Balance & Bliss in Jamaica
The Journey - “Opportunities multiply as they are seized. They die when they are rejected.” -- John Wicker
2018 has been a helluva year. I started the year off feeling burnt out. That’s been my underlying lowgrade fever since 2014. The past two years haven’t been pretty or nice. I’ve been running on fumes trying to run a failing PR business, attracting the wrong clients and being available to everyone else but myself.
By the 2nd quarter, several major life shifts happened. I went back into the workforce, I got a roommate and the financial bleeding I’ve had for the past two years, finally had a band-aid on it. All I needed now is to find a “financial miracle” to fix the leakage for good. In the meantime, I needed a mental health break from. It. All. So when the opportunity to work with a new client in Jamaica opened up, I said “yes!” That was in August, the trip wouldn’t happen until November. My birthday is in September and I always make it a vacation. Delayed by not denied. #PerfectTiming
Traveling Within
“Anything the human mind can believe, the human mind can achieve.” -- Napoleon Hill
The more I thought about getting myself to Jamaica, the more life seemed determined to remind me how relentless the mercy of time is. This is when you have to pull out the mind tools one learns in therapy or during a spiritual awakening -- I’ve done both and get to manifesting. From tracking low fares on Google flights to being in the middle of the campaign season (I took a work contract in the political field) to sudden financial obligations, somehow, in mid-November, I found myself flying over the Atlantic Ocean from MIA with Jamaica as my final destination.
That’s when luck magically shifted in my favor - a window seat on the flight with no one in the middle, a complimentary glass of red wine and a client eager to pick me up at the airport to get settled in and rested before our long awaited day-long workcation. Life, at this moment, is grande.
The amazing shower head at the Jewel Grande Resort in Montego Bay was powerful enough to evoke deep thoughts of gratitude and peace as I quickly showered before heading off to meet up with my client for a buffet dinner at the resort. Sometimes it takes a great shower to replenish and nourish the soul to prepare itself to be productive. #Srsly.
Journeying Out
We decided to get our day started early on Sunday morning to take advantage of daytime hours. After peeling myself from the amazing queen bed with floor to ceiling windows framing the walls, I met my client for an individual yoga session that helped set the tone for the day and usher my overanalytical mind into a slower pace. That topped off with the most amazing coffee I’ve had to date (I’m a Starbucks fan). As I eased into my new surroundings with peace and clarity, it became quite clear to me, while it’s important to journey within for self-care and self-love, there are times when your outside surroundings can also encourage the inside.
Breakfast was a mix of traditional British and Jamaican fare but nothing says vacation better than a true Jamaican Rum Punch which helped get our creative juices flowing while the gorgeous turquoise blue Atlantic Ocean gave us the beautiful backdrop serving as inspiration for the hard work I was sure to put in. After a nonstop marathon of brainstorming and creating strategies, we took a break and ventured closer to the sandy white beaches and the November Jamaican Sun.
The Balance
As I wound down from the day's activities with a little help from my Jamaican rum punch, I was able to take in the blessings of the moment and the bliss that welcomed me. The beautiful condo, my client’s present-mindedness and calmness, along with all of the little inconveniences that make their way into our day-to-day lives and reflect.
I’ve been going nonstop since I entered adulthood, a little over 20 years ago. Wanting to accomplish this or that, anxious to check things off my list and taking very little time to just be, just breathe. The practice of yoga teaches us the value of being still and taking a moment to breathe. This brings to mind, one of my favorite scriptures, “Be still and know that I am God.” It’s paraphrased and it appears several times in different books of the Bible. It’s this balance of action while allowing inaction or stillness that creates true balance the ‘gurus’ are always trying to convince us to do.
Destination Bliss
Jamaica provided the perfect backdrop to fall easily into relaxing and replenishment, with its beautiful views at the Jewel Grande Resort, the detailed architecture inside its suites with the expansive patios, the unmatched hospitality and the delicious cuisine on the property and the local fare, not to forget the amazing taste and color of the Jamaican rum punch paired with yoga, reflection and self care. I found bliss in Jamaica and you certainly will too.