Well, it’s been a while since I wrote a blog post…and that’s been no accident. For a while, I was really committed to keeping current with the blog, working our social media sites, and creating contacts with people as we prepared for a life of sailing adventures. And although I knew it would be a while (at least a few years) before we hit the high seas, what I didn’t anticipate was how deep the desire would be to leave sooner, and how intense the disappointment would be as we worked in a direction that was moving slower than my wishes. April, May, and June became a whirlwind of activities. The closing of the school year always brings a veritable plethora of events (all of which cost money and must be multiplied by the 5 kids we have in school) as well as the various goings-on associated with the beginning of summer (and their added expenses). I found myself becoming resentful of these activities as they took time and funding away from my ocean voyaging dream. And this resent started to interfere with enjoying my present placing…I wasn’t joyful in the vacations or the birthday parties or the end of the year field trips. I was just sad at best, angry at worst, that time on the boat was slipping away from me. And frankly, this goes against everything I truly believe and value.
Mindfulness, being present in, grateful for, and enjoying the moment is a value I place at a premium. And I was quickly losing my ability to find joy in my current circumstances. Not because things were bad…quite the opposite. Our family is full of good, healthy, high achieving kids. Work is going amazingly well, my practice is flourishing and I’ve started teaching again at a local college. Our vacation was rejuvenating. I love my husband. Everything is great. But rather than being satisfied and fulfilled, I was still rushing forward towards what I wanted rather than enjoying all I’d been given.
So, after a few months of regrouping and refocusing, I’m back to feeling like I can regularly blog and engage the fantasy (for now) world of preparing to sail away. To any others planning their escape, I encourage you to try to be mindful and enjoy your current life and all it has to teach you in preparation for the future. I plan to do the same, still working towards my goals, but not sacrificing the beautiful life I have right now to attain them.
Peace and blessings,
Mindi
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