Wednesday, November 23, 2022
I love the idea of a vacation, but frankly when it comes, it can be stressful. The image of sitting on the beach; the radiant colors of the sunset billowing on the horizon; relaxing in a cozy beach chair; and feeling the cool, ocean breeze calming my weary body, seems perfect in my mind. You think your destination will help you switch off. But as you pack your beach equipment, you cannot find your favorite cooler (switch on). As you drive to the beach, hoping to escape the troubles of the world, you hit traffic (switch on).
If you’re lucky enough to find parking, after driving around a while, you’re irritated to find parking prices have gone up (switch on). Then you have to lug all of that equipment from your car, ugh! Then…when you finally get to that moment where you can sit back and relax, unwind, and throw your cares to the world, a lady next to you starts talking loudly on her cellphone (switch on.) You can’t win, can you?
To win, in a manner of speaking, is to let everything be just as it is. To switch off is an internal phenomenon, not an external one. It can be done anywhere. Today, go deeper inside yourself, and experience everything as if you’ve never been there before. Treat today as an exotic vacation – new sights, new faces, new sounds. Treat it like it’s a day off, a Saturday for example. Don’t judge. Don’t condemn, don’t change – just be. Look without grimacing. Hear without wishing it were quiet. Be without holding or pushing away. You can switch off from the mind’s nagging. No need to go “on vacation.” Instead of a vacation, vacate the mind and inhabit the present moment. You can practice switching off anytime, and surrendering to what is, is where it all begins.