The Lake

I have a postcard in my cube of a lake at sunset in MN that I purchased on one of my trips home. The colors are brilliant purples, pinks, grays, blues, and deep oranges with dark shadows that hint of trees silently welcoming the night. I put it up in my cube to remind me of home and the one place I have always felt at peace. This photo was taken by one of my cousins at our family lake home in MN. She did a wonderful job of capturing an awe-inspiring sunset. I have so many great memories from the lake that it has become an intrigal part of who I am as a person and how I define relaxation. In all of my travels, I have not found a more beautiful and peaceful place. Each sunset is unique, each sunrise is different, and each view of the lake is different depending on your angle. I know that the lake in and of itself is not what makes it so beautiful for me...it is the memories I have attached to the lake. Growing up, summers were spent lazing around on the dock, falling asleep in the sun, skiing, playing volleyball, and mostly just spending time with family. I didn't realize how important the lake was to me and how I define summer, family, and relaxation until I moved away and couldn't experience it every weekend. I took for granted that being at the lake allowed me to just absorb the moment and enjoy the day for what it was....beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing. Fortunately, I have the memories and I call upon them frequently to find a deep peace and sense of self. No matter what life throws at me, no matter how busy I get, and no matter how stressed out I am, visions of the lake always seem to center me. When I am trying to solve any great crisis in my life, I envision laying on the dock with my eyes closed; the sun warming my entire body while I listen to the sounds of nature and my family around me. When I do this, my logical mind seems to let my intuition take over and produce the most clarifying insights and resolutions to the current crisis. I think at thirtysomething, we tend to forget to do this type of relaxation. We get so caught up in the daily responsibilities, obligations, and just trying to plan our next step that we forget that we can only find peace and relaxation from within....and that we have to relax. My Type-A personality does not account for relaxation in the daily to-do list. Usually, it takes some sort of cataclysmic event to remind me that we owe it to ourselves to relax. I am unable to hear that inner voice guiding me to my next decision unless I take the time to relax. I think relaxation is a lost art in our society today. I think that is probably also why the lake is so effective of relaxing me...it takes me back to a time when life was about laying in an air mattress instead of deciding the next phase of my career. There is something to be said for the beauty in nature and the effect it has on allowing your innermost voice to be heard. So, while this thirtysomething makes a to-do list for the day, I will keep this quote in mind from A.A. Milne (Pooh's Little Instruction Book): "Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." My wish for all of you today is that you will find your “lake” and experience a moment of pure relaxation today.