The Pursuit of Mindfulness

For some reason after a long weekend four days of work just seems well endless. It's some sort of a mind trick. When you're back on Tuesday you just can't believe that you are back at your desk being asked to gasp, work. Sometimes life just isn't fair.

Then you get to Friday, and you're so excited for the weekend to begin. At least now I'm not as obsessed with getting to the weekend. Don't get me wrong I love my weekends, but now I'm trying to embrace each day and the moments from each one. That doesn't mean I don't grumble about Monday or need extra coffee, but I just realized that I needed to find ways to make Monday and Tuesday enjoyable, too.

Living in the present is a process. It's about mindfulness and about truly spending time with another person instead of focusing on that endless to-do-list. And let's be honest that to-do-list has a lot of unimportant stuff on it. Right now I'm working on vision board and goals for the upcoming year. No, I'm not really late on resolutions instead I'm just taking the time to refocus so that I spend my time on what matters instead of what comes up.

If you've never done a vision board, I highly recommend it. It's a visual representation of what you want in your life. You just take a poster board or a large piece of cardstock paper of some kind, and you use words, art, photos, magazine images, and whatever speaks to you to create your vision board. It's amazing what happens when you put it on paper. Taking the time to do this offers you clarity and understanding of what you value and what is important to you. Now that's time well-spent.

Enjoy the weekend and the week!

What are your summer travel plans?

Well I just got back from San Diego. I've been there more than a few times, as I have family there. I decided to visit over Memorial Weekend, as my friend Mary Beth moved there less than a month ago. It's definitely a cool place to live. You can choose from various beaches. Just remember to wear sunscreen other than the spray kind, as that doesn't always offer coverage. Since my skin hasn't seen the light due to a long winter and spring in Colorado I ended up with a sunburn.

Good thing we had other things planned besides the beach. We went on a winery tour in Temeculah. Nothing like wine to cure a sunburn! We also hiked the Torrey Pines Reserve, which offered excellent views of the sea. Of course, we enjoyed some great food and fun. Thursday we had dinner with Christina at a cool Italian place downtown. I also had breakfast with my cousins, Rob and Jen, at Margarita's, which is a restaurant near Ocean Beach. Overall, it was a wonderful trip.

There's something about getting away that makes you appreciate life. Even as you try to get back in the groove you can think back on your fun experience. The first day back to work is an adjustment, but then you settle back in to your regular life. It's a toss-up on whether a long trip or a long weekend is better. Both versions offer a respite from the ordinary. My next trip will be for my birthday. To where? Still deciding!
Where are you heading this summer?