I’m not sure that I’ve ever approached a Spring Break week, at least in the last four years, feeling as at ease as I do this year. Many times over these years, I’ve been so wound up about work/life – just about anything – that I’ve dived headfirst into Spring Break trips with my family, carrying a head full of steam and anger.
This year, however, is markedly different. Thanks to an early-year “reset” and quitting drinking alcohol of any kind, I’m entering this year’s break with a very easy feeling. Even with work stress peaking on the Friday before the break, I feel very calm. Learning to realize that there are many things simply out of my control, I am very much at peace with myself and the world around me. On top of the work stress of this past week, there was family stress, as Lilly Grace had tryouts for the middle school dance team. Through hard work and perseverance, she made the team, but it did not happen without adding a mountain of stress that eventually subsided. Again, this year, I find myself dealing with this stress very differently from years past.
It truly is amazing how at ease you can feel when you allow yourself time to clear your mind and unwind some of those thoughts that keep you so on edge all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I am still as driven to win and succeed as I have ever been, and actually, I feel that I am more inclined to see new angles to win than before, but it comes with a much greater feeling of ease.
All that said, I am flying across the ocean to go to a totally new place that I have never been before, and the feeling of ease is at an all-time high. There will be no palm trees, beaches, boats, or sandbars this Spring Break, but I get the feeling I will be much more relaxed even if I am right in the middle of one of the largest cities on the planet – simply because my mind is at ease.