Return to Your Happy Place

Hi there. Yes, I am the girl you love to hate.  The girl who wakes up with a smile. The girl who wakes up on the right side of the bed. The girl whose energy levels are so high each day  that you want to stomp on her because you have yet to have your morning coffee.  ( and trust me you don’t want to see me on caffeine) Yes, I am the girl who sees the world through rose colored glasses and drinks from the glass that is half-full. I am the girl who has been recently given the nick name “Positive Polly.” How did I achieve such a great attitude and outlook on life? How do I manage to get through all the daily crap?

First, let me begin by letting you in on a little secret. I am not always happy. WHAT??? Yes, I am not always happy! The reality is there are times when life sucks.  I have down moments and down days. Bad shit, happens to me just like everyone else.  The difference my friends is that I’ve groomed myself with daily practices and strategies not to stay in that state of doom and gloom, poor me, low energy, or whatever you want to call it.

You may recognize the title of this article, as it is also the tag line to my travel company.  The tag line truly embraces what  we all need to do. It is what I do almost daily and definitely throughout the year. And you have to make these things a practice.  For me, getting to my happy place encompasses 4 key components….THRIVE, REVIVE, INDULGE, ESCAPE.

Here are my definitions.
Thrive-
To thrive is to reach and maintain a level of health and well-being that provides you longevity in life.  No longer are the days of matching up to an image society has created. Today, it is about reaching your best and feeling your best, so you can continue to do the things you love.

Revive-
To revive is to take time to fuel your soul and mind.  Feed your spirit whether you have a regular religious practice or just take time for yourself.  It is about reaching deep within, connecting with your inner being. This can be achieved through practices of church, meditation, yoga, personal development through reading, and/or journaling.  The point is to find what helps you most to restore your inner peace.

Indulge-
To indulge is to try new things, taste what the world has to offer, and to treat yourself.  Stop saying no to yourself and start saying yes.  I believe all aspects of life should operate on an 80/20 rule.  20 percent of the time you give in. Have the piece of cake, buy the new outfit, enjoy the seaweed wrap.  To indulge is to let yourself have the things you think you shouldn’t.

Escape-
To escape is more then merely traveling. To escape is to let go of you daily routines and disconnect from your devices. You can escape alone or with others, but you must escape.  Escaping can be as simple as a walk or as elaborate as a trip around the world.  By escaping we can easily bring the other 3 components into action… thrive, revive, indulge.

When you learn to balance your life by setting aside time for these 4 realms, you return to your happy place.

Here is how I incorporate theses into a daily action.
I have a “me” routine.  The “me” routine incorporates the thrive and revive.  Being the morning person that I am, my “me” routine begins my days.  For revive, I journal and meditate daily.  Or sometimes swap this out with prayer.  Walks and yoga are other key components in my revive arsenal.

For thrive, I do a daily workout.  My workouts vary from cardio, weights, Pilates, yoga and more.  Often I do the workout in the comfort of my home, but keep a gym membership as well to change it up.

For indulge, I reward myself each day. Sometimes it may be a food item or sometimes I treat myself to. One of the ways I encourage myself to get my to do’s done is by telling myself when the list is done I can have ____.  Why did I have so much pool time this year????

Which brings me to escape. The pool was one of my escapes.  Another is a walk and just getting  back in tune with nature. It could be finding time to disappear in a good book too.  When you make time or take time to step away from the grind you will find the picture gets clearer and the energy or creativity you need to get through the project comes back. Of course on a larger scale, taking that weekend getaway and making time for your vacation aka ESCAPE you will be able to begin that journey back to your happy place.

As the song says, “Changes in latitudes Changes in Attitudes” ~ Jimmy Buffet