Taking a Break can Break the Monotony of Life

May I say a direct hello to all of the readers of my blog. I decided a little over a week from my daily Facebook posts of many of my meals/recipes, my inspirational posts, posting every inch of blooms and growth in our flower gardens, and the many Happy Birthday, Anniversary, Congrats, etc. I have to say I miss seeing everyones’ Hoopla moments. On the whole, I thought of how many posts I create and how I love to watch the comments, likes, loves, and laugh emojis. One thing I noticed is how much more time I have to focus on some life thoughts and emotions. At the same time of this break from social media, I backed away from watching news. How refreshing this has been and I thought I would share how a break can actually break the monotony of life.

Social Media has become our social activity. To prove my point, how long has it been since any of us took the time, without having a celebration, death, tragedy, or other catastrophic event, visiting our friends and/or family and just kick back without an agenda other than companionship. Am I right?

I want to go back and this is a long time ago that I would get up very early and do my chores on a Saturday morning so that when my Daddy would decide to ride out to visit old friends in the country. Some were related; some were not. Most of them had fishing ponds and gardens. They were always willing to let us wet a hook and pick some vegetables. Along with these goodie gathering activities, there were lots of conversation and oh yes, the good ole day stories. Even picking peas or butterbeans and scratchy okra, there were peaks of roaring laughter. I learned a lot of their history, the hard times, the fun times, the courting stories, but through out their renditions of those stories, I heard love and survivorship. I heard how neighbors and families helped each other. When a family member passed away, how everyone pitched in to harvest crops and help each other. I learned how neighbors rebuilt barns when it burned down. I learned how bounty of gardens were shared when insects destroyed a friend or family member’s garden. I received the best lesson of how people should care about each other. I now realize I was taking a break and enjoying the lessons I learned.

Let us learn how to take a break:

• A break can be temporary without setting a time frame or setting a period to not engage in any chosen activity. A break can be simple as I won’t eat bread for a week, month, or I am giving up bread.
• Choose what you wish to accomplish during the break. It can be giving up an activity or avoiding it for a time period. Is the goal of the break to free up time? If so, what is the desired result. Is it to relax, or speed up productivity in another activity? In other words, are you replacing one activity with another or are you looking for more free time to avoid activity?
• Commit to the break or at least the time frame if one is selected. It is easier if a time frame is selected as we are creatures of habit but if we have agreed to a certain amount of commitment, we have a better chance to succeed.
• Decide the outcome you desire from this break. Are you taking the break to engage in a different direction and/or activity? If so, it is advantageous to prepare for that activity with new goals.
• Once the break is scheduled, Go For Your Break time! Kick back or get it in gear!

I want to summarize my thoughts about the pitfalls a break can produce. With social media, we have become “pawns” waiting for the players of life’s chess game to move in certain directions. We applaud, we pray, we comfort, we explain, or we just watch and allow others to make the strategic moves. A good bit of advice I can offer is STOP being a watcher and LIVE your life. Take your breaks, get moving, do something, and accomplish what you want to achieve. It is not to be determined by anyone else but BREAK away from living your lives through others. I agree encouragement can be helpful and is appreciated, but that first step has to be YOURS. Live life; Love Life; Live and Love Life to the Fullest by actually Living!

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