This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 1617, one mindfulness practice to fall in love with your

life by Rachel Shankin of MindBodyWise.com and I'm Justin Mollick. Welcome to Optimal Living Daily

or OLD, the show where I read to you from articles that I think are amazing, with permission from

the authors of course. One article a day, every single day of the year, I'll help you live a more

meaningful life. And here on this show that covers personal development or self-help, minimalism,

inspiration, motivation, all that fun stuff, so with that let's get right to it as we optimize your

life. One mindfulness practice to fall in love with your life by Rachel Shankin of MindBodyWise.com.

You may have noticed that I didn't post a blog last week, I took a vacation. There I said it.

Somehow it feels weird or scary to admit that I needed a break, but we all need a break sometimes

if you just answered that question with I don't, then this blog post is even more for you.

While I was away, I was tempted to work, I even brought my computer with every intention of

using it for work, however I resisted the urge to work and wow, it was the decision to let myself

just be no guilt allowed to let go of having to write a blog or respond immediately to email

that allowed me to flow more freely and presently with each moment. I could feel a letting go

sensation in my body, especially in my gut and my shoulders, as well as in my mind.

From there on out, each moment felt like the excitement of an unopened gift coupled with a

piece of watching a sunset. So now it's time for you to consider. When's the last time you took a

real break? A real break is not a five minute pause between meetings, that's just a pause. A real

break is not those few minutes you take to call a friend during the day, that's a chat. A real break

is not going to sleep at night, that's just a basic human need. A real break is not a family

vacation where you're responsible for planning all the activities, making sure everyone is

bathed and fed, and a trip where your days are packed full with non-stop doing, that's just

...