Quote: life is vacation

   I heard a quote today which inspires me, though at first it sounds terribly immodest—bear with me—let me explain: "My life is better than your vacation."    

   What I like about it is challenges the idea that we must wait for vacation to have those moments we most look forward to. The truth is, most of us don't have as much vacation as we'd like (my company is generous in this regard, but can you ever have too much fun time?), so we can't afford to be on hold until it comes around. You have to seize every day and live it to the fullest extent possible. And if you manage that, imagine how amazing your VACATIONS will be!

   I don't generally make New Year's resolutions (for the same reason I don't have a "bucket list"—I prefer to think of concepts like these genuinely & holistically, rather than at a prescribed moment in time & tactically). But I do constantly look for ways to improve my life, so I'll continue looking for ways to enrich every day.  
Some ways I make every day like a vacation day:
- Get outside and see the world, even if it's a run in my own neighborhood. Take new paths without prior planning and see where I end up.
- Listen to music that makes me feel good. I have an intense love of music and discovering new songs. Music has a profound ability to influence your mood, in a way that a few other things can. Take advantage of that.. Sing in the car. Sing as I'm running. Makes me feel good.
- Get so much exercise that I can have the sweets I crave without restriction. This is not my motivation for activity—I LOVE being a highly active person. But I also love having a huge slice of cheesecake without even a moment's pause.
- Don't pass up an opportunity to take a trip, or to spend time with a friend. And especially when there's a chance to make new friends. You never know what each person will teach you or introduce you to.
- Learn something new every single day. And if something "clicks", go deeper. (Scuba Divemaster training should keep me plenty busy through June or so.)
- Do stuff that kinda scares me, but have faith. I don't take risk lightly, but I also don't avoid taking it. I used to be afraid of heights & of swimming (for fear I'd get hurt), of athletics (for fear I wasn't capable), of making mistakes (for fear of looking stupid).
The big ones that need work—these get in my way of doing the above:
- Leaving work at work.
- Refusing to stress over things I feel I should be doing (case in point, I "should" have been painting, cleaning, and getting projects done around the house when I was spontaneously invited to Arkansas. I am glad I made the right decision there!)
- Letting people help me without fearing I'm imposing too much.
- Don't waste time worrying about things you can't control.
- Don't allow others to influence your thoughts or behavior. Be true to yourself at all times.
- Focus on fewer, deeper relationships & hobbies vs. more more more. Actually, I'm not sure I'm committed to this one. Some have told me "I'm doing it wrong" but I think I may be happier than those people. So, TBD  :)