I think I know why I love swimming & the water so much–life runs away while you’re underwater. Jumping in and sinking to the bottom of a pool forces all thoughts to stay at the surface, leaving you surrounded by the enormity of the blue liquid embracing you from every angle and this feeling of being utterly invincible. And then you spring up into the sunlight, breaking the surface of both the water and your mind’s simple wanderings.
That’s how I feel when I’m on Sanibel Island.
Crossing over that causeway, I leave my thoughts, work, to-do lists, schedule, and worries on the mainland and cross over into blissful oblivion. While there, my mind wanders and dreams without the daily hustle and bustle. Towards the end of every trip, I feel like I’m at the bottom of a pool, getting ready to push to the surface and pick up on the schedule I left untouched above my head. It’s that unsettling moment of knowing you need to go back up for air, but not wanting to break the sweet serenity you’re experiencing. It’s kind of bittersweet really. There’s a lot of great stuff at the surface…but it takes work to find that same feeling of peace.
Each time I cross back over that causeway to the mainland, life hits me like a ton of bricks. But in that bittersweet moment of pushing off the bottom of the pool to come back to the surface, I know I have a choice to make. You see, all of my underwater dreaming can either live as underwater fantasies or they can become realities on the surface–the choice is up to me. After enjoying those moments of dreaming, it’s important to embrace the surface of implementing those dreams–and that is the hard part.
Ultimately, going back up for air and implementing my dreams and taking the time to figure them out will allow me to dive back into the water with room for new dreams…and that’s worth it.
Welcome back to the world.
And yet, in the craziness of everyday, it’s so easy to forget those dreams that I blissfully enjoyed underneath the comfort of my liquidy blue blanket. And I know that forgetting them and allowing them to slip into missiles of regret hinders new dreams I can enjoy the next time I dive into my Sanibel paradise. So, I made a list.
Yes, yes. I’m somewhat of a list maker. My journal is littered with lists: to-do lists, wish lists, goal lists, and book lists. Lists for some odd reason resonate within my brain, triggering this sensation of organization. My world may be completely disorganized, but if I have a detailed list, my mind can at least rest in ease.
So I created a list of things that bring me bliss. In the stressful daze of life, when I don’t have the opportunity to jump feet first into my pool of dreamy serenity, I have a couple other options that can do the trick and revitalize my emotional endurance to keep working on my dreams.
1. The beach.
2. Journaling.
3. An iced mocha with whip cream.
4. Bright, summery nail polish.
5. Tropical flowers.
6. My Adele Pandora station.
7. Experimenting with photography.
8. Reading RELEVANT Magazine.
9.Watching movies that inspire me.
10. Running.
So many times we miss the little things that bring joy in life…those little things that take our breath away. Like an unexpected text from a friend letting you know that they love you. Or seeing the product of something you have worked hard for. Sanibel moments are AWESOME as a launching pad for new dreams. It’s the little things that keep your dreams moving forward.
Where is your Sanibel sweet spot? Maybe you’re more of a mountains person or you just love snow skiing. Enjoy that place where you experience those feelings of serenity–of jumping into a pool and leaving your worries behind.
What are little things that bring you bliss? Make a list and make sure that you take a few minutes to breathe while you sort through your dreams on the surface of life. A little bliss may just inspire something grand. You never know.
So while I wait to jump into my next adventure at Sanibel, you can find me applying those dreams I began to let soar and making room for new ones…while making a list or two along the way.
