
There was (is) plenty happening in our world. Virtus is coming out the other side of some big changes, Drops of Juniper is moving along, Footy finals are just around the corner, We are selling our house and preparing to become parents. Managing my own and others expectations had slowly built up to the point where I wasn’t present as I needed to be. Lots was happening and I was spending more time looking at the future than I was being in the moment. Fast forward a week, and those things are all still happening, but I feel different, and I’m going to try to illustrate why.
A few months ago past Wallace had the foresight to book a quick trip. A four day adventure to Queenstown, NZ with two of my best mates. The car was booked, AirBNB sorted, flights organised and bags packed. All we had to do was get on the plane. Once we boarded all of the stressors and worries from the last few months dissipated into nothingness. What followed was four days of snowboarding, relaxing, laughing, a few beers and connection with great people and a wonderful part of the world.
At the end of the trip on our way back to the airport, we decided to find a little viewpoint to finish a couple of beers we had left and put a full stop on what had been a short but memorable escape. Standing there, overlooking the incredible views of Queenstown and the Remarkables, I thought about what it was that made this trip so special. Why I felt that it had given me exactly what I needed. Here is what I came up with.
We as humans seek happiness. We desire belonging, connection and an overwhelming sense of joy. We search for this happiness every day of our lives, believing that it can be bought or found. For me, happiness comes from experience. From forgetting about the past or the future, and experiencing the moment. When we shift our thinking from what may be, to what is we can appreciate all we have, rather than rue all that we don’t. Happiness is not dependant on what you have, how much you make, where you live or what you do. It is dependant on appreciating all that is, embracing the present and enjoying the moment with the people you love, or by yourself.
“A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind”
I said I needed a holiday, but what I really needed was a reminder to be present. To stay mindful, enjoy the moment and seek adventure and excitement from each day as it comes. There are no ordinary moments and sometimes it takes an excursion from your bubble to remember that. If we can find the balance between forward planning and embracing each moment as it comes, we can create a life worth living.
The next time you find yourself in need of a holiday, take a deep breath and bring yourself back to the present moment. Allow yourself to explore inward, to embrace the moment and enjoy where you are. None of it matters too much, so we may as well live the life we want to live.
Be present.
Wallace
“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts.
Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts.
Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child.
Anything can be.”
———-// Shel Silverstein //