No Matter Where You Go, There You Are
Have you ever dreamed of going to exotic and beautiful places? Have you ever had the thought, "Oh if I could do anything, I would move to a place like Maui or maybe Tahiti and then life would be really grand"?We have all had thoughts of escaping to some tropical paradise where we can leave the cares and woes of life behind. There is only one problem. No matter where you go, or what you do, you always bring you along. And so if you are dissatisfied here in New York, the idea that going to a beautiful tropical island will save you seems very palatable, possible and wonderful. But, sad to say, it is only an idea.
We once knew a fellow, "Jack" who moved from Colorado to New York to get away from a dead-end job and difficulties with his associates. Within 5 months, he had alienated most of the people who had befriended him upon his arrival in the city and had subsequently quit his new place of employment. Jack thought everyone was totally unfair and that he needed a change. He up and moved to Texas. Things turned from bad to worse. He started a business and quickly got into legal troubles. After a long and costly series of dealings with the law, he promised to change his ways and they let him go with a mere "slap on the wrist". So on Jack went to California where he started the same type of business, with another dubious partner and he immediately got into similar troubles with business associates as well as the California and Federal authorities.
Even though his location had changed, Jack kept creating basically the same circumstances. The same scenario kept reoccurring wherever he went. People initially liked him, went out of their way to support him and were always disappointed when his true colors became apparent. Even though he met new people in these different places, somehow he managed to create the same outcome, over and over.
Of course, Jack's story is an extreme example. But it typifies how personal patterns follow people wherever they go. Have you ever noticed that similar stresses and worries seem to follow you wherever you go, even when on vacation? Often a holiday starts off wonderful, the environment has changed, people finally get a chance to relax and before they know it, they are thinking familiar thoughts and worrying about the things they thought were left behind. In the end, many feel as though they need a vacation to recover from their vacation.
This is not to suggest that you shouldn't move or go on a holiday. What we are suggesting is that the most exciting journey is the one of self discovery. And when you know yourself and are able to dissolve the mechanical responses to your life, then when you go on vacation, the person you take with you, yourself, will be an excellent traveling companion.
In this season when people are preparing to take vacations and spend holidays with family and friends, it is a time when you can be filled with longing for the day of departure. At work or during your day you may find yourself dreaming of your upcoming trip to the beach, national parks, or even far away destinations. The time of preparation and planning is an excellent time to practice the art of living in the moment.
"How?" you might say. "How can I be in the moment and plan my trip at the same time"? Well, it is very simple, if you are planning when you are planning, that is what your moment includes. It is about taking the time to do what is needed now, to set up the future for the best possible result. However, there is a different sort of "planning" and dreaming that actually will leach away the vitality from your trip. If you are at work, today, dreaming of your getaway, then you are not investing in your life, in this moment. Then when you get to that long awaited trip, you will only be half there and you will probably be thinking about the things you have to do at home.
Your mind is a machine and if it is habituated to looking forward to the future rather than being in this present moment of now, it will continue to do that even on your vacation. The way to neutralize this "the future is better" idea is to bring totality to everything you are doing in this current moment of now. So when you are at work, be at work, not thinking about your vacation and how much better it is going to be. This way when you actually go on holiday, you will be there to enjoy it.
Since 1987, internationally acclaimed authors, seminar leaders, and business consultants Ariel and Shya Kane have acted as guides, leading people through the swamp of the mind into the clarity and brilliance of the moment. To find out more about the Kanes and their Transformational Community or to sign up to join their email newsletter, The Excellence Club: Having It All, visit their website at: www.TransformationMadeEasy.com. Information about their three award-winning books – Working On Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas that will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, How to Create A Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life and Being Here, Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment – is also available on their website.
