It's all in your head

I was walking on the beach early this morning and as I looked out along the shoreline there was an incredible view. The land curved out into the lake and the trees were shrouded in a light mist, it was just beautiful. When I saw it I was reminded of Scotland. Immediately I started thinking about how wonderful that trip was and how beautiful the landscapes were. I really loved my time in Scotland, especially our northern most stops where we were on the water. It was peaceful and relaxing and I just plain felt good. And there are times where I think it could be really great to live there.

Then I started wondering what was really so different from what I had right here, right now. I had a beautiful view over the water. It is very peaceful and there is a lovely town around the corner. So what's different? The things going through my mind. Here I'm thinking about what I have to do today, how to solve a problem or what I want to do next. When I was on vacation in Scotland I had no responsibilities beyond enjoying myself and finding some place to eat lunch. My thoughts were entirely about the landscape and how wonderful and peaceful things were.

So what happens if I allow the same thoughts to be my focus here? What if I spend my morning on the beach thinking about how beautiful it is? What if I think about how peaceful and relaxing it is on the beach? What if I just enjoy the feeling of the sand under my feet and the water lapping at my legs?

So I decided to try it, to change my thought train right now on this beach. I did it and it was wonderful. I felt playful and energized. I was happy and having fun. (My dog may not have enjoyed it so much because the playful me started splashing him as we walked, but I had fun.) And I realized that there isn't some magic about the feelings of vacation - it's all in my head.