Just Stop Aleady

In the past year, my life transitions have created a new and unexpected role! In addition to speaking and writing, I’m now the chef and first mate on a luxury charter sailing yacht in the Caribbean! My husband, the Captain, and I were not looking for this opportunity, yet here we are…weekly welcoming new guests looking to escape from their everyday lives, creating lasting memories and experiencing the beauty of the Caribbean Sea. As they board our catamaran, we hear declarations such as:

• “I just want to push the reset button and detox from life”
• “I want to experience something I never have”
• “I’ve had major changes in my life and am trying to figure out what’s next”

They’ve spent significant money and travel time just getting to us.

Some guests embrace the opportunity to detach for a week, yet interestingly, the majority cannot resist immediately asking for the WiFi password and their preferred “at home” beverage…all the while texting, posting and posing for selfies. OK, let me try to understand this… so they desire something different yet they absolutely cannot disconnect from the same old toxic routine that has caused them to feel exhausted, numb and suffer from adrenal overload?

The antidote?

Just STOP. Turn your devices off and put them away. Take a long, deep breath and employ all your senses to experience the NOW. How does the view look? How does the air smell? What do you hear? With each inhale, gather as much sensory information as you can and on the exhale, visualize tension, anxiety, and stress simply moving away from your body. Allow your central nervous system to throttle down with each breath. You have permission to do nothing with unexpected outcomes.

Stopping is hard...

...because it forces us to take time away from other things that we could be doing. Stopping can also be uncomfortable, yet incredibly freeing. Stopping forces us to be in the moment and just “be." And here in our “being” lies the magic!

In order for us to “detox” we have to first learn how to mentally detox on a regular basis, by learning how to be present in the moment many times a day. It’s the lack of presence that allows bad habits to ease in. It’s not just a vacation or a singular event, but small moments all strung together that create the opening for new energy to flow your way.

When we allow ourselves to just STOP, an interesting dynamic occurs: change, transformation, opportunity, and possibilities seem to present themselves with little effort. And the more we allow ourselves to STOP and be in the present moment, the more alive and joyful we feel. A strong sense of hope, renewal and lightness washes over us and we feel more resilient, appreciative and joyful. Here’s wishing you smooth sailing and flowing seas!