Make the Process Enjoyable!

Hope you all had a wonderful long weekend with your family and friends.What made your time enjoyable?

Perhaps you were like me - my favourite parts were in the preparation and eating of dinners where friends & family gathered for food and, most importantly, amazingly heartfelt conversations. Quality time with those you care about is an important love language. Taking the time to put away the distractions and really be present with others is really nourishing for our minds, bodies, and souls.  Here is some food for thought to pass along to all of you: how do we incorporate this precious time into our daily routines?!

Holidays really do bring people together; they remind us about the importance of community in our lives - we are social beings! As I have gotten older, though, due to schedules and varying locations, it can be harder to get together with friends and family. I cherish the time more, that I once took for granted.

Like being away from our friends and loved ones on the holidays, sometimes life can be lonely as we achieve our dreams. Think about a jobseeker who sits alone scrolling online through endless job boards to find opportunities. Or, the home-based entrepreneur who spends their day doing solitary work. Or, the professional who moved across the country for a new position. Or, the elders who are by themselves for the holidays.

Instead of going at it alone, we are all longing for a community that will nourish us and help us rise. For a group of people that will be there through the highs and lows; be there on the daily walk, not just the holidays.  We are all longing for community, connection, acceptance, and love. Like food, that is what fuels us on our personal journey and makes the process enjoyable. Presence truly is the best present!

Spending time connecting with people either in person or through technology has really impacted my personal and professional development.  You never know what is going on in someone’s life. This week, I invite you to start taking action by reaching out and starting a conversation. You can do it in person over a meal, or connect by phone, skype, text, IM, letter, carrier pigeon or any way that you can imagine.  Tell someone how much they mean to you.  Make life more enjoyable for others by showing them on a daily basis they aren’t alone and are deeply loved – that goes for telling ourselves that too!

Thank you for reading and for your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! We are all looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the Comments section below. I’d love to hear how incorporating the practice of eating together has really fed your mind, body, and soul.  How do you make life more enjoyable?

See you at the beach!