Do you remember coming home for break while you were in college?  You’d have a pile of heavy textbooks in your backpack, along with the intention to catch up, or get a jump-start, on various assignments. And do you remember how, invariably, just as day follows night, you’d return to campus, disgusted, having achieved jack shit?

Tomorrow I return to the United States after ten weeks in Ireland.  Part of me—the huge accomplishment whore—is nearly hysterical because I’ve got nothing tangible to show for my time.

I didn’t finish revising the two books I thought I could polish off.  Or put together that group-coaching program I’ve been on and on about.  I didn’t film any videos, or fill out my LinkedIn profile, or put my blogs up on Pinterest.   (I bought a car, got insurance for it, learned to drive the thing, made a ton of new friends, but none of that seems to count.)

Videos like this one don’t help.

They make me feel like I should be thrown in jail for murdering precious time.

But here’s what I learned in Ireland.  I learned to be grateful for this incredible gift of time and space.

I’m grateful for the luxury of sleeping ten hours a day. (Oh, how I cringe at the decadence!)

For the ability to take two-hour leisurely runs.

 

To pat the mules along our route.

 

To have impromptu conversations with our curious neighbors.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to drag our kayaks to the beach and paddle with the seals.

To hang out, and unwind, with visiting friends.

To buy fresh vegetables at the farmer’s market each Saturday.

To chat with strangers at the local pubs.

To put my feet up on the coffee table each morning and watch the sun come up.

All those simple things I would normally feel way too rushed to do.

Rush, rush, rush.  Accomplish, accomplish, accomplish.  That’s been my fucked up mantra.

I’ve decided that ten weeks in Ireland is very much like a 10-day Vipassana meditation. It can be an emotional roller coaster. Getting quiet has a way of bringing up lots of crap.  But I won’t get into that.  Not at this moment.

I’ve decided that I’m going to go home feeling grateful, instead of lazy and undisciplined.  I’m going to thank the Universe for the opportunity to get really quiet and connect with myself. I’m going to relax, and thank God, just like the monk in this video. Because I’ve learned.

I hope you choose the same.