Unplugging and Finding the Joy in the Simple Things

Life today is all about the electronics. No matter where you look or where you are, it is inevitable you see people with their heads are down staring at the little tiny smart device that seems to now be an appendage to the hand.  I am defiantly guilty of it myself.   We can get all caught up in who is doing what, when and how.  I don’t think I have seen a paper invitation to a party in several years or heard my house land line ring from a friend to just talk.

I am most guilty of this as well. In my soul of souls and in a former life, I must have been a photographer. I see art in everything. I am guilty of having over 2000 pictures on my phone right now. I want to post them all, think of clever trivial things to say about each of them. I get so caught up that I forget to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the moment, not the potential great Instagram shot.

We took a river cruise last week on the Rhine River. Part for work and part for vacation.  I really tried to not be on my phone the entire time which I found difficult.  I wanted to share with the world my love and passion for river cruising and why I feel it is a wonderful experience for all my clients.

What I discovered though is that river cruising is not a vacation, river cruising is a feeling. 

River cruising is not noisy, it is peaceful.  River cruising is about taking down time, taking it all in for what it is and that is simply beautiful.  

There are moments and scenery during a river cruise that truly brings you so many moments of clarity about the things in life that are important. It’s about letting go of the noise and letting go of the ‘stuff’ that keeps your mind preoccupied.

In life, we all have ‘stuff’ that can take be very sad from time to time. I am no different than everyone else and my sad stuff is about my broken relationship with my own siblings. And without getting too personal, the ‘stuff’ we carry can occupy the mind and heart so deeply that you forget to stop and feel the glide of life. Work, life, relationships can all add up to mind clutter. So much so that you don’t see the beauty in the sunrise or find the peace and solitude in the sunset.

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The rivers are a place of unconditional love when the ship glides with the movement of the river and that is why I say that river cruising is a feeling, not a thing.

The movement across the water is a quiet glide and not a force of current.  Sunrises and sunsets are so deeply beautiful if we move away from the electronics, if we move away from the mind clutter and just absorb the first light of the day or embrace the beautiful sky at sunset. It is natural, it is beautiful, and it comes to us without conditions.

The week on the Rhine couldn’t have been more perfect for us. We enjoyed the ship, we enjoyed letting go, and we enjoyed reconnecting with each other. We took it all in, loved a little deeper, appreciated life more than ever, laughed so hard with each other it hurt and emotionally connected.  River cruising is more than a vacation, if you unplug, take it all in, river cruising is a feeling.

Life is good, regardless of what stuff you may have in your own life. Let it go. Let it glide. 

Embrace the river and be grateful for the moments.