Missing Out on March Break

Due to today's economic uncertainty, you may find yourself one of many forced to conserve their funds and cut out the extras that seem to make life worth living. Luxuries like spa visits, dining out, and winter vacation are logically the first to go. It makes sense then that you currently find yourself pining for the sunny sand and surf of the Caribbean, or the majestic snowy slopes of Whistler.

No one like to feel like they're missing out, and there truly is some sort of satisfaction to be found through mild sulking and self-pity. It's an empty sense of satisfaction though, and it really can't compare to what you're really looking for - the great benefits that seem to only come from time spent away enjoying yourself in your own personal paradise. Things like renewed energy and vigor, and a greater sense of happiness and inner peace. Things all people should be entitled to enjoy.

If it was true that all the benefits of vacation can only be achieved by taking one then you truly would have something to be sad about. Fortunately, every person can find the refuge they seek in their very own minds. Centuries old Buddhist concepts of mindfulness, staying present and living in the now are currently gaining popularity as solutions to the stresses of life in Western society. Applied to your current concern of missing out on vacation, these concepts encourage you to:

1. Keep your mind focused on the present moment and accept what currently is. Suffering results from resisting what life is currently offering you. Suffering also results from comparing our present to a strongly preferred remembered past or a strongly preferred imagined future. Notice that dwelling on your missed vacation does nothing more for you than make you feel bad. Make the choice to stop doing that.

2. Use the present in constructive ways. If you desire a vacation, consider what you can do in the present to get you closer to that goal. Pass on trivial purchases so you can put some money aside, put in extra hours at work, sell your services, or possessions you no longer have use for. When there is nothing you can do in your present moment, focus on other things that you value.

3. Focus on and feel grateful for all you have in your life. Feel grateful that you are alive to live another day. Feel grateful for all of the good in your life - your family, friends, health, freedom, special strengths, talents, and abilities, your employment, your possessions, and your home. Even if you hope to someday have more, be grateful for what you do have which is so much more than many people on this planet. Feel grateful for the vacations you have enjoyed, and for the ones you know you will enjoy in the future.

4. Practice meditation and mindfulness. No vacation available anywhere can offer you anything that compares to the peace you can find in your very own mind. Meditation also offers you all of the same health and psychological benefits of vacation to a greater degree, all year round, and at no cost whatsoever.

With a small amount of education, these concepts can be incorporated by anyone willing to take responsibility for their happiness. You can find a wide array of books on mindfulness and meditation online and at your local bookstore. If these concepts appeal to you, and you are looking to achieve more comprehensive self-work/or address more serious life problems, consider Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Go to 4peaceofmind.ca for a free e-mail consultation.