Summer Retreats: Taking the Time for Yourself

Confused… Cluttered… Exhausted… Worn Out… On Edge… These words described me, at a point in my life, when nothing was working, efforts were failing, and time was accelerating. There was too much on my plate, there was not enough in my tank, and the room in my daily calendar had absolutely no margin. Someone I considered to be a personal coach suggested that I take some time for a Personal Retreat, to get away and rest, renew, and re-focus. I countered that I did not have the time to do, and as soon as I said it, I knew it was not so much that I didn’t have the time, but I was not taking the time. So I did.

Taking the time for Personal Retreats has been a part of personal development and growth for thousands of years. From early Buddhist monks to Hindu priests to spiritual shamans to Christian monks and nuns, Personal Retreats have been practiced and celebrated through the years by people of every faith and spiritual orientation. Lin Yutang said this: “Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials.”

Personal Retreats have been practiced and celebrated over the years by spiritual people because they Rest The Body. Life can be hard on the body, with the constant demands on all of us to work harder and produce more and engage in more and more activity. Personal Retreats give us the opportunity to rest our bodies and recharge our batteries.

Personal Retreats also Enlighten The Mind. An amazing thing happens when we pause and cease to be still: Our mind is enlightened. Answers and solutions present themselves. The complex becomes simple. Captain J.A. Hadfield said it like this: “This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men.” I love that!

Resting the mind and dismissing from it all care and worry. There’s power in that! The power of rest is that it feeds and supplies the mind!

As a result of having a Rested Body and Enlightened Mind, Personal Retreats also Nourish The Soul. Our soul, like a tender plant, or even an infant child, needs to be continually nourished and cultivated. The power of a Nourished Soul is such that when properly nourished, we have the motivation, strength, and capacity to nourish and feed others. Once again, Captain J.A. Hadfield speaks to us: “Acquire inner peace and a multitude will find their salvation near you.” Being available to strengthen and support others is surely a part of our collective destiny. Personal Retreats can help us here.

Personal Retreats also Heal The Wounds. Life, work, business and relationships can hurt at times, and so we need to take time to pull away and heal. Perhaps society has so much visible dysfunction in terms of relationships precisely because we don’t take time to heal. The insecurity, fear, ego, and even anger others project onto us, we often unknowingly project onto others, simply because the time is not taken to reflect, renew and heal.

Personal Retreats also Refresh The Spirit. When our spirit is refreshed, we encourage ourselves more, bounce back quicker, and are more available to others for mentoring and accountability. We also live our lives with a greater degree of gratitude and less of a degree of entitlement. We become a source of refreshing to others.

Lastly, Personal Retreats can Clarify The Vision. So many times, what was once clear to us in terms of vision and dreams and forward thinking becomes clouded and obscure. I once had a mirror which found a home in my garage, and inevitably became dusty, so that the image it reflected was not clear. Personal Retreats are an incredible opportunity to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of daily life, so that our vision can again become clear, and so that they dust can be wiped away.

Ovid, who lived way back from 43 B.C. to 17 A.D., said this: “Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” You and I were born to yield a Bountiful Crop! This Bountiful Crop comes as we take time to rest and renew, and taking time for Personal Retreats is an important part of rest and renewal! Happy Retreating!

Abe Brown, B.Th., C.P.C., C.M.C. Abe Brown is the Certified Master Coach Trainer and Regional Vice President for the Certified Coaches Federation for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, along with the Atlantic Provinces. He has been a professional Life and Executive Coach for over 15 years, and also trains others to be Life Coaches. More information can be found at www.certifiedcoachesfederation.com, or by calling 1-866-455-2155. Email: abe@certifiedcoachesfederation.com