Back to the Future

Ah, home again after a ten day vacation that included a week at a cottage in Prince Edward Island and a few days on the road touring around.

It’s always a little tough to get back to routine after being away on a relaxing holiday. But eventually you settle back in and things get back to normal. What is sometimes a little more difficult is to keep that peaceful feeling you so easily felt while away from the hustle and bustle of life and all it’s sometimes chaos.

While away, I spent some time reading books I’d left unread on the nightstand table for some time as well as a new book leant to me by a friend. It felt good to have the space and time to read again. Why do I never seem to have time at home? And what about all those crafty things I used to enjoy doing so much – knitting, sewing, needlework? They’ve all fallen by the wayside over the years as the computer seems to have taken over. A faster paced life, more busyness, distractions and drama have all seemed to work their way into my life and the time that I used to cherish where I just relaxed and enjoyed the peace and quiet of my own space around has vanished somehow.

I vowed on my return that I would find the time to do all those things I used to love doing. There is something I miss about them. Maybe it is the peace I feel when doing them.

At any rate, the vow is in place and hopefully the commitment will follow to read more, write more, meditate (which I always seem to find time for), knit and try a new old craft I discovered while visiting Avonlea in P.E.I. – rug hooking.

I’ve been wondering how to keep this commitment to myself and what it is that might keep me from sticking with it when everyday life starts distracting me. And it doesn’t lie in pushing myself to do what it is I supposedly love doing, but in the feelings that cause me to find distraction more easily – i.e. the computer. It’s fast, it’s fun and you get instant gratification – sending an email and minutes, no, seconds later receiving a reply. There are games that can keep you focused so you don’t have to be with yourself.

And that is the key I think. Being able to just be with yourself without distraction, without something to fill every waking minute. Allowing yourself to just enjoy your own company even if it means you learn something new about yourself that you don’t necessarily like. It’s still ok! That’s part of what it’s all about. Finding out who you are and that is not going to be found in front of a game of Bejewelled my friend. That can only be found by looking inside.

I’d love to hear from you what kinds of things you used to love to do but have somehow let go of over the years in favor of Facebook, Twitter and text messaging. Leave your comments here or email me at Bettina@thesoulconnection.ca