Pre-Vacation Psycho: A Day in the Life Sunday

I am wrapped tight the week before a vacation. Psycho. Plain and simple.

One moment I am doing exactly what I spoke to a group of professionals this week about not doing - reacting in the heat of the moment. The next, I am typing with one finger reacting to emails I normally would simply delete. My days blur into each other as I head in to work at the crack of dawn and head out after others have left to get "one more thing done" before I head out.

I am moving through actions, making decisions, and providing direction.

How much "stuff" can I get through my office and out to others so actions can proceed in my absence? What issues do I anticipate coming up <enter the crystal ball> so I can prepare others for them?

It's crazy I tell you.

This old soul needs to retreat, recharge, refocus and regroup. And it starts today. First stop, the St. Paul Hotel for the chocolate lovers tea with the girls - vintage hats and all.

Monday, we're heading south.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Atlantis and then snorkeling in the Bahamas may be just what the doctor ordered.

Disney cruise creatures all bouncey, smiley, giddy and in my space? Maybe not so much right now but give me a few days to unwind then I'll be up for reconnecting with creatures and folk alike. Maybe even SpongeBob. Wait, not SpongeBob - ever. Thank god he is not Disney.

See you in a week. It is a small world after all.

Photo credit iStockphoto

Does Everyone Have A True Path?

Here it is Monday morning and I am checking my Monday Morning Barometer. In this post, Andrea Ballard describes how she uses Monday mornings as her true test to know when she is straying away from her true path.

I loved the post, tweeted the post and received this @reply: 

If you notice the date and time, this was the 2nd afternoon of my week long vacation. I had woken up that morning, before anyone else (surprise!), went for a run, grabbed some coffee and, with my red Moleskine in hand, sat in the morning South Dakota sun at the campground. There are any number of things I could have done that morning, yet I chose not to do any thing other than to enjoy the view. I carried that with me throughout the day and when I checked in and saw this reply, I started to think in a restful, vacation-y kind of way:

Does everyone have a true path? How do you find it? How do you know when you are on it? How many people are looking their true path right between the eyes but don't see the forest for the trees?

I didn't come up with any answers to those questions (I was on vacation, remember) but one thing did cross my mind. Take a few moments to picture yourself in your relaxing place, with time on your hands, and no commitments to fulfill. What do you choose to do?

We all have a true path and maybe, just maybe, the things we choose to do - when we don't have to do anything at all - hold the keys to discovering our true path.