Lazy, Rainy Morning on the Patio

It's been unusually wet in Colorado for the past few months. And this morning, I decided to take full advantage of it.

My wife slept in, it was a bit wet to take my morning walk, and even though I had tons of work on my desk — including a new interview to edit for the podcast — I decided to just stop for bit. A little "self care," you might say.

As you can see above, I headed out to our covered patio, turned on the fire pit, and enjoyed the sound of the constant rain. Yes, those are my feet in the picture — nice a toasty from the warmth of the fire. For about an hour, I just soaked it all in. Few things relax me more than the sound of the rain. I did a little meditation. A little thinking. A little watching the squirrel hop along the top of the fence. And a little bit of just letting things be. No agenda. No pressure. No stress. What a way to start the day.

You Deserve a Break Today

If you know that reference ("You Deserve a Break Today"), you might have just had a sudden urge for a cheeseburger, or a sausage biscuit. You might also be a little closer to my age than you'd like to admit. Still, it's a great message. We are all busy. Too busy. I know this because I have a Ph.D. in feeling overwhelmed and busy. But, I'm working on changing that. The truth is — even though most of us don't like to admit it — being busy is more about perception than about reality.

Life is what we make of it. Taking time for yourself, taking time to relax, taking time to reset, is a choice. I have a crazy week ahead of me with doctor appointments, research team meetings, training development, website development, and two live podcast events to produce. And yet this morning, I took an hour to spend by myself, on the patio, watching a squirrel in the rain.

And it was probably the smartest thing I'll do all week.

We are human, we get busy, and we burn out. The work will always be there. If you don't make time to take time for yourself, your body and brain will find a way to force you to do it eventually. And trust me, you won't like their methods. And your family and colleagues will appreciate it too. We are better people to be around, happier people, more relaxed people, when we take some time for ourselves.

Today, if you do nothing else, take 30 minutes for yourself to sit and watch the rain, or take a walk, or meditate, or play with a pet, or whatever helps you reset yourself. And maybe, if you're really crazy, you might do it again tomorrow.

Thanks for taking this break with me,

Talk with you soon,

D :)