By Dr. Dain Heer
In the US, most people have the right to ten days of paid vacation a year—ten tiny days where they finally get to do and be what they desire—and get paid for it. And so many spend the rest of the year longing, planning, and saving for those few days.
The way I see it, that is crazy! Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying I don’t have days when I get tired or need a break. Of course, I do! But I am no longer judging those days as bad, wrong, or wasted. Instead, I welcome them, slowly re-training myself to relax into the non-doing as an essential part of creating my life.
What do I mean?
For the past 25 years, I’ve been running a personal development company with my best friend, Gary Douglas, continuously exploring what works for people when it comes to recharging themselves and asking, “What if we didn’t have to vacate our lives to come alive?”
What we’ve discovered is that it is different for everyone. (And I mean everyone!)
Some people love having a day to play freely now and then—or just a few hours. Others desire extended breaks from everything and everyone on a regular basis. Some people relax by lying on the beach with a margarita. Others get energy from nature, cooking a meal, or writing a book. And all this varies over time as life (and people) keep changing.
However, what does seem to be true for everyone is that they start to thrive when they get to choose and learn to follow their own unique rhythms in life and work.
Though not as easy as it sounds, it’s a crucial element in creating an organization in which people have a sense of thriving.
Unfortunately, most people have no idea what works for them. We’ve been taught to follow the rules and structures of our families and cultures – like the idea that ten days of vacation is necessary and the only way.
So, for you to know that you know and what you know, a reset may be required where you let go of all the ideas that structure our lives into free time versus work time. And then, from that blank space, start asking questions that you don’t have a ready-made answer for:
What do you truly desire?
What do you truly require?
What makes you come alive?
What is possible for you that you’ve never considered?
What if truly being you was the starting point for how you create your days, your work, and your future?
Many years ago, I wrote the book Being You, Changing the World, which explores this idea in depth. Today, it has been translated into over 20 languages, and the very idea of BEING YOU even has its own international day—June 22.
What can you do today to dive deeper into acknowledging what you desire and require? What can you do to celebrate you?
