A Change of Pace and Nature

Do you ever go for a walk and find that you feel relaxed when you get home from the walk? Do you desire a change of pace? I think we all could us that these days. It may be one of the more important things you do for yourself. But why is that so hard for us to do? Let’s explore this a little bit more.

Here are a few reasons you might be thinking about it being difficult for you in your life:

1. You have small children
2. You work outside the home or now work from home
3. A lack of energy or focus
4. Overwhelmed with outside pressures of the times.
5. You are burying yourself in social media.
6. Have trouble with organization skills that could help you slow the pace.
7. Dealing with health issues.
8. It seems all too hard to handle.

There are many things that can keep us stuck in a place. I want to share with you what I just did with my friend. This week my girlfriend and I celebrated her retirement by going on a trip. We left on Monday morning and came back on Wednesday night. What a blast! We started our trip with a Starbucks and a scone! We looked at each other with huge smiles, toasted with our cups, and said we are now ready to go!! We drove at our pace and stopping at points of interest. That means where ever we wanted because it was our trip. We enjoyed the views of nature as we drove along, and of course I took pictures. We shopped. We talked and talked. We shared life. We encouraged each other. Talked through issues together. Walked the shops of the places we knew we would enjoy. Best of all? We laughed and laughed!! In the first place we stayed, the heater took longer to warm up than expected; like several hours. So we crawled into our beds with covers on and talked away. And…ate snacks. Nothing was going to dim our enthusiasm. We had a delightful breakfast brought up to us the following morning. It was almost like breakfast in bed… almost, but we decided to sit at the table. How delightful! The next day we shopped a good part of the day going through a huge antique shop. Then on the last day, we spent the day in Leavenworth walking around to the shops. We had lunch/dinner at a diner right before going over the pass to home. As we drove home we wished we had more days to extend our time. We then determined with each other to do this again.

Why do I tell you the whole story? (well I can’t tell you everything ;). Because I want you to realize that you can do this kind of thing anywhere. Maybe not for three days, but you could for one day or a couple days. You could do a little like I do…I take moments in my day to kick back, breathe deep, enjoy the fire, a hot drink, read a chapter from a book, or a walk around my neighborhood. What is important is that we give our hearts and minds a break to really enjoy what we love. If we don’t, we can get into the striving more than the thriving, and… a lot of sighing. Maybe we even turn into real grumps. If we get into striving, we take ourselves out of happiness and enjoyment stage, to the stress and hurry stage. We may feel there is not enough time in a day to do what needs to be done.

I can tell you that if we don’t slow down and enjoy nature, even if it is walking out on the porch for a couple of minutes and breathing fresh air, we will pay the price and lose some of what God has given us to enjoy. We get to the point that we don’t even notice the good things. Then guilt sets in and away we go kicking ourselves around about it. We may even find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?”

Maybe this is a better way to look at it…if it is true about garbage in, garbage out, then what does that say to us about what we are giving out to those around us? If we are on social media or in other people’s business, then what are we allowing to take over our thinking and feelings? How much time is wasted on posting or reading social media, or any other escape? What IF we used that time and did something that was going to move us along, encourage us, give us a breather, lift us up and make us look up? I have said this before…we would then have time to talk with the Lord. As I sit at my desk in my studio today, I see nature through the window into my back yard. It is like a mini vacation to just watch the wind blowing in the trees today with the sun shining through the branches. I have a candle burning on my desk and a favorite hot drink in my cup. That settles me right down and makes me smile. I know some have a hard time making this happen in their lives and also think it can’t work. But for me having less distractions means I can enjoy more of the good things during my day. Less hurry means I don’t miss the special moments. I also believe that encouraging another means you will find yourself encouraged.

I know I have been on this subject a few times just lately, but it is because as I get away and do some of the activities I have talked about, I am even more convinced that we CAN have that kind of life where we are thriving rather than striving in our scheduled lives. Don’t say you can’t do it because you can. It may mean 20 minutes for you. Great! Take it! It just means changing things up and looking for those little moments of enjoyment you can find. I am making a study of this over the next month or so. I’m finding great value in seeking slow and simple living.

Your plan may be different than mine. Most of us don’t get a audible voice that tells us how our lives are going to look or where we are going. But we DO get to be part of God’s plan as it relates to others. We may get to be a part of someone else’s story. In doing so, we can begin to see where God is working, and join in. We get to be part of God’s plan by being the light for someone else. I believe that has been my calling. Send you a horn honk to remind you of what can be if we change what needs to be changed or our attitude toward those goals!

Was my time away worth it? You bet it was!! I felt like I could come back and keep going. I was energized to re-evaluate my goals and what I had been doing with my time. I wrote a few things down. I also shared some fun gratitudes for my Gratitude Jar.

It doesn’t mean I don’t have challenges just as you do, but it does mean that I can encourage you to change up a few things, so you too, can see the benefits of little changes in your life. Hubby and I are planning a couple days away soon and we love to travel together and do some creative things. I can’t wait. Don’t let what you “think” you can do interrupt what IS possible.

Until next time…

~JoAnn

P.S. And don’t get so distracted sharing your thoughts for your blog post that you burn a loaf of yummy homemade bread! Oh yes I did.