Of course time is always on, but how we manage it, how we let the minutes drive us–that lies within our power. During a recent vacation with family members up in Canada’s Eastern Township area and then Quebec City, release from usual duties gave my hours a different flavor. Perhaps it was the luxury of eating good food cooked by others, soaking up the brilliance of artists’ work in the National Art Museum, the pleasure of walking through sunny or rainy streets full of buildings hundreds of years old yet alive with today’s activities. Perhaps it was sleeping late, not even thinking about what the clock told.
A vacation like that is both stimulating and relaxing. So how do we bring that back home and hold onto the ease and receptiveness experienced while away? Can you give yourself a “staycation” or a mini-vacation? Take time off for good books, a trip to a gallery or museum where you really dwell with the art, a quiet walk somewhere you’ve never walked before? Put on a symphony, sit and simply listen? Put on some jazz or rock n roll and dance around your living room? Take yourself to a restaurant for a style of food you’ve not tried before and truly taste what you’re served.
It’s not enough to sit on the couch and watch another Netflix movie. Taking time “off” requires a little effort. Think about it. Then relax and really let yourself enjoy the gifted hours.