As You Like It!

I've been off work for almost 2 weeks now and I am just now feeling fully relaxed. Right from the first day off I gave myself the gift of leisurely mornings. What a luxury to wake up slowly instead of leaping out of bed directly to the shower and being out the door in 25 minutes from start to finish. The past few weeks I wake up at my regular 5:50 am time, give a glance over to the alarm clock, smile defiantely and roll over for another hour's sleep. Then I click the TV on to see what has happened in the world as I slumbered. Finally my caffeine addiction has me up and on the hunt for a mug of strong coffee. Then I head for the couch for more channel surfing as I open my laptop or browse my books. I could seriously get used to this ...

Another gift I gave myself was "no plans" - wherever possible. I had many days where - if there were no family commitments - I would resist the urge to plan. Rather, I would get up and just take the day as it revealed itself. That alone was the single most greatest contributor to my peace and tranquility this holiday.

It has made me realize just how many of our 24 hours are preplanned - used in advance. It has a disempowering effect on the psyche. We become slaves to the calendar and the clock. With a shift in my approach - I still ended up completing all of the errands and chores that needed doing - I just did things as I felt like doing them without precise planning. I injected the option of choice. Maybe that is a secret to personal serenity -- going with the flow and a little less structure. Illusion or reality, there is something liberating in having absolute freedom in taking your day as you like it.

As you like it! I definitely like that!