Just Relax…Let it Go!
Vacation is rolling around again and every summer it seems to come at a great time. Generally, I find we are escaping from the grind at Christmas and around the 4th of July. This down time tells a story about the kind of things churning inside of us. It would seem to be paradise to lay on the beach, recline in the boat, read by the pool in hopes of casting aside the busyness of the times. It is amazing to me how hard it is to truly do this. Stopping the choice to fill each waking moment with some goal-driven task or role-filling agenda is difficult. It is amazing to watch anxiety actually build inside of us as we take time to stop. I have begun to wonder if we truly can relax.
The Bible says, “Be Still and Know that I am God…” and in most faiths contemplative study is revered as a good thing. Monk-like work can be very scary. To have to see what bubbles up when the absence of distractions exists is enough to send one completely over the edge. Some contemplative experiences that are available to the individual actually test a person to be sure they are psychologically ready to deal with it or a break could be the result of no interaction or purposeful activity. Balance and health is to understand that all of us need this time for restoration and cleansing. Vacation is truly not productive if it means life is more hectic with more things on the agenda than in everyday life. So, just relax and let go of the cares of the day. If things bubble to the surface, it’s OK. It just means we have not arrived and we are a work in progress.
