Earlier this month, my husband and I journeyed to Sri Lanka, an island off the coast of Southern India, for our honeymoon.
Our plan was to go surfing, but that was about all we had on the agenda. And this was hard for me. I am a planner- usually to a fault when traveling. I want to see everything possible, so I plan so much that we are more exhausted after our vacation than before we left.
But this trip was different.
We were staying in one location where our only scheduled events were 2 surf lessons a day. Other than that, everything would be left up to the present moment.
And… it was wonderful.
After coming off of planning a wedding and a honeymoon and working two jobs, I wasn’t quite sure I remembered what “down time” was. I felt like we were wasting precious time as we lied in the beach cabanas in between sessions. There was just so much to see and explore…
But what I didn’t realize, is that if we had left to explore, we would have missed all of the opportunities that were right in front of us.
Like befriending a couple from Germany, talking to the owner about his plans to open another surf camp in Bali and playing cricket with all the locals. Oh, and watching someone climb up a coconut tree in like 5 seconds, with a machete. Doesn’t get fresher than that…
There is a feeling that comes with travel that is hard to explain. You come home and you are just a little different than you were when you left. You view the world in a way you didn’t know existed before.
This trip I was determined to bring more home than just memories and tanned skin (& about 8 million mosquito bites).
I wanted to bring home this feeling of simplicity that brought me so much peace in Sri Lanka.
It’s not often that you find yourself in a country where life is far from luxurious, yet surrounding you, are some of the happiest people. This was so incredible to me that I actually find it hard to put into words.
All of the things you worry about in this life… Driving the best car, having the most impressive resume, living in a extravagant house. Does any of this really matter if you aren’t happy? The one thing I learned from this trip is that your life can be whatever you choose to make it, and from my experience, simple is most certainly better.
As the holidays approach and we find ourselves caught in the crowds of shoppers, and the rush of the season, I encourage you to focus on what’s important in your life- whatever that may be. Find happiness in the most simple of things.
Ways to cultivate simplicity in your daily life…
1. Be present
Easier said than done, I know, but practice makes perfect. When you are always living in the past or planning the future, you make no room to enjoy the present.
Start small. Talk with the people around you, put down your phone when you are waiting in line and become more in tune to the things that are happening around you. Feel the temperature on your skin, see the changing seasons and listen to the sounds of your life.
One of the things that really made a different in my life was turning off all phone notifications other than calls and texts. I no longer get notified when I get an email or when someone liked my Instagram post. Once I realized how distracting it was, it felt liberating to turn it all off. There are no more interruptions during dinner and no more distractions when surrounded by family or friends. You choose when you want to engage in social media, not the other way around.
2. Practice gratitude daily
“Gratitude helps us to see what’s there, instead of what isn’t”
Something new that I have recently started doing is saying 3 things I am grateful for each night. It can be as specific as something that happened that day or as basic as having clean water to drink. I used to find myself drifting whenever there was a quiet moment in the day, longing for more adventure or more clarity in my life. The more I bring myself to this space of gratitude, the more I am able to realize just how much I have to be grateful for.
A gratitude practice can happen in many different ways. You can start a journal, call a friend or relative and share your appreciation with each other, or you can meditate. This will help to see the good in all situations and will also help you be more present. Try incorporating a gratitude practice for a week and take notice of all the positive changes that start to take place.
3. Say No
Saying no to things that don’t serve you may be one of the hardest things for some people to do.
Throughout life, we are presented with many opportunities. Opportunities which could lead to positive changes in your life, or opportunities that could cause harm. It is when we realize this, that we can stop saying yes to every chance we get and start to say no to things that are not meant for us. Not all opportunities are created equal.
Saying no could be as simple as turning down an invitation to dinner. Or it could be as big as turning down a job because something about it just ‘doesn’t feel right’. The more we listen to our intuition and say no to opportunities that aren’t in our best interest, the more space we create for things that are.
Choosing when to say no means prioritizing the values that are most important to you. The next time you get presented with an opportunity that you are unsure of, ask yourself if it aligns with your values, and if it doesn’t… then simply say no.
