“Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”

Holidays are always that amazing time for complete rest and abandon. As soon as I write this, many tropical getaways come to mind. Recently I was watching a movie with Robert Machado, where he delves into such a tropical abandon. Away from the world of competitive surfing, he can focus solely on what he loves the most. The more he distances himself from others, from civilisation, the more he believes he is finally at peace and in full focus. But ultimately he comes to the realisation that we do need others to feel in contact with our lives.

 

I’d say holidays, or some form of rest and relaxation are crucial to each and every person. An amazing quote springs to mind straight away:

“Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”

Life without holidays, becomes such a drudgery, a conglomerate of similar days, moods, feelings and therefore outcomes. I believe we always need to be refreshed and refocused to go after our goals and dreams. This is what living, and not merely breathing is about. It’s easy to simply exist, to fall into the monotony of life, to see each day in the same shade, and believe that repeating the same thing over and over gets us somewhere else in life. But it’s harder (and more rewarding) to push beyond the boundaries of pure existence, check our current state against that of our dreams, and aim to make that connection to get there. Every day, in every way.

Obviously to feel a dream is worth doing, you need to be inspired. But inspiration is like a bird in the hand, it flies away too quickly. If you pursue it too fervently, it simply escapes you. But if you take the time to attract it, make room for it in your life, it appears very quickly to aid and guide you. Holidays, allow you to feel wonder, awe, amazement – all feelings which attract inspiration. Holidays are almost a moment taken out of time and existence, when only inspiration and love conquer. However holidays, like birds and inspiration, fly away too quickly too. Inspiration is just the spark that provides the flame for the realisation of dreams.

Daily attention to dreams and goals, continually taking time to be inspired, keeps the flame alive. Paulo Coelho says:

“One day you will wake up, and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.”

We need to put a sense of urgency on our dreams. If you are not living YOUR life, than who is? If you are not taking that holiday you always wanted, than who is? If you could be a better person for yourself and others, than what is stopping you?

Everyone needs to take time out to find their own “tropical getaway”, from which they can emerge refreshed and revitalised towards life. We are not merely breathing, we are living a dream of our own… It’s always time to get reconnected and inspired.

Do it now.

SoulSurfer © 12th September 2012 at 3.56pm. Photo by Patricia Pahl.