THE ABILITY TO RELAX.

My husband loves to take naps. From what I understand many individuals reap the benefits from a nap on a weekend afternoon. Unfortunately for me, I am not one of those people and if I am being honest, at times, I envy them.

For years while I worked on Bay Street, I noticed the expressions on the faces of morning commuters were quite similar. People were tense. No one smiled; in fact no one would look you in the eye and somewhere down the line I became one of those people. A few years ago when I changed my office location to mid-town, the haze lifted. My shoulders became less tense, a smile returned to my face and my sprit lifted. I understood how much stress I was carrying and I was ready to change the way I viewed my life and my work.

As I mentioned earlier, a Sunday afternoon nap was not in my horizon. My journey to relaxation lay with keeping busy. I know that sounds a bit off. It was necessary for me to find activities that brought me joy and renewed my spirit. I started simple. I attempted to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, as often as possible. I read, played golf, wrote in my journal or watched a movie, without feeling guilty, that I was wasting time. I started to scrapbook, created picture dvds for friends and family, and discovered the art of card making. I gave myself permission to have fun, which unleashed my imagination and creativity.

As I reflect on the past, I am grateful that I was part of the downtown morning commute. For without it, I would not be where I am now. Relaxed.