My own retreat

A week ago I went on what I am calling a "mini retreat", spending three days and nights at a lodge in a local State Park. Author Joan Anderson has written four books on her experiences starting with her living a year by herself on Cape Cod. That book is called "A Year by the Sea".

I had read this book and then found another, "A Weekend to Change Your Life". She now gives weekend seminars and has put the contents of what she covers in this book. So I read the book and did the exercises in the book. I did not come home with any radical changes (or maybe they are) just some really good ideas to put in practice.

The first is that I am really trying to look at each activity in my life and decide why I am doing it. Am I happy doing it? If not, why am I doing it or why did I not say no. It is very freeing. Last week I was asked to help plan a patriotic program for our community. That is so not me. So I did not agree to help. Yea Me!

Secondly, I am working on being "mindful" of what I am doing when doing it. Another term that is used for that concept is "living in the now". I will give updates through out the year as to how this all plays out.