Back to Basics for the Spirit

Re-entering the work world feels quite different today. It's Monday, the first day of the week.

Sometimes my weekends are so full of activity that I relish the downtime on Monday mornings simply so I can digress and reflect, easing into the week.

Yet I've spent the past 7 days in the woods.

I wasn't sure what that was going to be like, for I haven't camped in a tent since I was a kid. I remembered the smell of army tents, the concern over basic necessities and the hope for comfort. So entering a natural space with the intent to be disconnected from technology and limited contact from those I know - although appealing - had me concerned about whether I could survive.

What I forgot was my love of reflection and the role nature plays in it. I found myself enjoying the company of friends and good music, yet often opted for quiet time outside the tent to listen to the wind through the leaves, the birds or observe the starry night sky. These basics quickly bring me back to that quiet place where my mind and spirit merge.

7 days with nature and peace give me the chance to get re-grounded in life. A similar experience in March - on a cruise ship - gave me the energy to come back to life with renewed vigor, focus and determination to make the best of another 5 months.

What I've learned through these vacations is to experience the beauty of what life's basics have to offer:

time to be still and listen,time to meet others who wander into your path, time to reflect and time to recommit to what is important.

For many people, taking the time to be still, to be alone, to let thoughts come to mind is scarry. For those people I offer a fabulous video on being alone by Andrea Dorfman and Tanya Davis. To see it, click on the title of this blog.

Surviving on the basics is all about accepting yourself, loving who you are and what your purpose is. When your spirit is refueled, your focus is recommitted, you are refreshed for what life brings you. I have made the decision to OFTEN get away, get refueled, remind myself of who I am and what I'm here for and then come back to be and do those things.

Take the time to get back to basics. It's so good for your spirit. Especially when you wake up to Mondays.