FINDING JOY IN THE FAMILIAR
The summer of COVID-19 has led many of us to abandon the idea of a vacation. When I ask clients if they are taking a holiday this year, their reply is often the same, “No, working from home feels different. There aren’t many places we can even go.” I am a big believer in the importance of time away from the office. But this year, like so many of my clients, I was in vacation purgatory - delaying much needed time off. I was burnt out, unproductive and grouchy. Limitations on travel meant solving this problem would require shifting my mindset.
I live on the New England seacoast – a place where people from across the world come for vacation. When enough was enough, I embraced becoming a tourist in my own town. I invited some of my favorite people to join me and for one week we became sightseers in a familiar place. The experience reminded me how easy it is to overlook, discount, or take for granted the joys of the familiar.
For years, I walked by this little local lobster shack thinking “I should really try that”. So, I hopped on my bike, usually relegated to the dusty corner of my garage, and rode there. As I sat eating my lobster roll and enjoying great company, I appreciated what was so special about this local hole in the wall. I rode my bike to the beach, another thing I often imagined but never took the time to experience. On my way back from the beach I bought wine, cheese and bread at a local shop. I realized all of these activities are experiences similar to those I enjoyed in far off places I have flown to. Here they were, outside my own door just waiting to be embraced.
The result of my week “away” was nothing short of spectacular. My renewed energy was not the result of packing a bag and going to a far off destination. It was the result of shifting how I see the familiar. I experienced joy and beauty in a place I take for granted.
COVID-19 will eventually be behind us. When it is safe to travel, I will happily return to my list of places to visit. In the meantime, the realization that seeing beauty and finding renewal is not about where I go, but how I approach experiences. For me, this is an insight I will work to embrace every day. What can you do to find beauty in what you might be taking for granted? If you can’t see it, may I suggest going for a bike ride? The wind in your face and the freedom of the ride may be all you need to shift your mindset.
