Stay present.

Took a mini-family vacation recently. We hadn’t done much in the way of “vacationing” since the pandemic, and it we were long-overdue for a trip somewhere. In the middle of heat wave, with the highest gas prices in the nation, we took a short roadie down to San Diego for a three-day getaway and a chance to make some memories. It was exactly what we needed.

My wife and I have two young kids, an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old, and these little knuckleheads love animals. I mean, that’s kind of a kid thing, right? So we hit the San Diego Zoo and spent a few hours walking around, mingling with the wildlife. Kids had fun, picked up a few souvenirs, had some laughs, great success. Next day, we hit Coronado Island, spent a few hours on the beach with my sister and her family, I got too much sun, and then dinner in Old Town. More laughs, much success.

Yadda yadda, we had another great day playing it low key at the hotel and another great dinner with family. Amidst all the laughing and GPS navigating and sun burning, I had to remind myself to keep my mind empty and enjoy every moment. Stay present. Live in the Tao. That proved difficult for me on this trip. I felt guilty for giving myself a break, a break with my family. That’s a problem. I wasn’t thinking about work (much). Okay. I did some work one morning, but that was around 30 minutes of emails. Slight work.

I fought that feeling of guilt for a day before I let it go. Why waste precious time concerning myself with that? It’s a losing game, and I’m the only one playing because no one else in my tribe felt the compulsion to hate the good time they were having in those moments, on that vacation. They know what’s up. I was my own worst enemy, again.  Take a page out of my kids’ book and chill. Flow with the vibe. Be grateful for the time we get to enjoy with each other. Stay present. Live in the Tao.