Time to Rest

Today is the end of the second week for me in the UK. It has been a busy week with lots of travel, meetings and work. Now it's time to rest a bit and prepare for next week. Rest is an important part of the cycle and I'm definitely feeling the need right now to take it a bit easy after traveling up and down the country by train. This in itself wouldn't be too bad but I carry all my stuff with me as I go. I'm making a mental note to myself: must travel lighter.

This seems to be the story of my travel existence. I love to travel and love to have all my most important things with me; like books, camera, phones, computer and my comfy crocs. It all seems reasonable while I'm packing and considering what I need and what I don't need. Yet, when I'm hauling this stuff up and down the stairs of the train stations and tube stations, it does all seem a bit silly.

Do I really need all these books? Have I taken many pictures lately? Can I live without my computer? Sadly, the answer to all these questions is no, no and no! It is a fact of my life that I don't seem able to let go of my main sources of expression and communication. I love my books for the moments when I need some inspiration or new ideas to consider. The camera is for capturing special moments that I want to remember. The computer, well the computer is my lifeline. I don't know what I'd do without it.

Yet, this time of rest is asking me to forgo all of these and to just be. Let it all go – it's the end of the week and it's time to digest and then release in preparation for another week.

My work as a trainer is quite interesting in that regard as well. I see different people in every programme that I lead. After each course, the delegates rate me on a scale of 1-4 – 1- being excellent and 4 being poor. My ratings are always pretty good – nothing to complain about – but I'm aware that each course I lead is a fresh opportunity for me and the delegates. I don't get to rest on my laurels and say, hey, you should have seen me last week, I was really good – but ah, sorry about this week.

That isn't how it works in my world. In my world, I am creating it newly every time I step into a training room. I'm new and so are the delegates. A fresh opportunity to have a completely different experience and to embrace what life is offering right now.

And right now, it's time to rest.