Doesn't this look absolutely Divine? Doesn't it just invite you in to take a rest and stare at the trees and water and whatever wildlife are around while you just veg out? It does to me. Too often in our culture we have to schedule the downtime. Think of the last vacation you took, did you vacate or did you run everywhere trying to cram as much into the time as possible and then needed a vacation from your vacation. Maybe you haven't taken a vacation and that could be the one thing you DO get done today, scheduling it!

I decided this summer I was not going to look back and have no quality of life and I also wasn't going to move through the warm months here in New England without enjoyment. The vacationing I like to do is a four day non scheduled, go with the flow kind of vacation. So, I scheduled one every month for the months of  May, June and July There were the typical critic head messages saying, you have to work, you have bills to pay and the what will you DOOOOOO? They were there, but I didn't have to listen to them. I decided that I was going to mix it up. So in May Howard and I went to Virginia to see family and friends as well as Washington D.C. In June I planned to go camping with some friends and July I planned on attending a wedding in California. I'm glad I had the go with the flow mentality because the camping trip was a washout! The wedding in California will be wonderful I am sure but I won't be attending as responsibilities will be creating a staycation for me, which I probably need more anyway. I didn't plan anything in August but the universe put one together for me in September combining work and play, which is the perfect scenario if you ask me!

What will  you do to relax this summer? To just lie around and not be on the go? I personally believe that we should have this every day, a little vacation in every single day, be it  meditation, a walk, listening to calming music or laughing with loved ones. Something in every day to allow us to shut off the mind chatter and to create a break in the noise and the rushing. I will admit that it takes practice to create this because it took practice to create the madness, but I know you can do it. Howard recently built a porch on the front of our house. I have been enjoying the being out and not running so much, I've fallen a bit behind in my writing but that is ok, because the break will create genius....I hope.

So, here is to longer days where we have more time to practice this time of checking in with self, breathing and perhaps an iced coffee or two! I wish you the best of summer seasons whenever it happens in your world and I wish you the relaxation of a summer day all year round.

Viewing life from my porch, wave if you drive by,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com