By: Beth Gillem
Every summer, I begin a countdown to my favorite two weeks of the year: vacation. In my family, we have a tradition of visiting the same spot every summer with a few other families who uphold the same tradition. We bike, read, play in the water, watch sunsets, roast marshmallows, and cook meals together. It’s free, unstructured time that I look forward to more than anything else each year.
Other than being a place that holds so many memories, I’ve come to realize its simplicity is what makes it so special to me. Unlike my life in Nashville, the biggest decisions to be made revolve around what kind of water play the day holds. The little town we’re in doesn’t offer more than the necessities and the phone service is predictably spotty. And I love it that way.
You likely have your own sacred place that comes to mind when you read this.
It’s left me pondering how to bring the fruit of our sacred spaces into our home lives. If you’re like me, it’s hard not to return home only to get caught up in the rat race again. Distraction is my biggest culprit, and seems to enter in through a wide array of outlets in my daily life.
So, this year, I’ve begun to ask myself: how do I take some of the simplicity that’s offered during these two weeks of vacation and apply it to my life throughout the next 50 weeks of the year?
While I can’t bring the shore to the edge of my home in Nashville, I can limit my daily distractions.
By creating boundaries and carving out time to slow down and unplug in my day-to-day life, I can experience the freedom of simplicity that I used to believe was exclusive to vacation.
Do you have a place that you wish you could bring more into your daily life? What are some current distractions that keep you from living freely, outside of a set aside time for vacation?
As I begin to pack and anticipate my vacation in August, I can’t help but look forward to how it will inspire me to continue simplifying my life at home.
If find yourself overwhelmed with distractions or riddled with anxiety, we can help you find freedom. Choose your therapist and schedule an appointment today.
Beth is a therapist and group facilitator at Sage Hill Counseling in Nashville. She provides a place for individuals and couples to begin to live integrated lives by helping them explore their story, engage their heart, and develop a deeper passion.