Summer is upon us now and most are fortunate to be able to take vacations. We all know taking a vacation or break revitalizes and re-energizes us. Then we return to our routines, back to work, to school, etc. Although our home environment and work schedule may be the same before we left for vacation, but something is different. What is different is ourselves. Experiences gained from vacations change us. We don’t return as the same person.
An example from a patient illustrates this point. For years she and her then-husband have talked about wanting to visit an original painting by Van Gogh. A year after they divorced, my patient decided to make a trip by herself to see the painting. This meant for this small town girl to fly across the country, navigate her way through a big city by herself, and adjust to a different culture. She made it and came face-to-face with the painting! It was not seeing the painting that made a difference, but her experience traveling alone gave her the confidence and independence. She returned home and to her job a changed person; confident in her abilities and in her interaction with others.
Make room for new experiences and challenges in your life. Make room for new perspectives and thoughts in your mind. They will change you.
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