Building a Life You Don't Need a Vacation From

You don't have to be in Florida for beautiful sunsets. Ohio on Lake Erie with a LUMIX FZ300 - F4 1/250 ISO 100

"My goal is to build a life I don't need a vacation from!"
Rob Hill Sr.

The other day I shared the quote above in a tweet. The more I think about it, the more perfect it is for a Sunday Morning Reflections post.

When I initially read the quote all I thought about was business. I thought about how I bound out of bed every morning excited about the day ahead. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people in the industry and with each day I find myself looking forward to new projects and the people I work with.

But this morning when I read that quote I started thinking about the word "life" being used. Building a life isn't just about our careers and business relationships it's about family, friends and staying focused on those values most important to us. It's about everything we believe. It's about our dreams, our priorities, and our passions.

So, on this beautiful Sunday morning in South Florida, I'm reminding all of you of the importance of doing an inventory every so often. Check out your priorities in life, because now and then under the stress of the day-in-day-out challenges, they get turned around. It's never intentional, just part of life and dealing with everything that's put on our plate!

Here's a fun little exercise I just put myself through ten minutes ago - Look at everything you need to do in the week ahead and include time for yourself and family/friends. I'm betting you're missing any serious time for yourself. As happy with our "lives" as we might be - we forget to take those breaks - those little vacations. I'm not suggesting anything extravagant just those moments when you make it a point to go stress-free for a little while.

For me the concept to "build a life I don't need a vacation from" is always going to be work in progress, but nothing happens by itself. It takes work to stay focused on your dreams, even the small ones. Each day should be a journey of visualization, which as artists you're used to the concept, but how often to you visualize how you'd like your life to be and then do something about it?  You know how to focus your camera, but maybe it's time to focus more on your life!

Wishing everybody a wonderful Sunday. Go for those eleven-second hugs. If you're new to reading my Sunday posts, I read an article a couple of years ago about how hugs lasting at least eleven seconds have therapeutic value. Make today a time when you respect the most important person in your life - YOU! Give yourself the day off. Spend time with family and friends who are important to you and give yourself a big pat on the back. 

Happy Sunday!