As an Enneagram three, I had it all mapped out in my head: I was going to spend my down time at the beach plotting my goals for 2023. Working on my vision board, mapping out a “plan” for my life, creating that gold star checklist. (Literally, this is what threes do ALL. THE. TIME. We do not know how to rest.)
But as soon as I got to Mexico, I had this intense feeling of, “this is not the trip for this. It is time to decompress and focus on you as a person. As a human being not a human doing.” The realization and acceptance of this was both a lesson and accomplishment. In fact, I learned five valuable lessons from this retreat.
Lesson 1
Just try. I had the opportunity to try new things (hello ice bath) and yoga poses I have never seen or attempted before. I would watch the yoga instructor effortlessly contort her body into a shape and I immediately thought, “no way” but quickly shifted to, “why not”? Much to my surprise and pride, I got some poses, but I did fail at others. And failure is evidence of effort. So, at the end of the day, it was a win-win.
Lesson 2
The mind/body/spirit connection is important. Make time to practice connecting with all these aspects of yourself on a regular basis. You can do this through a five-minute meditation, a visualization, prayer and/or yoga. After seven days of harnessing this connection with deliberate focus, I have more clarity on what I want out of my career and my life. It’s amazing what ideas come to you when you allow space for them.
Lesson 3
The ocean can wash away so much. I did an exercise where I wrote negative emotions I have been feeling in the sand and let the waves wash them away. It was an incredibly profound experience that I recommend everyone do; and if you don’t have access to a beach, you can visualize this in your mind as I often have before I had access to the real thing. As the wave pulls that negative word out into the ocean, imagine it returns a positive word in its place.
Lesson 4
Self-love/self-care is the best investment of your time. It’s not selfish. It allows you to recharge and be a better person for everyone in your life. No, you don’t have to take a weeklong yoga retreat. It can be as simple as enjoying a cup of coffee or tea at your kitchen table in silence. No phone, no TV, nothing. Just be.
Lesson 5
Brave, bold steps lead to clarity. As I look back on 2022, the year has been full of many brave steps, each one moving me closer to what I truly want and therefore inviting opportunities into my life meant for me. Signing up for a retreat where I didn’t know anyone was a brave step. After 40 some years, I finally know what it feels like to put ME first.
Let’s Grow! 🌱
