What if We Treated Life Like a Favorite Vacation?

This positivity tip from a few years ago really hit home today so I wanted to reshare it.

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Where would you go, and what would you do if you were creating your favorite vacation and anything was possible?

Now imagine you’re finally there! You’re immersed in your favorite surroundings and activities and people. It’s everything you dreamed it would be! Amazing!

But throughout this wonderful experience, you can’t help but think about the work waiting for you when you get back. Or you feel anxious because you know this vacation is going to go by too fast. Or maybe there are certain things that trigger you to dwell on past frustrations or stresses.

Instead of being fully present, you find yourself getting stuck in your head, thinking about other things that keep you from fully enjoying this wonderful experience.

I find this is a great analogy to life. What if life is really like a vacation? We’re here to enjoy a variety of experiences. We’re surrounded by fascinating scenery. But we get so caught up in the details, the worries, the things we can’t change that our vacation time slips away.

Yesterday, I spent hours on the phone with customer service trying to fix my internet issues. I could feel my mood slipping. Then I remembered an inspirational video my mom sent me about SSG Travis Mills, a quadruple-amputee who talked about choosing your attitude.

And I went back to an article by David Romanelli who talked about how lucky he is despite the fact that his 3-year-old daughter has cancer. This was a shift for him. He was talking to another parent who had lost their child in an accident. This parent pointed out that David had the possibility and opportunity for his daughter to recover.

After finally getting the internet issues resolved, I rode my bicycle up the road to a countryside cemetery. As I walked between the gravestones, I reflected on how precious life is.

I’m determined to surround myself with uplifting thoughts and messages that help me be present and enjoy this wonderful “vacation.”

What videos, websites, posts, books, songs, etc. make it easier for you to fully appreciate and be present in your life? Are you taking enough time for those things?

To browse past positivity tips, visit this page.

Tina Hallis, Ph.D., is a professional speaker and founder of The Positive Edge, a company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations increase their positivity to improve the quality of people’s work lives and the quality of company cultures.