It all started a few weeks ago on the way to the dealership to drop off my limping car. While driving, I started thinking about how busy I’d been and how summer had always been a signal for me to slow down… yet this summer I hadn’t. It was all because of good things – my business is booming and I’m helping my daughter plan a wedding. Yet, busy is busy. I realized I needed a vacation… yesterday.
So as I was driving, it occurred to me – why wait to feel like I was on vacation? I could begin right now, in this very moment.
As I was sitting at a stoplight with the morning sun warming my arm, I started generating that vacation feeling of relaxed pleasure. It’s the feeling I have when I’m lying on the beach and my brain is finally fried into submission and all I feel is the sun on my body. I let go any sense of rush and tuned into the physicality of the moment.
When the light changed, I opened the Subaru’s sunroof and imagined a leisurely drive in a cool convertible. By the time I got to the dealership and met my husband, I was already feeling some relief. We walked in and as we sat in the sunny sales office, I noticed his hip blue shorts and imagined we were sitting in an office in Miami. I sank into the feeling of Miami heat and Latin music and pretty soon I had forgotten that we were still in Texas.
After we left the car dealership I was hungry, so we drove to a breakfast taco place. Waiting in the drive-thru behind five other cars, I noticed a small cluster of palm trees – just like Florida! We rolled down the windows and there happened to be a southerly breeze that was gently swaying the leaves and scooting cloud puffs through the sky. I could almost smell the salty ocean water in the distance. Ahhhh….
And so the day went as I creatively surfed from one image to another. What was interesting is that when I sat down to work, I found my body was more relaxed, my thinking more optimistic, and those good vibes flowed into my project. Nothing had changed… but me.
Next time I need a little break and am short on time or money, I’m going to pull up my imaginative toolbox (there’s more than one benefit to being a creative human!). It might even be as simple as closing my eyes and turning on a CD with the sound of a thunderstorm, like my husband and I used to do years ago when we lived in Arizona and missed the rain.
When my mind launches a vision, my body and heart follow. I don’t need to bottle up my creativity until I’m writing or dancing or painting. I can slow down and uncork it at any moment. Like right now…
I’d love to hear from you – how have, or can, you use your creativity to take a “vacation” earlier than the one on your calendar? Share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
Update: If you’ve pondered joining the Creative Soul Women’s Circles, there’s still time. There’s a waiting list for one Circle, but there are two spots left in the second Circle. Let’s face it, we all need each other nowadays. Come join our tribe as we focus on prosperity this season… and having fun! Go here for all the information.