Have a Nice Vacation!
I found myself triggered by the words as my friend walked out the door. Vacation! Does everyone think I just go on vacation all the time? Don’t they know how much I’m working to build a new practice and write a book?
Pesky Triggers!
Strong emotional reactions, sometimes called triggers, to anything in the outside world is often a reflection to the crap we are sensitive to because of our own subconscious beliefs or values. They can be a great (and sometimes painful) pointer to the unhealed parts of us.
I’m not…
I reacted because somewhere my ego wanted me to remember or feel I’m not working hard enough, I’m not successful enough, and I’m not doing enough. I “should” do more. It also has to do with my perception of how people interpret my lifestyle.
Being a Digital Nomad vs. Taking a Vacation
The innocuous ‘vacation’ statement and genuine expression of love and caring would not have been emotionally reactive for me had I healed some past judgments. When I tell people I’m a part-time digital nomad, they react differently than when I say I’m working from my truck and campgrounds across the US.
Some people react as if I must be destitute to be living out of my old truck and boondocking. Others think it’s the coolest thing ever. I’m doing the same thing- it’s THEIR perception of my experience. Although I do want to maintain a certain professional image, I also have to remember that they are viewing my life through their own filters, and if I’m upset by the way they view me— that’s the issue I need to address within myself.
Healing My Own Baggage
I did some Emotional Freedom Techniques tapping and healing work around my own patterns and beliefs around how hard I have to work and what it had to look like. Then came a powerful moment of clarity.
Every Day Can Be Like Vacation | Do What You Love and Don’t Work a Day…
I CAN treat every day like it was vacation. Not in a way that I ignore work or lay on the beach with margaritas or turn off my phone (even when I want to). I can choose to face every day with excitement and dedication to live and do the things I want to do. To be curious about how to make it more powerful for myself. Not that I ignore or avoid the challenges, but that I meet them also with openness, patience, and curiosity.
Take a Break!
It’s healthy to use more time practicing yoga and walking on a trail. When I’m traveling I sometimes work on my computer all day from the seat of my truck and watch the sun move from one side of the sky to another; finishing just in time to realize that my dreams of hiking for the day are gone with the light. It’s too dark to wander into the unknown wilderness
Live Every Day as If It’s Your Last
What if we all enjoyed daily life? You hear tropes like ‘live every day like it’s your last,’ ‘take time to breathe,’ and ‘do what you love,’ but do we do that? Do you unhook the emotional reactions and belief systems to freely, confidently, and without guilt choose that kind of life? I slowed down when I was in Europe. The American lifestyle has shifted me into a hectic pace.
Make The Choice
My choice is made. I choose to continue working hard, to doing what I love, to writing my books. But I also choose to come at it with an attitude as if I’m on vacation and enjoying every moment of it. After all, it’s not about what you do, it’s about how you perceive it.
Need Help Slowing Down?
EFT Tapping is great for all the emotional reactions that arise when you even consider changing your lifestyle. Contact me if you would like some support!
With love and gratitude,
Dawn
